| Show CITY EXPENSE I RISES DESPITE ECONOMY PLEA Policy You Pay Urged by Murdoch l t and Auditor j By BOB HALE Criticism by special auditors auditors audi- audi tors of double spend spending ng by bythe bythe the city government and City Auditor Samuel F F. Nicholls' Nicholls suggested remedy of reduced expenditures were followed Friday by disclosures the municipality municipality municipality mu mu- is headed just the opposite way toward way toward more expendi expenditures tures t Meanwhile City Commissioner William m Murdoch head of the department department de de- de of public affairs and fi finance finance fi 11 nance called for a pay as you go basis and urged that to keep down debt normal functions of government govern govern- ment should be sacrificed to meet emergencies when the latter arise t Indication that expenditures are going up was contained in a report by Mr Nicholls to commissioners that four municipal departments spent more in the first quarter of 1936 than their experience experience ence ence table shows they should have spent They were the public li library II- II department of public affairs and finance public safety department depart depart- I ment and department of parks and public property 1419 Beyond Margin The Thc three other departments departments- auditors auditor's office streets and public pubic improvements and waterworks waterworks- spent pent under what their experience ex cx- table allowed them making mak nak- ing the net amount overspent t by byAll byall All aU departments Another report b by Mr Nicholls showed that actual receipts for the first quarter were less than estimated receipts for the pe pe- pe- pe nod Actual receipts from general taxes water sales licenses and department department de de- de- de fees were compared com corn pared with estimated income of Receipts Receipts' from taxes and licenses fell feU sh short rt of estimates by but hut income from water sales and fees was more than estimates estimates esti esti- mates making the net Defends Budget My aim is to keep down debt by getting by on what we have Commissioner Commissioner Com Corn missioner Murdoch said That means staying within the budget Emergency expenditures such as aswell well Ven dr drilling participation in W P A end and nd airport work caused debts he laid Actual A emergencies have to be met net the commissioner asserted 1 They can be met without creating i I debt by cutting down on regular functions Activities that are not emergency will have to be cut out Commissioner Murdoch disclosed he be believes the City cemetery accounts ac ac- f r counts of which were criticised by the same special audit report by J. J Percy Goddard and Roy G. G Abbey that hit double spending can be beI I put on a sustaining self basis He disclosed he had received recommendations rec rec- rec from a chamber of I commerce committee headed by Charles R. R Mabey to put the cemetery cemetery tery on a self sustaining basis by ceasing the sale of burial lots f fur fur- ur- ur Continued on Page Four Column One CITY iii EXPENSES 4 CONTINUE RISE CONTINUE RISE I f r rte I Continued from Pate Pare One I I i. i of of perpetual care and perI per- per of other services below cost ost s if r Plan Not Ready Beady The The- chamber recommendations forwarded to Commissioner Murdoch Murdoch Murdoch Mur Mur- doch March 4 have havo not riot been submitted sub submitted to the commission D. D as a whole because he has not worked out the plan the official said Bald Z I 1 believe belleve It a good plan however and and 1 believe belleve the revenue from the cemetery could be raised he said The audit report pointed out that thousands nd Wo of dollars has b been been en lost front from cemetery ordinary care and perpetual care ac accounts by inadequate inadequate nade- nade quate records and failure to follow lip JUp collections ion The he chamber committee included with Its J recommendations a 0 a table showing that various charges made mad e by the City cemetery are much below below below be be- low charges made by average yate ate and municipal burial buria grounds As tin an an example the table said that tho City cemetery charges 6 to open an adult grave while the average municipal cemetery charges 1530 and the the average private cemetery 1537 Urges Higher Scale Seale Sc Ie It It appears that the deficit in incurred In- In cured In the operation of ot t the e Cit City cemetery ry each year and for 1935 inthe in inthe inthe the sum of f may be attributed attributed attributed attrib attrib- first to the extreme low charges harges for lor burial services and low s sale le prices for lots and perpetual care all of which appear to be below below be be- low law cost and second the loss Joss of or a a ap p perpetual care caze and maintenance fund said the chamber recommendations The doubling of tho the perpetual maintenance fee and sales soles price of lots and increasing of ot the fees for forthe forthe forthe the opening of graves equal to those of the tho average of other cemeteries in Jn the west virtually would put the City cemetery upon a sustain self 1 ing g basis The following table shows shows' how city expenditures for lor the quarter ended April 30 increased over the budget Budget Allow Actual Departments nen On Exp A Table e. e E Over O Under Au editor 5 S 3 S Public library arY r Public affairs and finance Public 8 Parka Park and pubIc property 89 Streets Street and public improvements Waterworks r ToW Totals t. t Dwindles'S Dwindles S 'S table shown how I were less than cs r i Estimated Actual a Source n s Over Under Central tAxes 0 S. S Water sales Licenses 5 fees feu k Totals Total r 1 Copses Copies of at the reports report were co for tor guidance J In conducting financial of their respective departments |
