Item JM-AIY/OttomanRegisters/Vol14/p14b/item64 - Upon a Chamber of Commerce’s marginal note regarding the expenditure of 10,000 piasters from the municipal fund for the appointment of watchmen, 24 February 1909 (Gregorian calendar) - 11 Shubât 1324 (Ottoman fiscal calendar (Rumi)

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Upon the Chamber of Commerce’s marginal note dated 20 February 1909 and numbered 14, regarding the expenditure of 10,000 piasters from the municipal fund for the appointment of watchmen. The above-written marginal note by the Chamber of Commerce has been examined. As stated in the previous marginal note by our council, which is written in this document, neither the Municipal Councils Regulation nor the decree regarding the allocation imposed in exchange for cleaning expenses do not contain any provision about the obligation of municipal councils to cover the costs of the services of night watchmen in cities. The goal pursued in assigning this watchmen problem to the Chamber of Commerce is not the selection of necessary watchmen and their deployment and residence at necessary spots, but the apportioning of their monthly salaries among the merchants and its collection. If there is a waiting process in the collection of the said salaries that must be already apportioned by the Chamber of Commerce, there is no necessity to take on debt the receivable 10,000 piasters. It is thus obvious that this sum can be provided by the member of the Chamber of Commerce to the salary earners until this money is collected. The following points have been stated in this marginal note: Although it is stated that the municipality has a sum of 100,000 piasters in its fund, the Chamber of Commerce does not intervene into this. Nonetheless, the said sum is contingent upon the 250 liras, left over the approximate sum of 1,000 liras borrowed from the Anglo-Palestine Bank at a rate of six percent in accordance with the Sanjak Administrative Council’s decision regarding the stores constructed within the Seyyidenâ Davud Gate and upon the expenses of the medications ordered from Paris, road expenses and other fixed expenses. It has been decided that the said sums be paid within February of this year; and the Municipal Councils Regulation, approved by the Parliament, does not allow under any circumstances to use some of these expenses by means of borrowing from the municipal fund. If the said watchmen salaries are thus covered from the municipal fund, this would be contrary to the Constitution, and no permission shall be given by the Mutasarrifate, for this would bring a responsibility. It is thus necessary that the payment of the said 10,000 piasters be deferred until the collection of the February allocation assigned to the merchants in exchange for watchmen expenses, and be managed somehow or other as promised in the Chamber’s marginal note dated 29 January 1909 and numbered 1. As the activities of the said watchmen are carried out by the Police department as of 1322 (1906-1907), there is no document or register in our council concerning market and neighborhood watch. Hence, for requesting the said document from the Police department, it is appropriate to relegate the matter to the Chamber of Commerce. The 11th of Shubât (1)324 (24th of February 1909).

• Ottoman Turkish