Delmar Delaware Expenditures For Sept 1944

For many years towns would publish monthly a list of what expenditures they had for the month in the local newspaper. It kept people honest. Needless to say we no longer do that. I would be willing to say few if any people on the council know what checks are written by the town each month. When I first became involved in town affairs there would be a list of expenses submitted at the council meetings and we would vote on rather or not to pay them. It was a matter of record. Not done now, but I am considered old fashion on that subject. Here are the expenditures for Delmar Delaware in 1944 when we had no town employees other than a cop and parttime people. The elected councilmembers collected the taxes and wrote the checks.

EXPENDITURES FOR TOWN OF DELMAR, DEL. SEPT 1944

Cash on hand...................................$5,305.28
Bank of Delmar, Int on Bond........................87.50
Joe Walker, work on streets 55 hours @ 60c hr......33.00
Sam Bynum, work on streets, 22 hrs @ 50c...........11.00
Patrolman salary, Joe Walker August................40.00
Wm Wailes, work on streets, 15 hours @ 50c hr......10.00
Rob't Bynum work on streets, 15 hours @ 50c hr......7.50
Sunoco Service Station, 32 gal gas and 1 qt oil.....6.84
The Bi-State Weekly Printing .......................9.30
Delmarva Asphalt Co., 10 ton stone @ 4.00 per ton..40.00
700 gals asphalt @ 12c.............................84.00
Delmarva Asphalt Co, 10 ton stone @ 4.00 ton.......40.00
Delmarva Power and Light Co Street Lighting Aug....99.58
Ira Wilson cutting weeds 6 1/3 hrs @ 1.50...........9.50
Total.............................................$478.22
Cash on hand Oct 1, 1944........................$4,827.06

So there are a couple of interesting items, first is 32 gallons of gas and a quart of oil for $6.84.

Second is why was Ira Wilson paid three times as much per hour as the other workers?
I thought at first it was a difference in pay for white and black workers. Sam and Robert Bynum, and William Wailes are black. Joe Walker is white and so is Ira Wilson. Joe Walker was paid 60 cents an hour so that isn't the entire reason for Ira Wilson's $1.50 an hour. My thoughts and guess is that Ira Wilson supplied some kind of equipment, perhaps horse and wagon, grasscutter or chemicals that were figured into his hourly rate, as I know for previous research the town baliff was paid one hourly rate and if he used his horse he was paid a higher hourly rate.