The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-04-08
CITY Finances.

The Ottawa RepuI<ioaa, after glorying in thu
fact that our city has been mulcteed in a most
unrighteous fine OF g, 800, returns to the sub.
ject of expenditures by the last two councils
Two weeks ago it lamented that in ten years
the city had had but one republican council,
and it undertook to contrast the deings OF
that council with the democratic council of
the last year. Being wholly ignorant of what
1t was talking about, the Republican dealt in
general assertions as to the superior wisdom
and economy of the republican council and Of
the extravaganza of its successor. We there
upon exposed the stupidity of the Republican,
by giving some figures, showing that the re-
publican council 50 much lauded had com
menced its reign with surplus in the treasury,
had expended some $4,000 actual cash re-
ceived and gone out of Office leaving a
floating debt of some $4,000 for the next
council to provide for. The Republican is un-
able to parry the force of these figures, but
eats its own dirt and says the aforesaid re-
publican council waslno republican council at
all, that it was "not partisan" but democrats
and republicans in it were equally guilty OF its
extravagance-the same extravaganza which
the Republican the week before had denied
Having performed this ridiculous feat of
ground and lofty tunbling, the Republican
continues:
We charge that to place the sum Of $4,000,
as the cost of running the city government"
against the total amount expended for all
purposes the previous year, is contemplate
misrepresentation when the official reports
shows that the sum of $3S, 900 was expended,
and that without making single permanent
Improvement of any considerable cost or con-
sequence. The great saving on the reduction
of salaries is all bosh. 1t only amounts to a
few hundred dollars at most. But, whether
much or little, it is only reduction of rates
established and paid by democratic councils
for a series of years.
As bit of special pleading and contempt
tible talsehood this is hard to beat. We did
not place this sum of So, 1000 against the to-
tai amount expended last year." but only
against about 100000 expended last yesr pure
ly for city purposes, exclusive of principal
and interest on city indebtedness. And in
that light the statement is shown to be cor
rect by the financial statement in this weeks
Republican ; for that statement gives as total
receipts S37,63569, out of which were paid
balance due Treasurer, March l, 1870 s6,2S2.-
So; orders of 1869 outstanding $16,9s5.29
interest on city bonds, &C., $5,725OS-total
S2o,992.25, leaving as balance to "rua- the
city, SS,64354, against $4,000 by the pre-
vious council. Out of this sum the city did
make one permanent improvement in which
The editor of the Republican has special in
-erest-we mean the eastern approach to the
Fox River bridge, at a cost Of some 500.
Considering the amount expended by the two
we think this Is entitled to stand as
fair offset to the two permanent improve
nents" by the previous council-the Cass
treet bridge and the iron fence.
That the reduction Of salaries amounted to
few hundred dollars" and that is was only
reduction of rates established by previous
democratic councils" is further specimen of
he Dose statements the Republican INDUCES
n, through ignorance and stupidity, we will |
harltably suppose. The reduction was to
5000 from $4,000 and the salaries of nearly |
II the officers twoIyears ago were raised from |
70 to 80 per cent above the salaries that any
previous council had paid