Daily Republican., 1879-07-11
A NOTE.
The Tax Rate,

The Tax Rate.
We are as much in favor Of low taxes
~ the Gazette" is, provided low tax
- will pay off all the expenses to which
the city is subjected, and not leave a
floating debt behind. Ii it is low taxes
that alone is wanted why not levy a
tax rate OF one dollar or seventy-tive
cents on the, one hundred dollars in
stead of one dollar and fifteen cents?
The principle would be the same pre-
cisely, as it would be lower tax rate,
and that seems to lie all that the ma
jority in the City Council want at pres
snt. We have repeatedly shown that
the low tax rate of $l.15 will Leave a
floating debt at the end Of the present
fiscal year of sl4, 900, for the payment
of which no provision has been made,
and we simply contended that the rate
should have been made five cents high
or that the legitimate expenses of the
city might he paid of and not left to in
crease the tax rate next year. For
this suggestion We have been accused
as we have already said Of being in IA
vor of high tax rates, an accusation
which is evidently made tor a olitical
purpose. W. cannnot look upon this
reduction Of taxes in any other light
than an attempt to gull and mislead
the yotsrs-.o MAKE them believe that
the Democratic party is the party OF
economy and reform when it is self evi
dent It il jus' the reverse. Let US il
lustrAts this Democratic mode Of re-
ducing thu tax.s aud See whether it
will stand the light of reason and truth.
Here is an industrious mechanic who
has steady employment and gets good
wages--say $l2 week. 1t takes one
half of that to keep his family in gro.
ceries and marketing. He cannot pos
sibly get along on less AMI regularly
by economy and good management he
keeps Us family supple with the nee
essari-s OF life on j a week. But an
extreme economical spasm strikes our
ideal mechanic aud he resolves that he
will not psnd so much money for pro-
visio Is which he really must have, and
80 he resolves to spend but $3.50 cash
each week for these necessaries oflife and
he win have the other so cents a week
credited to him on the grocer's ledger.
DOES it not strike the mini OF the read
or that at he end of the ye n that me-
chanic will have a floa in, debt against
him Of $26, whi;h will have to be paid
some time? The next year he will have
to spend $3.50 cents per week, to keep
his family going AMI TO pay tff hat
floating det of S26.
This is precisely what the Dem ratio
majority Of the City Council are now
doing. They know very well that it
takes a tax rate If Sl.2O to meet the
legitimate expenses of the city, but
they, like the ideal mechanic, have re-
solved tlat they will make the same
kin i of show of economy by a reduc-
tion of the tax rate to $l.l5, and the
balance which that amount will not
pay off can be charged up in the ledger
against the city for next year to pay.
We think we have made this tax bust
ness sufficiently plain to be understood.
With tax rate Of $1.2U the city could
have paid off all its obligations and
started clear of any floating debt on the
first of January, but with the present
tax ratt it will have to start the next
fiscal year with floating debt of about
$l7 ,O0o resting upon it, AMI which to
pay off and keep another such debt
from increasing will require tax rate
Of $l.25 per hundred dollars on the
present assessment. We say again that
if it was simply low tax4s the Demo-
Gratis were after for the sake of impos-
ing upol the people aud carrying the
City Council at the Sep ember election,
that they might as we'll have reduced
,he rate down to Sl.lO on the hundred
dollars. This of course would have left
! larger floating debt, but the princip
If the thing would have been the same,
md then it would have been such
grand elec 10 leering cara to show Low
Ow taxation was under Democratic rule
md how high it was under Republican
rule.
SENATOR JouX Il (,npnnN i. mani hor