, 1880-02-22
THE ANNUAL CITY APPROPRIATIONS.

THE ANNUAL CITY APPROPRIATIONS.
The City Council is evidently disposed To
make boomi There is probability that
the majority of the Council will make appro'
priations this year far exceeding anything
that has been done since the policy OF zap
propriate-as- as-you-please' was necessarily
abandoned in consequence OF the suspension
OF payments by the city. 4 large number OF
Aldermen are keen1y in search Of objects on
which to expend money. They want to re-
turn to the days when the supply OF scrip
was only limited By the demands made for II,
days that admitted Of large salaries, the
employment OF scores Of useless officers, and
liberal compliance with she demands OF
contractors. Now that the necessity fo1
issuing scrip has passed away, and it is to be
hoped forever, there is desire to reestaolisfl
it by voting every dollar Of money out OF the
Treasury in addition to an aggregate Of ap-
preparations of the largest magnitude.
1t is true the act Of the Legislature limits
the amount Of tax to be levied to 2 per cent
of the valuation; but the Legislature at the
same time excepted taxes for school pur-
poses from this limitation, and the levy for
interest on the funded debt is also excepted
from the limitation. So the Council have the
power and are disposed to exercise it In
making appropriations to the following ex-
tent We give the sums in round numbers
for illustration:
To the amount Of the per cent levy. 500 600
To the amount OF miscellaneous revenue 10000
Extra for school purposes. lr1U,OV0
For interest On the debt.-. 65VOoo
Total for revenue. ,U5V,V4 U5V,l
Cash in Treasury. I,00o0U
Total appropriations. &, ,o5o,0oo
This money in the Treasury is partly the
surplus of the collections of back taxes and
partly the result Of savings BY the Executive
Department from the appropriations made
since 1876. This money is now sufficient to
enable the City Government to do AZ its
business for cash, instead Of with scrip. #
this money be left in the Treasury as current
fund with which to pay municipal expenses
as they accrue, there will be no necessity for
the further issue Of any scrip; if the City
Council shall appropriate this money in addi-
ton to the ordinary tax-levy and other reVe-
nue.. then the hope Of ever bringing the City
Government to cash payments may as well
be abandoned
Last year, because the city could not pay
cash for salaries and was compelled to pay
scrip, there was per cent added to the sal
aries. This year, because the city can pay
its expenses in cash, this S per cent addition
to salaries can be omitted.
Another fact, and one which members
Of the Council and the public generally
cannot afford to overlook, is the declaration,
officially made by the Controller, that the
cost Of the government of the city when all
payments are made in scrip is 100000
greater annually tnan when the city can
pay cash. To expend this money in the
Treasury for the mere sake Of expending 1t,
and compelling the City Government to re-
sort to the issue Of illegal scrip, is to coIl-
sumo 500, 600 more Of the public money than
will be needed if the city is permitted to do
business on cash basis. Is not that heavy
penalty for the disgraeeful luxury Of issuing
two or three millions Of city scrip to be
hawked about the streets for sale at a dis
count?
Of course the scent of cash in the Treasury,
subject to appropriation BY the Council, is
too appetizing to be resisted by that portion
of the Council which deals and traf1ics In
city expenditures One hundred and fifty
thousand dollars added to the salaries
will be worth, cash in hand, from $4,000
to 30,oo0 to the friends Of those Alder
men, if there be any, who have men in office
or to disappointed. An appropriation of half
a million Of dollars extra for school sites and
buildings will be worth, to those interested
enoug to approve such an expenditure, per
laps S50, 900 cash in hand. Thus, at the bot
tom of this madness for emptying the
Treasury into the hands Of an increased num-
Der of officers and hungry contractors Is the
dishonest desire to pocket dishonest pay for
q dishonest system Of wasteful, extravagant
expenditure.
At every step in the progress Of the appro-
priation ordinance the demand for the lar
gest expenditures and the largest salaries is
evident Though there are but four pro-
fessed Communists in the Council, there are
SO many others Of kindred sentiments that it
is possible the appropriations will be made
on the SocIalistic scale. It is to be regretted
TINT conspicuous among the members voting
for the extravagant and wasteful policy, and
thereby sustaining the theory that all gov
eminent is founded for the purpose Of levy
ing the greatest possible sum of taxes to be
expended among the greatest possible num-
ber Of officers, is AID. Dixon. He GER
tain1y knows the humiliating condition Of the
city finances few years ago; he knows why
and how that condition was brought about;
he knows the criminal policy OF running the
Government with scrip; and therefore it is
that his action towards swelling the appro-
priations is at once surprise and regret to
his constituents and the public.
THE PARNELL MEETING