Daily Republican., 1881-01-25
council, and she Fiscsl Y ear.


council and the Fiscai Year.
The bill recommended by the City
Council last night, but so s,renuOusl,
opposed by Nj. Rodney, for preRenfa
ton to the Legislature to be enacted
into a laS changing the commencement
and ending Of the fiscal year, provides
first fo. the annual publication Of the
financial statistics Of the city in all the
daily newspapers, the report to be sum
married and condensed SO as tO oc'
cupy probably not more than a column
in each. Even this will cost probably
more than the old way of asking fol
proposals for printing the whole report
itsmizsd and epread out over mtrt
than a whole page Of paper, for al
though proposals were asked for 1t vas
generally understood that the, job was
not to be over $50, and to be published
in two news wepspers. The plan proposed
in the new bill provided the report
will not occupy more than column
space will cost the city probably $50
as there are now FIVE daily newspapers,
the usual charges for transient adver-
tissmants being made. Though the cost
may b, trife more, greater satisfac-
tion will be given as every body will
see the report in one or other. OF the
dailies and it will not be too long 10 be
read by all who feel an interest in the
city.
This part Of the bill met with no op
position as it was plainly great i'm
provement on the CID plar.
That part Of the bill, however, that
changes the commencement Of the fiscal
year from the first Of January 70 the
first Of July, met with determined 0p'
position from Mr.. Rodney, for very good
reasons, fully stated in an article in
the REPUBLICAN few days ago. One
objection was that it made an awkward
beginning for year and required G
half Of two separate years to make a
fiscal year. Another objection was,
that in making provision for paying TIE
current expenses Of the city from jam.
afy TO Jcly to make the change etfsc-
tive, it vas virtually funding a floating
debt to be paid of in four years, burth-
Jzl 1g the city and increasing taxation
tc 1aA't sxtent. 1t is proposed to Dor.
row $50, 0o0--:he amount needed in ad |
ditiOl to wafer rents and other city |
revenues bet 0ming available TO run the
city from January to July. This $50, |
00o, it is propose shall be paid of SlJ,-
900 eaol year uuAl it is paid, and the
money TO pay it with is TO be levied
each year with our taxes. With the
accrued interest, the city Tonli have
to raise :he first year additional SIS, 900;
the second year, $l7,700 the third
year, SIC 500 and the last yoar $l5,
700.
The interest alone paid in that time
would ba $4,000. Mr.. Rodney proposed
that the bill should be so amended in
lieu Of the plan proposed above that
one third Of the city taxes should be
paid into thu city Treasury in February
or March by offering rebate in the
taxes sutii cient to induce the payment
of them by that time. This 1t will be
seen was entirely feasible and practi.
cable, but it d d not suit the majority
who lad bsen running the city at
low rate OF tax for The last two years
by spending $34, 900 of borrowed money
in 1879 in paying the current expenses
of the city, and in 1880 by taking
$22 900 ou! OF the Treasury Of the
Board Of Education and applying it TO
the same purpose.
Now then here comes the "nigger in
the wood pile," that Mr.. Paynter
thought was on Mr.. Rodney's side but
happened to be making chips fly in his
own yard There were no other con-
tlDgencies for the majority to fall back
upon. The proceeds Of the sale of the
city hospital would be but mere
bagatelIe compared with the amount
needed, and then Nj. Blake wants that
amount TO apply exclusively to estat-
fishing fire alarm telegraph for the
FIRE department
By the way parenthetically speaking
Mr.. Blake's return to Council from the
Third Ward will be assured after the |
aerrymsndsr is completed. 1t is NOR
ally certain that at the next city elee.
tion the Democrats will step ont Of
power End the Republicans in so TAR as
the City Council ia concerned and the
Republicans would be compelled from
the start to levy a high rate of tax to
pay off this extra debt left as Demo
crate egscy, and whatever Of Aoat-
ing debt may he created the present
year ny the failure to naks the rate
Lis2 G o1gl to m's: all contingencies.