Daily Republican., 1881-03-19
The Party Lash and Fiscal Bill

OF course there lS no use saying any
thing now against the fiscal year bill
as it has beco ne q law and all that vi
can say cannot change it, hut 1t vii
not be amiss to bear in mind that tht
useless expense entailed upon the city
for four years as the result and through
the operation of the bill could as easily
have been avoided by passing Mr.
Bradford's substitute. 1t is net de-
MED that for the last twenty or TWEEN
ty.fvs years and probably much far
ther back there has always been
trouble to bridge over two or three
months Of the CITY fiscal year before
the first of July, and as this difficulty
had not been remedied before, it is q
little strange that our astuts city fnan-
ciers did not think Of . remedy two
years ago when they applied to the
Legislature for $145,o 900 with which
to complete the laying OF water mains
consequent on the erection of Cool
Spring Reservoir, and for funding an
apparent indebtedness Of some $50, 900
The bill passed two years ago was as
much intended to wipe out all in debt
eduess OF the city and put it in a po-
sition when there would be no need
thereafter Of borrowing money to bridge
over certain months in the year. So
sure we're the orisinators OF that bill
that there would be no more need of
borrowing money either for temporary
or permanent use that a clause was in
serted in the bill prohibiting the bor'
rowing of money under any circum'
stances BY the City Council. Els very
strange that this should have been
done with these two or three months
in which there was always an apparent
deficit, unprovided for. The true in
tent of the bill then passed was that
there would always be sufficient sur
plus from the proceeding year to RON
the city the next year up to July. If
this had not been intended it is not
likely that the Democrats who had
then Just seized the city COVE. nment
would have favored the passage Of the
bill.
01cs entrenched in power however
the temptation was great to render the
administration so popular as to remain
II power, and there was no way by
which the administration could be
rendered mora popular than by re.
duction Of the tax rate. Here was the
origination Of all the trouble. The
tax rate was reduced and Council was
obliged in 1879 to seize &34, 900 of the
money supplied to pay off previous
floating debts, and apply it to the cur
rent expenses Of the city. This little
sharp practice in finances bridged the
city over 1879. Then the time came
for making the appropriations for 1880.
There was no surplus fund at first
lying around loose upon which to fall
back, and it was fully contemplated to
raise the tax rate at least five cents on
the 800, but Just before the appro-
priations were fully decided upon,
S21 900 was discovered lying unused
in the treasury Of the Board of Educa-
ton, aud this surplus was Seized with
a rapacity bordering on desperation,
the tax rate was still kept down
at low figure and this sharp practice
the second year went to the score OF
Democratic economy.
But in the third year Of Democratic
rule it has been found necessary, as |
there was NO more surpluses to be seiz'
cd, to have the present fiscal year bill
passed, which enables the Democratic
party to bridge over the gap still at
low rate Of taxation. $50 900 wac the
amount required this time to carry the
city through to July 1882, the time for
the commencement Of the new Gscal
year. There was no dispute that this
amount OF money was required, the
only point of diffsre noe being the time
for the commencement Of the fiscal year
vhsther II should be January or July.
By letting 1t remain at January, the
Amount borrowed was to have been
paid of out of this years taxes, be-
cause the appropriations we're made to
pay the whole current expenses of tho
year as ususl. The borrowing Of $780,
900 was mersly to fill up the May and
June ohssu for the present year, and
arterwsrds the time for the collection
of the taxes was to bs changed to May
instead Of July. By this plan no debt
would have extended psst the present
year. BY the plan adopted $50 900 ia
TO be paid off in four years and Dem
ocratic Council Is still enabled to bsep
down the tax rate and make show 81
ecouemy, while the taxpayers have