Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-02-11
AN EXPLANAfioN
-u condition Of the Fire Fund

OF the Condition OF
Enron DAILY SENTINEL: We have Cd
.o,vaa with regret, thst there is a misap-
nrebepsion and misunderstanding IN TO
gard 10 our action in voting 500 per mon'n
IA ,bs fire companies Of Eureka. The
-au,he,s NJ the companies, we believe, ID
taking action TO denounee our course are
II. swa,e Of the actual condition OF
.s.;,s and we feel that q concise stase-
uspt Of the facts Is due to ourselves ana
10 the public. and we request an opp0,'
.u.i,v 10 make such q statement through
your paper.
The total valuation OF assessable prop
erty in the town OF Eureka in 1884, as ff1ed
nv the Board Of Equalization. is sl,OS9'-
7s2. The rate OF tax levied for fire pnr-
poses was iorty-hve cents on each q nun
dred dollars valuation. This levy max
ing no allowance for d~elinquenciesl raised
Fire Fund Of 4,s74 OF for the year 1854.
We are informed from the Assessors once
that Il il the Judgment Of that Office thai
the valuation OF the taxable property in the
town Of Eureka in 1855 will be folly one
third and perhaps one-haif less thsn
In 1884; that 10 10 say. there Will
ha from sSs4.s76 to STAG. sol OF tax
able property in the town this year.
At the present rate OF taxes 1t VIII bring
into the Fire Fund, at our estimate. s.. 269;
at the other, S2,4S7. or taking Q mean esti-
mate between the two. which We believe TO
be q fair estimate, and we have s2,sSS ~
the probable Fire Fund for 1855. under
the present rate OF taxes. Al the highest
rate OF saxcs authorized by Law for sucf
purposes, upon the basis OF this averag'
estimate Of valuation, there would be
. revenue for fire purposes OF s3.i2S. 81
against 4 1874 for 1884.
Under q contract between the county
and the Mccoy estate, made in 1879. and
which by It's terms Is to continue until the
1st Of next January, the county Is bound
to pay said estate $3.50 per month for
water, and s24 per month for taking care
Of the 6re-plugs. A portion OF this Ia
county charge, that Is for the water
furnished for the Courthouse aud Hospital.
and the county has for q long time paid
$50 per month. The contract provides
that the money shall be paid out OF the
Fire Fund, and that IL there is no money
in the fund to pay the agreed price at the
end OF each month, the county 10 20 pay
two per cent per month until there 10.
Deduct the amount paid by the county,
and there remains q monthly charge
against the Fire Fund OF 1924. which can
not be avoided, amounting 10 So. 6SS dur.
ing the year. Deduct this from So, 1873,
the probable income under the highest
rate. and we have q balance OF $528.
Before acting upon this reduction We
considered the matter for some time.
There is no one who more fully rec
ognize and appreciate the efficiency of
the ire companies. or appreciate the val
liable services which they have rendered
than ourselves, aud none would be more
pleased TO increase the assistance which
the county and town have extended
70 them. But our hands are tied. We
must lay aside sentiment and deal with
the facts. There can be only a limited
amount Of revenue raised for a Fire Fund.
mere are certain fixed demands against
shs. innd. The balance ia totally INSULT
Slsn' 70 meet The present expenses. 1t is be-
.sssd the several companies can mako
much better use OF that fund themsel YES
~ having II expended under their own
ciec.on than through the Board OF
Jouny commissioners. Each company
Sha N : 90 best able to determine
!. can reduce its expenses. and we
ns.'loie decided to take the action we did.
nsa.. seuon has been controlled by the
s;ras y OF the case, not by our de-
M. We have done all we could do
70 sae Jaw and circumstances. While
w. personally, should regret exceedingly
zee the efficiency Of the Fire Depart.
Msn. impaired, We are without power
~, ,Iuclaiiy 10 the exercise Of our duties 10
~ pest Of our abilities TO Increase the
thsYr v,oa relief be the consequences what
WIN. ARLINGTON,
p. McELRoY,
Fu,a,. L. w. CRoMER.
EUREKA, New, Feb. 10, 1888.