San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-12
EX-MAYOR FRENCH.
Replies to the Statements of Mayor Cal
laghan and Presents the Figures.

Replies to the Statements of Mayor Cal
laghan and Presents the Figures.
The LIGHT republishes the following
communication from ExMayor French,
| in order that our numerous readers who
do not read the Express, may better I'M
derstand this city financial muddle:
| SAN ANTONIO, August II, 1856.
EDITOR ExPREss-In the publication OF
an interview with Mayor Caliaghan In
this mornings Express, he is reported
| to have said:
| ut is the same old trouble between me aud
| the French administration
when came into office as mayor, the yari-
| Gus funds showed the following deficits, That
| is, they should have had the following
| amounts to their credit in the treasury,
whereas they did not have a cent?
Sinking fund. l4,N59 "
Due treasurer Is. a. N. bank ..... ii,G5s u
| School fund ............. ............ ',5is II
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. s53,os6 OS
| THAT was the situation of affairs when |
| came into Office, and it is substantially the
same to-day. The funds have not been re-
| placed for have not had anything to replace
| them with
Mr.. Editor. let us see what reliance
can be placed upon the above statement.
| In the first place The amount in the
above exhibit, $7,549.44, to "school
fund" was advanced topay teachers and
came and secured by state comptroller's
warrants on our county collector, other
wise the statement OF amounts is correct,
but that the funds have not beer replaced
because he had nothing to replace them
with" is altogether erroneous, as | will
undertake to show by the record. AT
| the time the above balances were pro-
| duced there was due upon the tax rolls
| for the years 1885, about $4,000
which was applicable to the payment of
| these accounts. Now let us see what
the finance committee did at the begin
| ming of the fiscal year when called by
| his honor to consider the ways and
| means Of providing for the expenses of
the city and special meeting of the
council was convened March 25 1885, to
| consider the report of said committee
from which the following is an extract:
| 1--WE found ourselves on March !, 1885 with
| assets from taxes due the city, $4,000; at the
| same time debts to be paid from these moneys
| amounting to $4,000. When these collections
remain. As before re-
marked, the city begins the fiscal year with
| out money. The surplus of last year some
| $4,000, is not available until all the funds,
bills and contracts of that year are filed, paid
and cancelled
| [Signedl a. BELkNAP,
| JOHN II. BOLTON,
| A. /. LOCKWOOD,
Finance Committee.
Now, that was the situation on the lst
| OF March. The city collector shows by
his report of July 81, 1885, that he had
collected of these taxes, applicable to
the payment Of the indebtedness Of the
former administration $74, l09.6l, yet
"there was nothing to replace the funds
with"
The finance committee, after dedicat-
ing these revenues to pay the amounts
due to funds, bills and contracts Of the
preceding administration, made pro-
vision for the expenses Of the new ad-
ministration, by authorizing the mayor
to negotiate monthly the note of the city
for $4,000, beginning with the first
month, to-wit: March, which was done.
1t afterward, no doubt, occurred to his
honor that by ignoring the existence Of
their DEFICIENCIES, they could kill two
birds with one stone-that is, cast
little blame at the French ad-
ministration by claiming that they
had been illegally disbursed, use
the money thus coming In from the
taxes Of 1884 for the payment Of the cur
rent expenses Of the city, thereby save
interest, 10y not negotiating the notes
as authorized and make a point as an
economist and financier. This was the
situation when, in July last year. the
mayor convened a special session Of the
city council to provide the ways and
means for building the hospital. After
some discussion the matter was referred
to the finance committee, and they re-
ported at the next regular meeting,
wherein they stated, in substance, that
the mayor had negotiated but one note,
leaving 1000 which he had been au-
thorized to borrow to that time, yet
available, for the purpose Of covering
any deficiency claimed to be due the
special funds. After reading the report
OF the finance committee, March, 1855,
above quoted, 1t can be seen at
glance that the money received from
taxes due in 1884 had been used to pay
current expenses, a diversion from the
| pledge Of the administration at the COM
mencement of the year. Not having re-
placed these funds, and not having used
the credit given for borrowing, the
finance committee naturally recommend
ed that these credits be used and the pro-
ceeds placed to the credit of the several
funds named.
The mayor approved these suggestions
unanimously adopted by the council and
| thereupon invited proposals for build
ing the hospital, and the contract was
let, and the building nearing compile
ton, when "the same old question" Is
again raised, qui bono? appreciate it
as a high compliment that after 10 years
service. no more serious dereliotion can
be charged against me, and the "same
old question" will again arise in the fu-
| ture to plague the originator.