Dodge City times., 1888-03-29
COMMUNICATED.

ical change it is well for the parties in
terested to consider we'll whether 4
change is desired One reason that is
given why there should be change IS
that the present ADMINISTRATION has been
much more expensive IN the matter Of
police salaries than the preceding one.
Some things are expensive at any price;
while others. though seemingly expen-
siye. are good investments. The pres
ent city admistratioF has been in pow
er about ten months, during which ume
it has cost the city for police 50 S35.
"a. During the corresponding time of
the preceding admistration-whi has
been held mp as a model, there was
paid out-for the same purpose, $3, ,l60'
40. This ADMINISTRATION having paid
out s674 81 more for police siuce it
has been in power than the mode! ad-
mistration did during the corresponding
time Without looking at ANYTHING
else what have We obtained for this
s674.S4? When Mr.. Tarbox became
mayor there were from twelve to Gf-
teen places in the city where intoxicat-
ing liquors were sold in. open violation
of the law, and from fifteen to twenty
public houses of III fame making FROM
twenty five to thirty places in the city
where the laws of the land were openly
and uotoriously violated and no at
tempt whatever was made to suppress
this lawlesness. 1t Is a small estimate
to say that each of these places was
the refuge of at least five persons male
or female, making about one hundred
and fifty residents of the city who were
an absolute curse to it, persons who
produced nothing. .sbuts simply spunged
t heir living out of the community with
out giving anything in return for what
they receive, and whose very presence
was pollution. Now there Is not 4
place in the city of any kind where the
law is openly violated Ii the law is
violated along the lines we have spoken
of it is done in the dark. The perpe
traitors hiding themselves away, keep
ing themselves from the 81 ght of honest
citizens, with no open doors to tempt
the young and unwarned The lawless
element that formerly infested our fair
city have scattered They have. left us
never to return so long as the present
policy CONTROLS the city government.
Is not this reform worth S674 81 if it
has cost us that much? Is there a
citizen of our city who would be will
ing to return. to what the city was only
one year ago for the sake of that
small sum of money? We cannot get
away from the fact that the results
above referred to have been accomplished
and that the city government has
brought it about But when we invest
igate "a little more we find that the ad
ministration has not only brought about
reform, but that they have made money
for the city while doing so, as compar-
ed with the former model administration
Since Mr.. Tarbox has been mayor the
police court has tnrned into the city
treasury as fines 81, $3.50 while during
the corresponding time of the preced-
ing administration there was turned In
from the same source but So43. max
ing balance in favor Of the present
administration of 1890, 80; or, after
paying the extra amount paid to the
police, leaving net balance in favor
of the present administration as COM
pared with the preceding, of $313.G6
in cash, saying nothing about reform.
Again, much has been said about the
extravagant expenditure of public
money in the matter of grading the
streets. In regard to this the property
along the streets that have been I'M
proved, has been increased in value In
far larger amount than the work has
cost. and this increased valuation as a
basis of taxation will yield "a sufficient
amount to pay the cost of the work as
fast as it can be paid. Of the 81, 900
that the work cost, 50, 600 is in bond
running twenty years, So, 600 of it will
be paid by the levy collected this year,
leaving but s12, 600 not at present pro-
vided for. This can be provided for
only in one of two ways; either by is
suing funding bonds to take up the
scrip, or levying five mile tax from
year to year until it is paid. In either
case it will not be burdensome, while
the fact remains that we have the finest
improved streets of any city in West
ern Kansas The assessed valuation
last year was, in round numbers; 1921
900. This year it will be 500, 900.
The entire cost of street grading is