The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-26
PREVENT THE BOND SALE.

The municipal authorities are offering
for sale corporation bonds to the amount of
100000. The securities are to be knocked
down to the highest bidder next month,
provided there shall be a bidder, of which
there is some doubt, and provided also, that
some authority greater than the gentlemen
who hold weekly seances of peculiar
character at the city hall does not inter
pose an effective stay. He don't know that
there is any such power. The council evil
IDENTIFY thinks there is no power which can
interfere with its reckless course or put a
block inthe way of its mad rush. If there
he such power we respectfully suggest that
it be appealed to by the property owners
to stay the desperate gang which is in tenn
porary charge of the corporation, and put a
check upon the men who are certainly
bringing disaster upon the municipality. If
there be no such power then, indeed, are
the people in deplorable condition and in
need of sympathy.
The present government was inaugu-
rated less than eleven months ago. entering
upon its duties with more than a quarter
of million dollars in the treasury, or more
money than had ever before been in the
city's strong-box The other day a com
mittee appointed to inquire into the status
Of one Office, because of rumors Of defalca-
tons on the part of officials. reported that
in that department over So, 600 had been
received from the public. Assuming that
the collector has done his duty, and squeezed
the extorti mate taxes from the
helpless possessors OF property, something
above two hundred thousand dollars has
been gathered from the owners Of land
and other kinds of visible values. Thus it
Will be seen that the new governing ut has.
in eleven months, had the handling and
disposal Of more than half million dollars,
q sum which seems peculiarly enormous
when compared with the municipal ex-
penditures of previous years.
And now, the taxes being collected and
the only other source of revenue being
the current license fees, the council is
going TO provide itself with more money by
placing the city sin soak'' for another
100000 For what is this money to be ex-
pended2 Can anybody answerl We know
where most of the hall million dollars al
ready disposed of has gone 1t has largely
gone TO pay extravagant salaries to men
who were given offices as rewards for par
tlsan campaign work. Some has been
spent in misdirected efforts to improve the
streets. Perhaps the investigating com
mlttees now at work, or assumed to be at
work, will be able to ascertain what has
become of the remainder. In the light of
the frittering away Of the enormous sum
mentioned, in view of the fact that there is
very little to show for the vast expenditure
the people view this proposition to borrow
100000 with alarm, and cutter a solemn
protest against the proceeding. If the
council could show any good that had been
done with the money, if it could point to
any substantial Improvement as the result
of the expenditure, that would partly sat
isfy the people and furnish some sort of
guarantee that the cash to be borrowed
would be wisely expended for the benefit
OF the public. But everything suggests
that the money will go as the half million
has gone, and after it has departed people
will wonder what has become of it, and
look about distractedly and in vain for evil
derces Of its proper expenditure.
The taxpayers are fast becoming dis
hearDened, and we know from hearing some
OF them express themselves that if it is
possible to do it they would like to enioin
the contemplated sale of city bonds and
restrict the council for the remainder of
its term to the current revenue OF the cor
poration. There is another feature of the
case which is being considered by the peo-
pie, and it is this: Everybody admits that
at the next municipal election the present
gang and all its following will be kicked
but bodily, and city government chosen
IF wise, conservative and honest men. If
The present government shall be permitted
TO run along to the end of its term as it has
been doing, the incoming council will find
not only an empty treasury, but the corpo-
ration debt at the maximum amount per
mitted by the law. Not only will this be
the case, but there will be a
popular demand for improvements which
cannot be made because there will be no
money with which to pay for them. The
taxes will necessarily continue high for in
addition to the current expenses of the
government there will be an interest CHARGE
Of $4,000 year. Whereas now there is
universal complaint on account of the ex-
travagant expenditures which are devoid
Of beneficial results, then there will be
equally loud complaint because of the fail
ure to spend money for needed improve
ments. We submit that to permit the
present government of reckless, incompe-
tent and irresponsible men TO go ahead as
they have been going, and exhaust the Dor
rowing power of the corporation will not
only result in the unavoidable oppression,of
the community for long years, but will be
an injustice to the coming council whose
hands and feet will be tied while the pub
lie taunts it with a failure to be sspro.
gressiven
IT anything can be done TO prevent the
contemplated loan, we hope the necessary
steps win be promptly taken.
SURELY has Mr.. PARNELL lost his head.