Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-03-26
The City "Ring."

anu VIZ SANJ
finances for the individual emolument
of its members, is a very formidable
one and it will require the utmost
efforts of all good citizens to thwart its
sinister designs. With David Matte
son as mayor, L. S. Hallam as treas
urer, Thomas Kirby as president of the
city council and the News as their organ
combination is formed which is
devoutly to be Stunned by all who de-
sire the progress and prosperity of the
city. Whenever any city government
is transferred from the people to a ring
in the interest of any bank or set of
capitalists the fate of that city is
doomed so long as it submits to such
control. 1t matters but little whether
such control is obtained under the
demagogical preteDse OF reform" or
ECONOMY" whenever set of money
sharks undertake to run the city for
their own benefit, the city will be the
loser every time. These riDgsters, for
the purpose of hoodwinking the unin-
formed have, on the eve of the city
election, published a statement of the
finances Of the city purporting to show
q great improvement in the financial
condition of the city during
the past year. They show "a balance
on hand" of 5,39S.7O and then they
loudly proclaim, "see what financiers
we are" Let us see. In 1889, the
old city council levied tax of $1,000,
for the purpose of paying the water
rental for the year 1890. This money
has been paid into the city treasury by
the taxpayers, and is now and has
been for long time on deposit in
Thos Kirby's bank. The water rental
for 1880 is still unpaid. Had the
present city council applied this
money to the purpose for which
it was collected they would according
to their own published statement be
$7I1.3O short of enough to pay it with.
We do not know whether the city will
ever be called upon to pay this water
rental or not. The city has accepted and
used the water, such as it was, unin-
terruptedly during the entire year,
never at any time having asked the
Waterworks company to shut it off.
And we apprehend that 10 one is I'M
thankful for the assistance of the
WaterwOrks company in helping to
extinguish the fires in Jeffcoat's
livery stable, the Burris house block OF
the old Pearl saloon corner, all of which
were very serious CONGREGATIONS, and
all of which occurred during the time
that no water rentals have been paid.
If the city is under no legal obligations
to pay this water rental, then we know
of no one who wishes it to be paid.
But however this may be, it would be
interesting for Mr.. Matteson's organ to
tell us just what part the present mayor
of the city performed in getting this
balance on hand" of SIS, 33S.70 into the
city treasury. The tax was levied
long before he was elected. The
money was paid into the treasury by
the taxpayers without any assistance
from Mr.. Matteson or any of the ring
which he has around him. If any one
deserves any particular credit for this
money being in the treasury it would
seem to be the preceding administra-
ton which caused the tax to be levied.
About the only connection which
Mr.. Matteson's administration has
with this money is to render to the tax
payers an account of what it has done
with that $711.30 which the taxpayers
have paid into the city treasury for
the purpose of paying water rentals,
and which. has not been applied to that
purpose, and does not seem to be
accounted for. If we still have to pay
that $6,O5O water rental for 1890, we
shall want that $711.3O which we paid
as taxes for that purpose, and we shall
want it badly.
Mr.. Matteson, Mr.. Hallam and Mr..
Kirby are known to be on very init
mate business relations. Mr.. Kirby is
banker, Mr.. Matteson is a money
broker, and has had his Office in Kirby g
bank ever since he has been in the city.
Mr.. Hallam has done business with
Mr.. Kirby since Mr.. Kirby's bank
started. With these three gentlemen
in the three principal offices of the city,
it is easy to see how the ring can be
greatly benefited by the retention in
the treasury Of large sum of money
collected from the people. 1t matters
not how long the money remains on
deposit in Mr.. Kirby's bank, neither
he nor the city treasurer has to pay
any interest on it. If it can be loaned
at 2 per cent month it is that much
clear gain to the ring which holds it.
One hundred and twenty dollars a
month is prize worth a great deal of
demagogy. Should they refuse to pay
it out and get the use of this money for
the next two years, it will be a hand
some income. Although the city will
\ have to nav interest on all its oblipa.