The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-08-23
THE CITY TAXES.

The present municipal government sig
nalized its Inauguration by more than doub-
ling the salary list and by multiplying
many times the expenditures. In order to
raise the money with which to indulge in
this recklessness and extravaganza it in
creased the taxes the year of its installa-
ton $50 per cent, being careful, however,
TO withhold the announcement until after
the election, lest its party might suffer at
the polls at the hands of indignant voters.
The year went by, and, though the reve-
nues had been enormous, being beyond par
allel in the history of the corporation, the
treasury was empty and cash had to be
borrowed on bonds to keep up the pay
ments on current expenses. More than a
million dollars was spent during the year,
and for all this money there was little to
which the city fathers could point with
pride" Being asked what had become of
the money, the answer was sit has gone
gone for improvements But where are
the improvements, They have not ma
terislized. They are in somebody mind
and nowhere else. The streets do not
show them. The Waterman extensions
have been paid for by assessments on prop
erty benefited. So have the sidewalk
pavements. The public building remains
where it was, a magnificent hole in the
ground. The police protection was never
less than it has been during the past eigh-
teen months, during which period there
have occurred more hold-ups on the street.
more burglaries and more robberies than
during all Of the previous years of the
city's history. Well may the people ask.
What has been done with the money,
Another year has rolled around, another
election been held and the votes being in
along come the assessors notices, when if
Is discovered that paralyzing as was the in
crease last year il was not enough TO sat
isfy the greed of the administration. There
has been another astonishing increase
Valuations have been jumped up and
placed beyond all reason. Houses and
lands are assessed far above what thew
would fetch in the market, even were
there sale for such property. Scores of
men would be glad to accept % per cent
less for their property than the assessors
valuation. Stock companies have been
assessed at the par value of their shares
no matter if the shares are not worth q
1.-THE of their face. We have been told that
one corporation has been assessed an
amount equal to one-fourth of the entire
municipal revenue from taxes for the year
previous to the incoming of the present
administration.
The result of this hogging business. for
we can call it nothing else, is that property
values are being rapidly decreased. In
vestors viii not purchase lots which can
not be made to return enough to satisfy
the collector. People in moderate circum-
stances cannot afford to own land, because
they cannot pay the taxes, and it is much
cheaper to live outside the city limits. or in
rented houses. If real estate could be sold
at anything like far prices-at anv-
thing like the valuation placed upon
it by the assessor, hundreds of lots would
be thrown upon the market, and their
owners would flee from the city to escape
the tax collector.
We don't know what can be done to
check this ruthlessness, to fight back the
disaster which Is coming upon the corpora
ton by reason of the insane greed of the
city hall crowd, but there should be some
way for preventing the calamity, and that
way should be adopted unitedly by the
taxpayers. 1t is not a question of party
,nlitics- but one of financial salvation for