San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-14

| The city financial situation is being
| generally discussed. A crisis is on hand
and points to an empty city till.
|
I Mayor Callaghan virtually calls upon
| the city council to devise ways and means
| to tide over the administration. 1t would
| seem that the gravity of the situation de-
| manded a carefully prepared written
message from the mayor explaining fully
Is II possible that our mayor lacks the
aniiity to present the matter. or the cour-
aS1 to disclose the facts?
There is but one source from which
money can be had for city purposes -the
taxpayers--either by levying direct tax
which the people have TO pay eventually,
vi h interest.
The situation Is, that through reckless
eA ,ravagance, bad management, inability
of the people, our city has run behind
over $780, 900, in the way of current ex-
pcuSes.
As long as Mr.. Breckenridge would
loan tue mayor mouey ou MS uoOeS, az
the rate of $4,000 per month all went
ha ppy, but when Mr.. B. closed down on
thu city, gloom and dependency spread
line pail over the gay and festive crew
OF local political strikers who are now
running the city.
In this dilemma the mayor calls on his
council to devise ways aid means to keep
the machine running, and the crew in
CO h. ... ..-
There is no authority to issue bonds for
current expenses, however easy and
pleasant such an expedient may appear
TO The mayor. Suggestive OF trips to New
York aud Chicago, etc.
70 tax the people is the only recourse
Bat the people will sit in Judgment on
Mr. Callaghan's administration. Certain
large sums of money wasted by Mr. CAL
laghan during the past year has caused
IT,. present crisis. not to speak OF the in
Vulnerable leaks In the way of extra en-
pigments, soft places fol- favorites, rails
ing salaries, etc.
The people can understand how the
city hall which Mr.. Callaghan contract
ed for at Sl20,OO0 Is taken out OF the
hands of the contractor and his bondSmen
and the city undertakes to finish it at an
extra cost of $4,000. This is $4,000.
The people can understand how $4,000
was added to our expenses by the sub.ti,
tuition of unpaid fire department. Add
10 the city hall, makes $4,000.
The people can understand how four
bridges. which should have cost, for the
Superstructure. not more than 10000,
cost over $4,000, here is $4,000 Grim
Mally wasted, which added to the other
tWp items, makes S150OOO, credited to
reckless management, to put it mildly.
The above items are big enough to be
soon without glasses. But then comes
the double salaries,-the wasted contin-
grut fund, the growing evil of multitude
mons Officials clerks, walters, etc, that
have grown and fattened upon ring ad-
ministration.
The people will not vote more bonds;
| the banks will not loan more money; the
taxpayers will kick at paying more taxes
as long as the present administration
lasts.
There is but one solution of the matter;
let Mr.. Callaghan step down and out, and
with him, his council. The people can
then take charge OF the city government
and no doubt will be willing to submit to
almost any reasonable sacrifice to extri-
cate the corporation from the terrible con-
dition it has fallen into.
The irresponsible voters who constitute
Mr.. Callaghan's majority, can see no flu
ture prospect ia city government re
duced from eytravagance to economy;
and there is a prospect of all the response
| BILE voters of the city combining upon a
common security.
| Affair Cain