San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-05
THE TAXPAYERS MEET.
Pass Ringing Resolutions Agains
the S25O.OOO Bond Issue.

Olglt WIN OOnl10e taxpayers. GleTe
being about $50 present, for the pur
pose of discussing the proposed issue of
the S250,00 in bonds, and to organize for
the purpose of working against the same.
The meeting was called to order by
Captain Edgar Schramm and II. T.. Yer /.
nor was elected chairman. G. Nj. Kings
ley was elected secretary.
It was moved and carried that a COM
mittee of seven on resolutions be appoint
ed by the chair. The chairman appoint
ed the following committee: Hans l..
Degener, Capt. James Stone, Maj. George
NJ. Gordon, Edgar Schramm, Jas. p.
Newcomb, B. j. Mauermann, Albert
Stoves.
While the committee retired to prepare
the resolutions, Hon T. f. Carsner, was
called upon and delivered an able
give synopsis of his speech.
He said that he was not there as one
seeking Office or as one who had any am
bition in that direction, but as an hum
Bile taxpayer who felt deep interest in
the matter which the meeting was called
10 discuss. In speaking Of any member
of the city administration he did not
wish to criticise them personally, but as
public officials. He then proceeded to at
tack the legality of the measure and
read the proclamation of the mayor
calling for the special election. There
was nothing, he said, in the proclama-
ton to show what the bonds were
to be issued for He believed, as law
yer, that bonds issued simply to pay cur
rent expenses of the city government
would be illegal. He knew that the city
attorney had given it as his opinion that
such bonds would be valid, but it was not
the first time the city had had to go to a
competent lawyer after the city attorney
had given his opinion. The honorable
Ia 1NI
that San Antonio was In the state of
Texas. His opinion was founded on the
provisions Of the city charter and ignor-
ing the provisions of the constitution of
the state. The speaker here quoted sec
lions of the constitution and decisions of
the supreme court 60 sustain his position.
The mayor had undertaken 10 have
these bonds issued, he said, to provide
fund so that the city would adopt a pay
as-you-go policy. What had induced
him to adopt this virtuous idea? 1t was
because the bank had drawn its purse
strings tight and refused to lend him any
more money. Silence is golden some
times. He had noticed a resolution by
the city council authorizing the mayor to
prepare statement for the public,
showing the necessity for issuing these
bonds, but he had not vet seen the
mayors statement. In the published
statement of the city that had been issued
some time ago he noticed that the receipts
for fines, occupation taxes, etc, were not
accounted for for ten months out of the
twelve. This, he figured, would amount
10 at least $4,000 not accounted for. He
also found inaccuracies in the statement
of the Indebtedness TO Colonel George
W. Breckenridge, aud declared that
the man who prepared that state
ment was either totally incompetent or
else had studied to deceive. He claimed
that the city administration was squan-
dering money and had assessed property
in the city at a much higher rate than
the state had done. The assessment of
city property by the city was $50, 755, 600
while the assessment by the state for the
whole county of BeXar, including the city
of San Antonio, was only S27, 6S3 600 for
the same year. He attacked the eXpen-
ditures for contingencies, amounting to
- $4,000 in one year, and wanted to know
what these contingencies were. The
steam rollers used on the streets he char
acterized as more expensive luxury than
the Arkansas Pass railway. He kicked
against an item of $1,000 for mayors con
tingencies," and against the paid fire de-
gpartment, as well as against an item of
si1.9O for ice water for the fire alarm
Office in the dead of winter. There seemed
10 be no desire or effort on the part of the
administration to curtail expenses, and he
thought it foolish TO place this amount of
money in their hands by voting bonds.
He also thought there was no necessity
for issuing them.
When we have retired this admins
tration to the shades of private life, we
will erect monument over them, in
scribed, To the memory of the Callag-
han administration. Let them return to
the vile dust from whence they sprung
unwept, unhOnOred and unsung.'"
The committee on resolutions brought
in no al oh
imously adopted:
Whereas, the taxpayers of our city are
compelled TO decide by ballot on the 10th
inst. whether the city shall be authorized
to issue S250,000 in bonds to make loan
for purpose indefinite and not contem-
plated in the city charter, and
whereas, the proposition, even II meri-
torious, is made at a time when our com.
munity feels the stringency of the general
financial distress, and
Whereas, the city government has al.
ready provided by an increased levy Of
taxes upon an increased assessment OF
property values, ample enough revenue
to meet all the current expenses of tho
city and to pay its current debts, there
fore this proposed issue of bonds will
only add to the burden of taxation
which we, as taxpayers, are opposed to
and
Whereas, that this S25O.OOO would only
be surplus in the hands of the city
treasurer to further tempt The extrava
gance and waste of an administrator
whose career has been marked by mis-
management and reckless disregard TO
public opinion, and
Whereas, the excuse given for this ex
traordinary demand is to inaugurate
new financial policy, we declare our lacI
as confidence in the sincerity or ability
of the present administration to reform
the financial policy of our city, therefore
Resolved, first, That we, as taxpayers
enter our earnest protest against tn
passage of this bond proposition as on
Injurious to our credit; as a wanton ex
DC aHditfn,