Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-04-27
NEARING THE SHOALS
The Financial Condition Of tho City
Such as to Cause Alarm.
THE PRESENT 4 PAST PACE BODY.
The Next Administration VIII Receive
Legacy In the shape Of an
Empty Treasury box.

Tho present fast pace City Council,
or rather few members OF that motor.
ious body Of municipal wonders, nre
awakening to a full realisation OF a
painful state Of affairs that they arc
vainly endeavOringing to indefinitely
ward OIL. II ia with reference to tho
condition Of the city financee.
For more than year past conserva.
tive business men have predicted that
which it is now conceded must come
before tho present council serves out its
term 9i ofilce aud rctites again into
that career IN which its members were
seldom seen or heard Of and from
which they were suddenly shot from
political caiapult into public life.
AZ the outset OF tho year 1888,
Councilman Bell, who ia chairman Of
the commi tee on finance, prepared an
estimate OF expenses aud revenues OF
the city for the present year, and after
n great deal Of labor anu many warm
words succeeded In having the
schedule adopted. II showed that tho
total estimated receipts OF the period
named would be 100000; that the
cash on hand at that time amou nted to
2,7di.ls, making n total OF available
funds oil sl,O72, 704.ls. The expundl-
lures for the year were figured ut
s9al 10000, or In round figures about
Sl,uOJ,000.
Ihis schedule was prepared prim-
hfily Tor the purpose VI serving asa
guiue TO the Council and heads OF de-
partments Ia their disposition of city
FUNDS anu TO act rs n curb ON their 40.
pntenily Inherent layishnesa Of money
that does not belong TO them.
III was also decided that all officials
should make estimates OF tho needs OF
their departments aud send ia Iequi-
sltlOn for supplies and not buy them
when, where anu how they saw proper
as they had been In the habit OF doing
previously.
Council resolutions arc like tho ira
ditiOnal pie ctuHt-made 10 DO broken
Us from tho very outset the expenses
have been exceeding tho estimates anu
some OF the councilman arc getting
seriously alarmed "a 10 tho conse-
quences, though they fail signally 10
open their mouths or take any decisive
nction regarding the matter In the
Council meetings.
Councilman Heiss said TO n NEWS
reporter yesterday. "5Omething will
have 10 be done soon. We will have
TO pull In our horns M we are going too
fast. Our present policy IN suicidal.
predicted 10 TfeasuTer Duke year ago
what II coming now. But 1 was
laughed ut and ignornd. The money
set apart for tho year will, II our pres.
ont course II continued much further,
DO gone before tho last quarter COM
mences. The businessmen OF the city
have got more burdens now than they
can bear, anu II won't DO TO tax them
any more because they won't stand
it.O
Councilman Wanlland IL quoted by
u br0ther-councilman Az saying. "Oh,
won't the next council give us hi
when they come Ia and md we have
left them nothing TO work on.O
"rhe fact Is, !" said another municipal
aolon -FOUR successors will do lust M
WanllAnd eays and he might hayo
added that the taxpayers Will shower
upon US n supplemental blessing OF q
similar character"
Councilman Karrick when he was
Informed what Mr.. HoiAs had said cast
a dRub Of darker cOlOrs on this uninvlt.
Ing financial picture by saying, "In-
stead Of the money being gone at tho
expiration Of nine months II win all be
exhausted In six months"