San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-20
SHORT STOPS.
what the PeopIe are SAYING

hoy hdN0 UO6h Idhcn dS SIMPLY on
ingenious interview wormed out
Of the Hon. ice-Mayor by the en-
terprising newspaper reporter, but
too many subjects of Importance
are systematically EN- braced in the
two-column a, tlcle to be other
than a cold. blooded, deliberate ap-
peal to public sentiment.
There are some points in the mes
sage of the vice-mayor that deserve
criticism. He says sit is idle for
carpers to refer to the recent bond
ISSUE" Who are the carpers
1t is the people who so generous
ly came to the rescue of the Hen.
Vice. Mayor and his fellow mem.
bers of the city administration. Is
it the people who were assured that
If they voted this bond issue the
city would be placed on a "pay as
you go" basis ?
Or is 1t the vulgar fellow who,
standing by the roadside, and
watching the gay city coach,
trimmed with flags, decorated with
flowers, loaded down with great
men, shouts: "Look out! there is
a deep hole in the road.'
The vice-mayor has very little
patience with the taxpayer-and
especially with that ugly taxpayer
that hits back when he Is pursued
into the courts. The taxpayer
that fights illegal levy of
taxes; the taxpayer that re-
fuses to pay for illegally issued
bonds; the taxpayer that insists
upon the charter being lived up to.
But such people live and have
their being and their sympathisers.
4
TIL truth is, the mayor, council,
and every servant Of the people
must perform his duties in accord
ance with the law. The people pay
their money for this.
y
five are to take the complaint of
the vice-mayor it would seem that
we have the most worthless set Of
tax payers in the universe.
Under section 227 OF the city
charter, every taxpayer has the
right to examine into the records
of any city office. The city col
lectors office is of all the public
Off ,es, accessible; it is in apple pie
order and a few minutes only is
required to ascertain the financial
condition of the city. A visit to this
important department Of the city
government, discloses just what
kind of taxpaying community
we have. Since March LIST, 1898,
the city has received from the city
tax collector, up to and including
Sept. 30th, 1895, thirty-one months,
the big sum of one million, two
hundred and twenty-seven thou
sand, six hundred and twenty
eight dollars, and twenty-eight
cents, Isl, 227 ,62S.2S1
Let US see how this big sum was
poured into the Golfers of the city {:
From March 1st, 1898, including
May, 1898, 5,939 50; June 1st, in.
Guiding May, 1894, S43S,0h5.03: June
1st, including May, 1895, $4l2, 539.-
40; June lst, 1895, Sept, 1895, 1891 :
094.l4.
This magnificent current revenue
should have suf1iced to meet the re-
quirements of any business.like
administration Of the city govern
ment. Will the vice-mayor please
tell the taxpayers what has be-
come OF the princely sum.
The budget for the fiscal year
1884 was, according to Mr.. Pas
chal's statement, $4,000, for '94-
80 it was $29S,000, for 1886, $685..
600. A total OF $4,000.
Let us call it even 100000 annu-
ally, average of $4,000 mouth ;
then the city expended in thirty.
one months $744,000, according to
the budget, and there should re.
main a balance OF S4S3,62S. VIII
the vice-mayor tell the taxpayers
what has become of the money?
Never mind the disagreeable
carpers; never mind the ugly tax
payers who fight the city in the
courts; tell the people where the
big money has gone.
Now add the 100000 voted to
pay up old scores; the $4,000 due
the Alamo National bank, and the
$35, 900 due city employees. Tell US
all about those simple mathemati-
cal problems before you go into the
I