Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1895-05-16
City Finances.

of ironton a big favor by kicking up a
devil of jamboree some time age
about our city finances. The tax-pay-
ers got up on their hind feet and paved
the circumambient until they got in a
| .sreform Administration" We wanted
to know where our money went. Re-
ment. and now We taxpayer is unhap-
py without regard to age, sex, s.color
or previous condition of servitude.' y
Its the old story-.swhere ignorance is
bliss, tits folly to be WISE" ..What be-
comes of our money! was the rallying
cry from our McGregor Highlanders to
the Grecian Spartans of our city Low
lands, and now they are aghast at the
official answer!i
1t seems from this statement as pub
lished in the REGISTER of March 21st
that the total cash at the disposal of
the Council last year was $1552.2S. If
we deduct from this the S372.28 which
came over from the preceding year,
we find that the revenue collected last
year amounted to $11SO.O0. This is
very modest little sum, but enough, if
applied to our streets, to accomplish
much.
But what do We find?
Why, there was paid out as salaries
to Mayor, Council, Clerk and Marshal
$400. Co.! or over one third of the entire
revenue! To this should be added the
amount paid officers for holding cleo
tions $4,000 and the amount paid the
Collector for collecting the taxes
$5S.57. making altogether the sum of
$3.50. II: paid for salaries, OR over for
ty per cent. of the revenue!
They paid out $148.6 5, or one eighth
of the entire revenue for stationery
and printing: of course, the fire made
most of this necessary.
But the melancholy fact bulges out
that nearly one half of all the taxes
are spent in salaries! But little oyer
one half is actually expended on the
streets or where the taxpayers get
any good of it whatever. except those
who hold Office. And these Office hold
ers are nearly all Millionares and ought
to be ashamed of themselves to want
or take any more!! Every time the
Council meets, once a month for an
hour or so of an evening, mostly to |
tell some jokes and spin yarns, why, |
the clerk has to get his 80: His Honor
the Mayor has to have his 50, and the
and each Councilmen gets 81!
The Marshal seems to be paid the
enormous salary of five thousand cents
a year!! Ye Gods, just think of it,!
And then be is paid for his work. and
he is paid his perdiems, and he is paid |
extra for collecting. and he gets all his
lees for s.taking in" the fellows, and |
The pigs, and shooting the mad dogsM
No wonder every Marshall has been
able to build himself a castle, and re-
our Mayors have all been Millionares,
hey are actually paid salary over
and above all fees and per diems, of
six thousand cents year,! He gets
.wice as much as Councilman every
lime the Council meets, and fixed sa-
airy besides.
Now, what on earth does the Mayor
10 to earn salary? |
And l see by this statement that the
asst Mayor, the Hon. w. T. Gay.
drew his salary, Though he
. q Ah . ~uo dAo hG ASCu IL G1b all |
Of five hundred cents month and
put it down into his bootleg!
Why, oh why, should these things
De thus? Is it any wonder that this
high tariff should clean US clean out
Ind land US into the everlasting high
ow dundereens?
Oh. Heaven forefsnd US poor beggar-
y dis of tax-payers!.
Seriously Mr.. Editor. should not our
public spirited Mayor and Councilmen,
n such small village as this. serve
without salary9 They spend but an
lour or two every month anyway. Do
he Taxpayers get the worth of their
Is it worth while to keep up
his bauble of city government, prin-
.ipally for the fun of paying salaries to
,fficers instead of putting our money
IN the streets under county organiza-
ion, as they do in Arcadia. Pilot
Knob and Middlebrook? Have we any
better. or as good streets as they have?
Gould not Constable. the Sheriff and
lis deputies insure Us just as good or
Ter? The Town GRUMBLER.