San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-12-20
SHORT STOPS.
What the People Are Saving

IaXeS means governmental Is the
| power to levy and collect taxes that
makes all forms Of government posi-
BILE. But this power must be exer-
cised in the most lenient form or the
people will revolt.
A rate of taxes that goes over $1.50
per 500 is considered excessive. and
when the rate reaches So it amounts
to confiscation. Our city taxpayers
are paying $1.65 ad valorum tax and
80 cents to the state and county, 50 .25
per 500.
This is an onerous taX-and espec-
tally when we have so little to show
or it, except our well feathered city
and county officials.
If we were paying for our own wa
terworks, and electric lights. This
high rate of tax would be justifiable,
but we own no such institutions and
our taxpayers are compelled to pay
private corporations to furnish their
water and light.
We have not invested a dollar of
our two millions bonded debt in any
the money of the people.
A high rate of taxes discoura ges
investment in real estate and produces
neglect and untidiness on our public
streets-stops the growth and pros
perity of a city and disheartens the
people.
We
bonded debt and could invest annual
ly the $1530OO necessary to pay in
terest and sinking fund in public i'm
provements, we would in few years
have a model city without making a
debt
We hear so much talk about tax
payers not paying up, and that in
consequence there are hundreds of
thousands of dollars outstanding
which if paid would enable the city
government to sail along smoothly.
Let us look into this tax matter and
see If there is not something to be
said for the taxpayer and in defense
Of our community.
without exact figures at hand it is
r,
been collected in the shape of taxes
from our taxpayers four and half
millions of dollars; in that same time
two million of dollars have been Dor
rowed by the issue of bonds, an
amount equal to one-fifth of the entire
value of our city property
This enormous sum of money, has
| 10 osfn in, h
lie improvements, and today half a
million would duplicate all that we
have of anything like permanent
character.
Our city government has been run
on the expediency plan without re-
ments.
Besides what we have squandGred
in money, we have been profligate
with the valuable privileges of the
city by granting franchises for the
use Of our streets without demanding
any recompense to the city.
We hear so much about the back
tax business; the present city admin
istration has exercised all its powers
to make life not worth living for the
poor property owners who is delin-
uuent and made so much noise about
the default in our. revenues, and
spent so much money in lawyers,
back tax collectors, ETC., that the i'm
preston prevails that the very exist
ence of our corporation depended up
on the success Of these extraordinary
efforts.
The last official report given out by
Mayor Elmendorf for the fiscal year
ending May 81, 1896, has this item,
uncollected taxes on June LIST, 1894,
S347. $3.50 If every dollar of this
amount was due and collectable, 1T
shows that the city in fourteen years
has collected within 10 per cent of all
the tax levies and what business
house. doing business in our city dur
ing the same period can show a clean
er record. l will warrant that the
profit and loss account of our most
prosperous business houses will show
n greater amount than 10 per cent
charged to profit and loss in fourteen
years.
Rut the truth of this S347 $3.50 on
the years from 1850 to 1894 inclusive.
is a false amount,-there is not more
than one-half of this amount that is
legitimate or collectable.
So that our city collecting depart
ment may as well let it rest and let
II come in as all back taxes do, in
time. 1t was an extravagant, unnec-
assarv and Illegal proceeding to erect
back tax department and take the
business out of the hands Of the col
lector. The Bran business and the
present extra force engaged In get
ting up law suits has taken more mon
ey out of the city treasury than has
been turned in by their direct instru-
mentality.
In this same report, under the item
of uncollected taxes the mayor adds
tba aptire fay due lime LIST 1895,