Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-23
Tile MAYoR,s yETOEs.

Mayor TAYLOR has sent TO the city CLERK
vetocs OF those ordinances lately passed.
by the CITY Council reducing salaries III
certain departments. His reasons, how
ever. have not yet been made known. ana
cannot be until the seals of his messages
are broken by the bodies 10 whom they
are addressed.
We have found the Mayor 30 jealous III
the city's interest and 40 conservative al
dns'ing his term. we must presume that
weighty reasons have compelled him 10
take the action that he has Perhaps ne
has suggested some better way than the
Councils TO meet the problem that now
confronts this city.
Notwithstanding the fact that real es-
tate here IS greatly overvalued. receipts
from taxation are insufficient to meet our
expenses. ana this has been the case ior
many years past. 1t is no new thing, but
Is an old. old song The result has been
the creation of a floating debt every year
And almost Invariably we believe. this
debt has been discharged by the issue ana
sale OF city bonds.
That this is ruinous policy we have
found nobody TO deny. 1t is agreed on all
hands that Richmond ought to live within
her means Yes; we ought to have sufli-
cient income every year to pay all the
current expenses of that year, and to
leave the bond margin that remains TO us
to be used for is suing bonds for public i'm
provements. higher rate Of taxation is
not 10 be thought of for a moment. But
while IL is generally agreed that the sys-
TEN we suggest is the only safe one, there
has been great difficulty on the part OF
our authorities i'm agreeing upon measures
TO carry 1t into effect.
The Councils Committee on Retrench-
ment and Reform has investigated the
subject. and has made a number Of recon-
mendations. These recommendations at
feet only two departments, but If en-
couraged to do so the committee purpose
carrying its reductions through all of the
departments. Even after 1t has done so,
on the scale it has so far worked upon,
there viii still be a large deficit.
That the committees report has met
with objections was TO have been expect
ed. That 1t was not without faults we
are ready to believe, but the fact remains
that no better solution of the problem has
yet been offered by any one. 1t may be
that Mayor Taylor, who is a practical
businessman, now has some better plan
to suggest. We hope he has, and that
his plan will make a clean sweep Of the
annually recurring deficit, which the COM
mittee's plan does not. But In default OF
a better plan being suggested, we take II
for granted that the City Council will
pass the ordinances over the Mayors
vetoes-which it may do by vote equal
TO that by which the ordinances were
originally passed.
The Dispatch is welded to no particular
plan of retrenchment, but it wishes to
see this inevitable work done by Demo-
Gratis. We do not care 10 see the same
mistake made here that was made by our
State Legislature in the matter of read
/ justment. The experience that we ac-
quired then cost us a great deal, and
| ought TO be highly valued. Don't let us
| by refusing to do our duty in the premises
give occasion for the formation here OF
another 'Readjustment" or Reform
/ party. Let's do the readjusting ourselves
this time. We can do il. and do it salts
| factorily-if we will SO let's get the
very best plan obtainable and put it
through with the cheerful assent Of all
| concerned.
This is a matter that would better be
settled inside Of our political family than
| outside of il.