San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-03-08
CAFES AND SLASHERS.

mayor and council for the current
year, appropriates the sum OF $47,'
400 for the maintenance Of the po-
lice department and payment OF
salaries OF its members, S36, 600 for
the fire department, $4,000 for the
street commissioners department,
and $27.3S0 for payment Of sails
ries Of the city officers and employees,
Now, each Of these amounts are
pledged from the general revenues
for a special purpose and form a
special fund. Has the mayor and
cour Gil the right or power to divert
a penny from either fund for other
uses than those specified 1? Clearly
they have not. II funds are needed
to liquidate "existing judgments
and approved claims" they should
be raised by the levy of special
tax or the Issue Of another batch
OF Notwithstanding" or other
wise.
The mayor and council have
adopted the budget for the current
fiscal year. IL they will only con-
sent to apply the revenues to the
specific expenditures enumerated,
and cease to Illegally divert the
of one fund to that Of
there will be no difficult
in maintaining a "pay-as-you-go"
policy, whereby every employe of
the city, from the mayor to the
scavengers, will receive his salary
at the END Of each
month.
The first act OF the joint com.
mittees on public improvements Of
the citizens and council should be
a test of that portion OF the sewer
work passed upon and accepted by
the city engineer. II that portion
of the system alleged to be COM
pleted in a first-class manner is
defective and incapable of sustain
ing the ordinary pressure Incl
dental to flushing, what matters
1t whether the remainder be well
or not? Apply the
test.
AS the self-appointed organ OF
Quincy, the San Antonio Express
appears to have reached the apex
Of its aspirations. But what has
the rank and file of democracy,
those who refused to follow the
lead Of the Quincy Clark combins-
ton in 1892, to cey?
Among all the long list of gener-
ais, colonies and majors who claim
residence in Texas, not one has
wired the president the tender OF
his services in case of war with
Spain. Has the ardor of our mill.
tary chieftains chilled?
The Express says "the taxpayers
are getting thoroughly alarmed
over the prospect for trouble in
with the sewer work"
Well, 1t is about time, with rotten
cement, lime-encrusted brick,
damaged pipe and inferior work,
there Is every cause for alarm. But
why has the Express waited until
the eleventh hour to sound the
warning?
The Express says those control
ling the sewer work "appear to
have formed q mutual admiration
society which is proof against in
quiry or criticism" The Express
mistakes. 1t Is a mutual beneficial
society that appears to have been
formed, the members of which
were initiated on the aground
floor" with a contingent and resi-.
duary interest in worcestershire
blocks of stock.
San Antonio Is to be congratu-
lated upon the entry into the city
of a new and competing telephone
exchange, which promises reduced
rates and better service to the long
fleeced citizens. Certainly its rates
can be no more extortioRate than
those OF the present selfish monop-
oily nor it's service more wretched.
For those reasons, the new ex-
change should receive liberal sup
port and hearty encouragement
from our citizens.
The lordly San Antonio street
railway company bobs up serenely
with another injunction suit. AS
has heretofore been suggested in
this column, II there is anything
Mr.. w. HI. Weiss or his corporate
associates want and don't see 1t,
all that is necessary for them to
secure it is to ask the courts.
The ulfShore railway receiver
ship threatens to rival in tenure
the Maverick bank assign ment or
a suit in chancery in the English