San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-18
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying,

That portion Of the late message
of Mayor Elmendorf referring to
the financial condition Of the city
has attracted the attention OF every
thoughtful citizen.
The sole reliance OF the mayor
to extricate the city from embar-
rassment is the prompt collection
of the back taxes; while this seems
| to be q reasonable measure, it is
plainly impracticable.
The mayor says, "a great deal of
| dissatisfaction is expressed by the
employees and creditors OF the city
on account of slow payment of
wages and accounts due, and it has
been suggested that loan be made
| in order to tide us over until next
june" And to this suggestion the
mayor answers, "that the banks
will not loan or advance money
unless they have assurance that 1t
will be repaid in due time"
Why cannot this assurance be
given? II the back taxes can be
promptly and certainly collected,
as the mayor says, then why can
not this assurance be given? Won't
the banks loan upon our back tax
roll, If the assurance of the city at.
torney is well-founded? Have not
loans been made in the past antici-
pating our revenue? Is there
not financial ability enough in our
city council to compass such a
difficulty? We owed, according to
the mayors message, on the 1st OF
January $77, 737. 80; to run the city
four months longer would take
100000, a total of $177, 737 80; with
back tax assets of $442.140, but
trimmed down to a sure basis Of
$3l4.953.42. Is this not negotia-
bic amount of good assets to make
the needed loan upon?
But the mayor says: "Even
should we succeed in securing q
loan to pay wages and account,
June LIST next, the sum would have
to be repaid out of the first taxes
received after June L, and we
would soon relapse into the same
state of affairs, and unless the de.
linquent taxpayers can be COM
PEELED to pay up l see no way out
of the dilemma"
In other words, there is no hope
that the city can pay it's running
expenses up to June LIST; and the
expenses incurred up to this date
must depend for payment upon
the payment Of back taxes! II
this is true, then our city estab-
lishment is certainly very much
embarrassed. We are treading
upon very dangerous ground.
II the wage earners and creditors
Of the city have no better prospect
than this, it will not be long before
serious crisis is reached. How
long would any business firm last
under such prospect?
Other corporations find methods
of relief under like circumstances,
why not the proud city of San
Antonio? ...
Mayor Elmendorf practically
throws up the sponge. He sees but
one way out of the dilemma o-wit:
to route the delinquent taxpayer.
II this fails, where are we?
Perhaps we are too late with any
measure Of retrenchment; our boat
is fast nearing the falls; to throw
overheard extra freight will avail
us little; unless some rope OF relief
is thrown to us, we will dash to
pieces on the threatening rocks
below.
When the distinguished head Of
the finance committee was consid-
ering the budget for the year he
should have calculated as good
business man, that the tax col
lections would fall short a certain
percentage. Past experience ought
to have warned him that a cash
basis could only be reached upon
cash calculation.
The city belongs to the people
it is copartnership in which al
are interested,-the mayor ano
council are their business agents
it is their business to consider thu
means Of relief in the presen
emergency, and to come to the re