San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-29
RIFLE SHOTS,
CONTRIBUTED To THE LIGHT. ]

In his recent optimistic message
to the city council, Mayor Elmen
dorf takes occasion to felicitate the
tax payers upon the financial con
dition of the city, in that 1t Is nc
worse than it is. True, it might
be worse, but very few people, II
we except the Alamo bank, Mr.
Brand, the "back tax collector"
Mr.. A. C. Panecoast, city engineer.
and few other favored ones, can be
brought to see how IL would be
possible.
During the late municipal cam
paign, the city without shadow
of authority or right under the
law, borrowed $4,000 from the
Alamo bank, which was expended
in ostensible Improvements upon
the streets. Meantime, $2OO,OOO OF
the city's sewer fund was deposited
in the same bank, Of which some
$4,000 has been withdrawn in pay
ment OF estimates to the sewer
contractors, leaving, say, Sl5O,OOO
in the hands of the bank, upon
which it pays not penny's inter.
est to the city. AS the banks loan
to the city drew interest at the
rate of or per cent per annum,
and as the bank held in trust for
the city more than 100000 in ex-
cess Of its loan, it was not unreas.
enable to assume that it would
permit its claims to remain in
obeyance and thus enable the city
to devote the tax collections to the
payment Of long overdue salaries
to the police, ifiremen, schoolIteach-
ers and other needy creditors. But
not so. Every dollar of the collec-
tions has been assiduously appro-
priated to the extinguishment of
the banks claim. Some two months
ago, the collector gathered togeth-
er $4,000. Immediately $4,000
was turned over to the bank. A
few days ago, another accumula-
ton OF 81 900 was announced as in
the hands OF the treasurer. Forth
with warrant was drawn in favor
Of the bank for $4,000, reducing its
original claim Of $50, 900 to $4,000.
Meanwhile, the employees of the
city go unpaid. The school teachers
are due their salaries for Septem-
Der, October, November, Deem Der
and January, and the police and
firemen their salaries for the
months of October, November, De-
cember and January. Camment
upon such a condition OF affairs
would be a weste OF time and
words.
When a merchant or business
man SO conducts his affairs that he
is unable to meet the salaries OF
his employees for months, he goes
into liquidation, either voluntary
or involuntary. Why should not
the affairs Of the city be conducted
upon the same principles and pol
icies that apply to the manage
ment OF mans private business?
1t Is seemingly authoritatively
stated that the sewer contractors
will present claim to the council
against the city, for $4,000, for al
legged "extras" and "damages.n
Modesty docs not appear to be one
Of the shining or conspicuous at
tributes of the thrifty contractors
or the local guardians OF and
sharers in their interests; in fact,
to apply the words of a distin-
guished st. Louis advocate to a
well known journalist, the sug-
gestion that "any other quality or
characteristic that they possess
could be measured by their modes
ty, the utmost solemnity and sin.
certify of tone could not relieve the
seeming panegyric from the i'm
putation OF the most bitter ironv."
The completion of the sewers, il
they are ever completed within the
lives OF the present generation, will
present a new and costly problem
to the taxpayers to solve. The
work OF etfecting connections with
the sewers will necessitate the re-
tearing up Of the streets and ex-
pensive excavations, the cost OF
which will have TO be borne by the
individual. 1t is a conservative
estimate to place the total cost of
connecting each house on the line
OF the sewers at $25O,OOO. Out of
this, the contractors expect to reap
profit OF at least 100000. But
they should be disappointed. The
work OF connection, as far as DOS.
sible, should be given to local com.
petitors, and in this way endeavor
to keep at least modicum of the
$500,0O0 at home.