El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-12-06

ANA n wv exceedingly well,
For bret .eren in unity
Together for to dwell.
81 will vote for the issue of the city
school bonds,' said Phil Young this
morning, ''but the other issue of bonds
1 am opposed to. I cannot endorse
the small tax payers have to pay in
forest on rooney due for taxes by large
property owners. If the large proper
ty owners were compelled to pay their
taxes there would be no need for bond
issue. It is these same delinquent AK
payers who ara in favor of suing
bonds to fund the city's indebtedness
and some of them also favor a $50, 900
city hall because they know it will be
located in a certain part of town that
will enhan e the value of their prop
erty. Why should the city build city
hall now whsn tn y are renting suit
able quarters for 1925 per month? Why
didn't they build city hall when they
were renting the same for 1925 Pc
month? 1t appears to me that the
building of q city hall is only a 8 heme
OF CERTAIN property owners to enhance
the value OF property in the neigh Dor
hood of the location of the new build
ing"
81 am opposed to issuing bonds of any
kind" said II B. Stevens this morning.
81 should have favored the school
bonds. but since they have been an
nulled 1 shall vote against the issue of
any. L believe every city should en-
they can not afford to build house of
their own a rented house will do until
the city is in better financial coudi-
ton In regard to fundiag the ipdebt-
edness, the city should take warning
from the county and remember how
the scrip spectators bought up al the
road and bridge fund scrip in the
county aud then by their Influence
had the commissioners transfer enough
from 'he general fund TO the road and
bridge fund to wipe out that indebted
ness, thereby making some ten or
twelve thousand dollars. These same
scrip spectators are today large bold
ers of our city scrip. What we want is
an economical city administration that
will cut down expenses, live within
their income aud pay city employees
in the money the city has to give and
not add 10 to ID per cent to nearly all
the salaries. LIE. the city council be-
gin by serving themselves without pay
and so save all along the line"
Since 1892 there is due the city fer
back taxes the cum of $1,000, as fol-
lows: for '93 $4,000; for '94, $4,000;
for '95, 81 600; for '96, $4,000. Now
all that amount is due from about
twenty large property owners-two of
whom owe one fifth of the 'otal amount.
Prior to 1892 the taxes we're generally
paid up close, but since the people vot-
ed for the water bonds some large pro-
petty owners have fought the issue and
never paid their taxes. One party
alone owes the city about $4,000 in back
taxes, while another one owes over
$4,000. These parties are fighting the
tax cases in the courts and have caused
the city to get in its presen. deplorable
financial condition, while at the same
time trey have worked for and voted
for the men who have held Office for
the past five years in the city. These
parties now favor funding the c'ty's
Indebtedness, knowing that the small
property owner will Ply the tsxes AMI
the interest on the bonds, while they
stand by AID j pgle the mo ey in their
pockets due the city for taxes, dictate
the policy of the city aud demand new
preciated scrip and hold it for u new
bond issue so that when the day of re
coming comes they will have made
enough to afford to pay the city all the
back taxes due. If the bend issue car
ries next We Elk these same men will
dictste the location of the new city hall
and it. is certain to be locared where it
will do the most god to their own
pockets.
"BeinP new conner to the city of
Ell Paso am not in position to know
thoroughly the issues at stake in this
proposed issue of bonds,'' said G. M.
DUB is today. "Ooe thing is clear to
me, however, namely, that for city of
the sizs OF Ell Paso, it would be an err