Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-10-05
WILL NOT WORK.
Attempt to Persuade City Council to Vio-
late the Law Governing Claims Against
Santa Fe Nipped in the Bud.

| An attempt is being made to persuade
the city council to violate the law re-
| garding the payment of bills owing by
| the City of Santa Fe for the quarter
ending September 30. The true state of
affairs Is here given to the public, in or
der that those holding claims against
! the city may protect themselves.
| For the quarter just ended the amount
| in the city treasury is $818.09; the
amount of the bills owing by the city is
$1722.10. By paying the claims pro rata,
47A per cent can be paid on all claims.
But some of the holders of claims
against the city have & scheme" which
they want to carry through, and that Is
to secure the consent of those who hold
the larger amounts against the city to
wait until January /, 1899, for their pay,
and in that manner allow the others to
be paid 100 cents on the dollar. A very
pretty scheme" but it won't work.
1t is claimed by the "schemers" that
on the first of the coming year there will
be money enough in the treasury to pay
all claims against the city, dating back
to June 90, in full, as certain large tax
payers will pay up before that time and
all claims can then be paid In full, and
that it is no more than right that the
holders Of small amounts against the
city should be paid in full at the present
time, while the holders of large amounts
can well afford to wait three months
longer.
The facts in the case are that the law
expressly provides that at the end Of
each quarter all claims against NUM-
cipality must be paid pro rata and then
IL, at the end Of the next quarter, there
is sufficient money in the treasury TO
pay the claims against the city or town
in full for that quarter, leaving a bal
ance sufficient to pay the pro rated claims
for the previous quarter, such payment
shall be made; but IT, at the end of the
current year, there is not sufficient
funds to pay all claims in full, the
amounts or balances owing are wiped
out by reason of lack of funds to pay the
expenses Of the year past.
Under the law fhe Bateman act)
holders of claims who do not insist upon
the pro rata payment at the close of
each quarter, relinquish all right to the
collection Of their claims, and have no
recourse. The sum and substance Of the
matter Is, that those persons who con-
sent to the scheme" proposed in regard
to the claims against the city of Santa
Fe for the past quarter will simply be
left to hold an empty bag They can
not recover.
The city council has been examining
the law on the subject, and has reached
the conclusion that the scheme" is a
direct violation Of the law. will subject
honest claimants against the city to
loss, and therefore will have nothing to
do with it. The pro rata payments will
be made and the provisions of the law
complied with in every particular.
Had certain large tax payers paid
their taxes as they promised, the city
would have been able to pay all claims
in full, but because those payments
were not made Is no reason why some
of the holders Of claims should be paid
In full and others get nothing whatever.