The morning news., 1899-01-23
LAST DAY BEFORE THE FIGHT
Continued from eighth Page.

Continued from Eighth Page.
who has been looking into the question
of finances, said last night:
MIR. Myers is brought before the COM
munity by his friends under the state
ment that he is the only man with finan-
cial ability sufficient to conduct the mu
nicipal government of this city in such
manner as to give the people a good, pro
gressive administration, and bring about
some reduction in the present tax burden,
which weighs SO heavily on all; that he
is this man they attempt 10 prove by re-
ferring TO his past record as Mayor, and
making comparisons with what they claim
has been the extravaganza and bad man.
agemeut of the administration, now soon
to go out of power, as well as $50 far as
we can see) all those which have preceded
it, Mr. Myers is the only man who can
save the taxpayers money Mr.. Myers
found the treasury empty and left II run,
Mr. Myers paid every obligation in cash
These and numerous other claims may be
heard on every side. Mr. Myers reduced
the tax rate-a wonderful man ike Mr.
Myers, but let us see what MI Myers
really did.
"The claim made by Mr.. Osborne in mis-
speech few nights ago as 10 the condl-
ton in which Mr.. Myers found the city
treasury is entirely at variance with the
facts as shown by the Mayors reports
and treasurer's books. Instead OF find
ing $4,000 of debts Mr. Myers found $l1,-
900 cash and budget within the income.
In 1895 he made no improvements OF a
permanent character, which We're pald Tor
in cash. His street opening was paid for
in notes. the Colonial park was paid for
in notes. and his new fire engine house
was paid for in notes. No wonder the
end of the year found $32 900 in the treas
ury. The income had exceeded the budget
and as all improvements were paid for in
notes, the only wonder is the cash balance
was not larger.
''Then, in 1896, starting with cash bal
ance of $4,000, making their own budget,
squeezing the taxable property up $2j0.-
coo, making still improvements paid
for in cash only TO the amount
of $4,000. continuing the policy
of buying streets on time, they wound up
the year with practically the same balance
they started with. What became of the
increase in taxes, resulting from the ad-
vance in taxable property? That able
financial management should have given
US a balance of twice the sum actually
left, TO say nothing of the unpaid bills left
as one of the legaces to his successors.
Then came with a flourish the great
reduction in the tax rate. The able finan-
cier did not reduce it in the middle of his
term, but at the end, leaving his success
or to grapple with the question of suffi-
cheney of revenue under the reduced rate.
But this was not the only legacy. Just
before going out ne started the paving OF
Oglethorpe avenue and left his successor
with the bag to hold. Investigation viii
show that the city owed more money at
the end of Mr. Myers administration than
il did at the beginning leaving out the
notes given to complete payment for the
new water works. The treasurer's BOOKS
are authority for this statement, and will
verify it; $62, 600 in notes of the city, signed
by Mr. Myers, Mayor, We're outstanding
on Jan /, 1897, and yet he shows an
apparent cash balance OF $4,000 and IN MS
report says all obligations OF the city nave
been paid and the above balance remains
with the same arithmetical ability, the
average man could figure himself rich in
a short time. Such are the facts
"The financial management of the city
under McDonough as Mayor was fully as
GOOD as under Myers, and had McDonough
he'd the increase in taxes Myers got, ne
would have made the tax rate 81 25 instead
of 81 as. because the salary ac-
count would never have climbed
so high, and the police and IRE
departments would have been Kept IN ther
! reasonable bounds.
Of salaries. police and fire departments,
and marks and squares, there was an in
,rnoea between 1894, Mr.. McDonough's last
Iaar and 1896, Myers last year. of $225OO.
Tbese are departments in which improve
ments figure very lightly, and such an in
crease in them does not look well for an
economical administration.
A"As new bid for popular fancy, Mr..
MYERS has discovered that the city's bond
- l1.lr - .
bonds Mr.. Myers must know, un-
der existing conditions, that this
is absolutely impossible. The bonds do not
nature until 1909 and 1913. Their market
value now is for small quantities 113 TO ia.
In order to buy them all up, if such
a thing could be done, scat
tered as they are, 1t would require the
outlay of at least $4,000 to 100000, more
than the face value of the bonds, and to
get that amount the city cannot In any
way increase its present bonded debt. SO
| that this proposition is merely another ef-
| fort to catch the unwary voter by an
appareut imagination of financial ability.
| 1.-THE whole question comes down as to
| who is The better more representative man
to make Mayor OF Savehnah and on this
noint | accept MIR. dublgnon description
| Of Mr.. McDonough now, and refer him,
| as we'll as others to the same authority
~ Mr. MYERS four years ago. The people
| ~ savannah have the opportunity Of
| choosing a frank, honest honorable, man.
IL man. as Mayor Of this city. They have
an opportunity of having their laws ad-
| r,tristered without fear or favor. VIII
80 do IL? The issue Is with the con-
servative voter"
| -~-s--%--
--.I am told that he is her nth hus-
band"
say, it must be awful to man to feel