The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-10-24
SICK OF CLARK'S FIGURES.

Our neigl5or is a great mathemati-
clan. It says that the $4,000 saved in
expenditures is due to increased taxa
ton. How a saving in office expenses
can be affected in any way by the tax
levy is one of the points invisible.
Even the $4,000 OF increased revenue
comes from closer license collections
and closer attention to business in the
treasurer's department than the Repub-
lican treasurer saw fit to give the af-
fairs of the office But we are glad to
see our Republican contemporary make
the following Acknowledgements: 1T
(The Herald) shows that by increasing
the taxes the treasury received last
year S44, 361.01 more than the treas
urer received the previous year. and
paid out S16,364.11 less than was paid
out in the previous year, thus making
a clear saving of O.725.12."
This is "a sick showing" says the
Tribune. when it is clear that if the
taxes had been increased twice as much
there would have been an increase in
the revenues of $SS,722.O2."
It is a showing that makes our Re
publican friends sick, no doubt. But
taxation wasn't increased twice as
much. The non-partisan address told
the story of the increase during the
Republican city administration two
years ago when it said:
in 1890 the aggregate of taxation in
Salt Lake City was II mills: in 1897 it was
21la mills. Even this enormous figure will
not cover current expenses at their pres
.aT1F on SC adj
that the valuation on which this assess
ment is made is in many instances great
er than the property is actually worth,
there viii be none to dispute that Salt
Lake City bears a burden heavier than al
most any city in the land. Depreciation
in values since 1880 has gone hand in
hand with increase in expenses; the ease
with which public money has been eX-
pended is only to be compared with the
difficulty the people have had in supply
ing it, All things considered, the state
ment is fairly susceptible of proof that
taxes have increased more than 200 per
cent during the seven years. while the
prevailing. depression has many times
multiplied the difficulties Of the tax
payers
The foregoing statement was signed
by Messrs P. II. Lannan, c. c. Good
win, ]. e. Dooly, ". W. Ritter. o. J.
Salisbury, w. S. Mccormick and John
Henry Smith over their own sigma
payers Of salt Lake City when and by
whom the taxes, valuations and debts
in this municipality had been increased.
The gentlemen above named stated
further over their signatures, that ow-
ing TO the high handed extravaganza
and wastefulness which characterized
the Republican administration in the
city it would be necessary to increase
taxation and reduce expenses. If GER
tain improvements have not been made
the non-partisan address gave reasons
why none were possible. Over their
signatures Nessrs. Lannan, Goodwin,
Dooly. Salisbury, Smith ct al. said;
For the present year the city's in
come has been partially anticipated and
used-a deficit exists, in the payment
of which q large portion of the current
years taxes viii be needed that should
properly so only for next year s EeceS-
sary expenditures. In addition to ordi-
nary expenses, $4,000 per year, commenc- |
ing with 1898, must be raised as a sinking
fund for the payment of our municipal |
debt. which. as a fitting climax to these |
financial woes, may be announced as
reaching the enormous sum of over
S2.J00.000 Besides all other evils that |
come from the condition of public affairs |
the city is prevented from doing neces-
sary work in preserving and adding 10 |
of which is that the city's progress is |
stopped.
They realized that Republican waste |
fitness would have to be made good
and Republican errors corrected before |
any administration, even the one they
wanted, could add TO municipal i'm |
provements or aid the city in its pro- !
gress. These estimable gentlemen who |
r
faith said further:
Public improvements which. under a |
more conservative policy might have |
been prosecuted and thus furnished en- |
ployment &c many people, have had to be |
postponed. Nor have the poorer classes /
been the only sufferers. Investment has |
been discouraged because property, even /
where favorabiy situated, is able to re- |
turn little more than the amount of the |
taxes. capital, naturally tmid, has not
looked this way with favor: and business |
men generally have felt TO the utmost /
extent the voracity Of the tax monster |
which consumed so much OF the profits Of |
their enterprise and toll.
In spite of these obstacles, in spite of |
the necessity which existed for in
creased taxation, in spite of the fact !
that the Republicans had used up the |
money needed for 1888. in spite OF the |
$4,000 per year being raised for sink
ing fund beginning with the present
council, in spite of the prediction of |
Messrs. Lannan. Goodwin ct al that |
no public improvements could be made, |
the Democratic city council has made |
appropriations for City Creek. Parley's |
canyon, has collected and saved over I
$4,000 per year that was neglected or
wasted under a Republican mayor,
council and treasurer.
The present mayor was elected on
the pledge of these gentlemen TO give
the city a business administration and t
redeem it from the curse of the pre- J
ceding Republican administration.
While the council majority was not of
the political combination that pledged
and elected him, Mayor Clark is pleased
with their business administration of