The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-10-04
FINANCE FOR
THE PEOPLE
City Affairs Shown TO be in
Excellent Condition.
Private Sgtstarfizi SErraEs fog TIRE Year.
Prsspecfs that Nartoa C0rafy nay
Hake q PUs1lar Ls1.-

The quarterly rePoFt Of the City
Recorder Judah, pubiished in Wedoes-
days JOUExAL makes an interesting
shO~rng Of the present stains Oi the
city's finances. bat there are come points
having = bearing on the matter which
are not shown By that report. Wishing
70 make everything connected with the
city's finances clear % the people Of sa-
lem, 20 that they may judge Tor them
selves a. 10 thu suocess Of the citizens
officials. in giving q non partisan bust
ness administration Of the eiiy's sffairs,
the JOURNAL has interviewed City
Recorder Judah and ELECTED The follow
ing isets:
''it will be remem bered that the COM
mon council, under the provisions Of
the charter, in December last made an
official estimate Of the city revenues,
from all sources, for the year 1900,
at 81 900 and the fHsd expenses for
the same period a, 81, ,O55, ~, this latter
estimate covering the charges for, water,
Lighting. salsries and interest on the
bonded deOt.
"Under the terms oi the charter, the
difference between the estimated ex-
pense and the estimated revenues lin
this instance fi,954,5l) was the limit
permitted for incidental expense.
Among the revenue estimates made
By the council il was calculated that
the recorders Office would collect 81 COO
for the l2 months Of 1900. Recorder
Judah's books, however, show actual
receipts for the first 8 months OF the
year 10 be $40, ,413, an excess Of Sl4l3,
over the estimate for the year, and with
three months revenue still 10 hear from,
and which he approximates at
{ 500 TO 5000; or tl2, 900 for the year.
"The revenues from general taxation
were estimated at $4,000. Since col
lections have begun on the 1899 TAX roll,
Sheriff Durbin has turned over 10 the
city treasury sll 600, including practical
ly 5000 turned over Wednesday.
"The last call for warrants from the
city treasurer absorbed all warrants out
standing mp 10 Dec. 30, 1899, leaving the
warrant Indebtedness for the nine
months Of 1900, which foots up tl0, ,507,
subject 10 the application Of nearly
81 600 revenue at present in hand"
The recorder estimates the expense Of
the coming three months at the liberal
figure OF 5000, and the balance due on
revenue from all sources at 5000
While these figures are, in a measure,
approximations, they are practically
safe and every indication deducible from
tie present financial status Of the city
points 20 the oblieration Of the floating
debt Of the city and the unparalleled
advantage Of few thousand in the treas
ury when the work Of the administra =
ton shall mye closed.
The recorder does not overlook the
fact that the sale Of the Wilson avenne
block 10 the government for 1880 &C.
counts for the increase ia the revenues
Of his Office but claims this fortunate
circumstance as a direct Offset 10 the
costly and unforeseen expense wrought
by the small pox last winter, cities, like
individuals, being amenable 10 the fuc-
tatiOns OF luck.
II this "hayseed" administration can
turn the city over 10 its successor at the
end Of the year with all expenses and
interest charges paid, and a surplus in
the treasury from this years revenue, it
will be such surprising contrast 10 the
usual procedure that the goddess on
top Of the Marion county court house
may be expected TO lift the bandage
from at least one eye 10 try and see how
II was done.
The County Debt
Has been reduced by the large tax
collections, and the treasurer today cal
led in t3l 900 OF warrants up to Jan. -,
1900. This leaves about ti4, 600 warrants
outstanding, but only fSi 900 draw six
per cent interest, as about $4,000 are
called warrants that have not been pre-
sented for payment.
The county court has made noattempt
TO refund the debt, and County Judge
Scott does not think the plan Of a popu.
lar loan is feasible for the county. He
thinks interested parties would get out
an injunction II it we're attempted to 70
fund the floating debt at q reduced rate