Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-10-19
BOTH SIDES PRESENTED.

BOTH siDiA hiN'''''.''
In furnishing the taxpayers OF SAT-
Lake city with figures 10 reference to
the financial condition Of the munich
pal,tv the Deseret News had nothing
In view but the public welfare. Politics,
partlsanshlp or anything in connection
herewith, had no influence whatever IN
the matter. II city election were
now pending. extreme partlsans might
find in what we published on Thursday
q neg on which to hang an objection
But II will be more than a year before
municipal election occurs, and THIS
isa purely financial and business ques-
ton,
The air has been full OF rumors. The
alarm has been raised that the city
IS bankrupt. Its credit might be Inn
paired by the prevalence Of the report
The News" therefore. desired to In
qulre into the facts Tor the Information
OF the citizens. with the purpose of dis
pelling any false alarm that may have
been raised, and at the same time OF
placing the true situation before them
fairly and fully,
Il was for this reason that the
News" gave the figures obtained from
the records in the auditors office. ana
also those 10 be obtained IN the treas
urer's office. According 10 the former,
the city will have a balance 70 as credit
at the end Of the year Of Si3,sO55o. In
the light Of the latter there viii be
a hole In the special funds.
The difference is easily eXplainable
The auditors figures take IN all the
funds in the clty's control as available
for general purposes. The treasurer
takes into account the amounts set
apart for special purposes, which he
holds cannot, under the law, be diverted
10 any other purpose, and which In the
aggregate amount 10 S7sS36S6. and
thus not only swallows up the auditors
balance on hand Of A3S0656 but makes
hole IN the special funds TO the tune
" sS5.OSO.3O
We have presented both sides. We
leave our readers 10 form their own
conclusions as to the situation. II We
had presented only one side OF the COM
tention-for we are sorry 10 say there
appears to be a contention between the
two departments-we might justly be
accused Of unfairness. But having Civ
en- both. where is there Just room for
any such charge, or a suspicion OF
improper motives on our part?
In the hurry Of proof-readlng, there
were some trihlng errors IN q figure
OF two and couple OF lines We're
transposed but the general result was
correct, so far as the totals stood The
dispute resolves itself simply into the
question between the auditor and the
treasurer They are both, and equal
IT, city officers. Zach has been elected
by popular vote. Each hes defined
duties to perform. They are marked
down In separate chapters Of the Re-
yised Statutes. Each has TO give
bonds TO be approved by the Mayor
The Treasures bond is made heavier
than those Of other city officers. He
Is not an attache Of the auditors ole
lice in any sense. He has 20 pay money
On the auditors warrants, but has spe-
ciac instructions as TO holding special
funds, by direct legislation 20 him.
II was therefore perfectly proper to
give the treasurer's statement as wei
as that OF the auditor on the important
question Of the condition OF city
finances. To paint them IN roseate hue
might please a certain class, but that
would not be right 20 the masses. To
cloud them IN darkness or IN doubt
would be equally unfair and mislead-
ing. The complaint as 20 our summary
OF statistics appears TO be that we pub
llshed both sides OF the contention if
that IS 20 Doe condemned Il must be- sole
" on partisan ground and even then the
cumming tIptaIo To DC Npsulc.
We supposed we We're doing the city
authorities good service in giving the
facts and figures, with a hint as 20 the
means 6y which the treasury could be
rep.enished and every fund be pre-
served 20 its separate and proper use.
II any Of them are So blinded by pare
usan influences as TO interpret our Inc
tentions uniayomby We are sorry Tor
Their defective vision The News" has
no other desire than the public welfare.
perfectly regardless OF party, and the
hg1res we have printed were obtained
trom public records and so tar stand
unlmpeaehed end We believe they are
uLimpeaChabla