The daily morning Alaskan., 1900-12-29
CITY FINANCES.

The ''long felt want" says "abuse is
poor argument" Well so is mere asser-
ton. However, it asks to be enlightened
as TO how it has shown itself to be dense
" ignorant Of the citv's business affairs, !"
and there is no doubt but that it needs en-
llghtenment.
The News SAYS:
"Six-tenths of the money collected BY
the citv goes into the general fund which
Is maintained for and will be more than
consumed during the present year in eX-
horbitant salaries and current expenses,
which will bring no direct recompense to
the people"
It goes further and saws sixty per cent
OF the revenues will be utterly lost in the
work Of collecting and disposing of the
other FORTY per cent.
1t IS hardly tair to presume that there is
anyone in Skagw4v who regards such
nonsense SERIOUSLY. However, the News
pretends to regard it as honest criticism.
In the first place the salaries provided
BY the citv council are only SAYS per
month. OF this sum 5000 is expended
upon the fire W rden and the night watch
man-tw0 items of expense that have
been a public charge IN Skagwav fol
ve'rs. Both Ulcers hid been employed
for more th~n year and paid BY volun-
tarv subscription. Will ii be contended
that their services are wholly lost to the
tax payer Tnev were paid for willingly
when there was no law requiring them.
Ofthe salaries | # there Is SI75 pei
month FIR n uditor and clerk and city
attorney. In the past the old council haC
clerk 4rJ " nen 1t attemtted to raise anC
collect ~ Dis Nv taxation the cost to tn,
peop- " 5 gre .er than this sum. 1t vii
hrdlv be rgueI tnat the work requirel
BY thes- fil.ers Is not worth the sum paid
A complete set Ct ordln noes had TO {
pr,p red II th- record nd account book.
Of the div p,p,u-rd nj opentt =, in fact the
e,tre toup5ali n Of : citv lid. 1t IS moi
sufficient that these records and the mum
erous papers coming before the city be
made to serve the purpose of the dav.
They must be kept in such d way as to be
permanent records. They must be avail.
able and self explanatory in the wears 10
come. Much of this work will not have
10 be done ,-r again, Is this work lost
10 SkagWtv xpavers?
But all Of these salaries, and all of the
expense necessarily aecruing in the pur-
chase of books and other stationery and
the public lion Of ordinances that will not
have to be again incurred will not come
within $4,000 OF the amount provided tor
the general fund. This money will be
available for measures TO protect the public
health, or for fire and street purposes or
anv other legitimate expense. The coun-
oil can use the general fund for any proper
improvement for the city, while the money
set apart for the fire and street funds must
be used FIR those purposes.
But why all this There is no general
complaint about the management of the
citv. Every citv has few kickers. Some
of them are chronic and Others are of the
class that object to everything they cannot
manage The business men of Skagwav
are satisfied. Thew are now paving less
than fftv per cent. of the amount they
paid for less service before Incorporation,
and nearly all Of them so admitted when
appearing before the board of equalization
early this month.