Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-10-03
SOLONS DISCUSS
CITY'S FINANCES.
CounCiImanFernstrom Declares Mu-
uicipaIIty viii Soon be Bankrupt
OTHER MEMBERS DENY 1T.
Lively Discussion in which Politics
aud the Approaching Election
Arc Referred TO.

Are Referred 70.
During the early part Of last eyen-
ing meeting Of the city fathers. Coun-
Gilman Felnstrom threw out an intma-
ton that the report Of Auditor Reser
showing the financial condition Of the
municipality. was being withheld After
the reports Of city officers had been
read President Buckle instructed Dep
uty Recorder NystrJm to proceed with
the next order OF business when Mr..
fernstrUm arose and asked what had
become % The city auditors cOmmunl-
cation, Mr. Nystrum assured the MEM
Der from the Third that he had received
nothing from that official Fernstrom
resumed his seat ana remarked that nc
thought Il strange
Later IN the evening MI Fernstr0m
made motion that the Council meet
az B o'clock Friday evening as a COM
mlttee OF the whole for the purpose OF
discussing the present financial C0nd-
ton of the city. Speaking 20 the mo-
ton he declared tnat FOR the past
nine months the finances have been
drifting as they please AS a member
OF the committee he wanted the sub
Ject discussed AZ present the city was
running behind at the rate
OF about 1900 a week, and
be thought q time % call
halt Buckle interrupted the speaker
by inluiring how be voted on the last
bid Of Rollins 81 Sons for the water
bonds FernstrOm replied by stating
that he voted 90 reject an bids for the
reason that the city attorney had In
formed the members that O. new ordl-
nance would have 10 be drawn up. Pro-
Ceeding FctnstrOm said he wanted his
colleagues to understand that unless
steps We're taken 10 secure funds the
city would soon De bankrupt The gen
eral expense account was already az
low ebb. He favored inviting the city
auditor and the heads Of departments
TO be present at the meeting. aud sug-
gested the ACCESSIBILITY OF selling some
OF the citys property ITO bridge us over
TN the beginning Of next year
III work is so slack in the treasury
department Of the city, how is ii that
a Democratic city treasurer wants add
ditional helpg inquired President
Buckle
Mr. Fernstrom replied by stating that
Buckles Interrogation was foreign 20
the question lie then proceeded 90
upbraid the finance committee for not
getting together oftener a. discuss the
financial situation, and declared that
he had never yet attended q meeting
where the subject was up for discus
sion.
NEARING ELECTION.
Robertson. as chairman OF the finance
committee. rose 10 a question Of per-
sonal privilege and In vigorous
speech denounced as untrue Fern
strums statement that the finance
committee had Ignored him. He had
been expecting a speech from the Third
precinct gentleman on the subject of
finance, for he realized that an election
was approaching. Ee was not going
TO say the city's financial condition was
good but he would say that II was no
worse now than it was a year ago.
When the present administrator took
hold the municipalities eXchequer was
az a low ebb, The late City Council
went out OF Office leaving about $4,000
IN the treasury ana $4,000 worth Of
debts lie yentured 10 say that every
dollar that had been spent By the pres
ent administration could be accounted
for one point Of extravaganza on the
part Of this council was the paying Of
the laborer decent wages lie chal-
lenged anyone % disproye the state
ment that the increased expenditure,
referred 10 by FernstrOm, was not
traceable 20 the advanced wages paid
the poor Workingman Robertson then
gave a brief history Of what the ptrs-
cnt administration had done and what
the last administration had left undoue
and closed by declaring that no one
need be alarmed about the City's finan-
Ces.
BUCKLE TAKES THE FLOOR.
After Robertson had concluded
Buckle called Thomas ~ the chair and
taking the il0or the president proceeded
TO pay his respects TO my friend, Mr.
Fcrustrom" The statement made By
that gentleman that he had been ig-
nOred as a member OF the finance COM
mittee was false The speaker then
went on 70 say that a week or two ago
the finance committee met up town 90
discuss the bond question. Mr.. Fern.
strom was invited 10 that meeting but
did not show up He may have had
q reason for staying away, and per-
haps had G. reason for voting against
the committees report. Fernstr0m
broke In and said the reason he did not
attend the meeting was because he had
to be at the Democratic convention
Buckle replied by stating that De
thought politics had something 20 do
with the gentleman absence and De
believed politics had something 20 do
with his present anxiety over the Citys
financial affairs He also suspected that
FerustrOm and others OF the steel
ing" committee did not want 90 see The
bonds sold al present for the reason
II was too near election Had the
members who are now talking re-
trenchment been as careful six or sew.
en- months ago as they now pretend 90
be the case would have been very dif-
fereut. the incident would have been
otherwise and the city would have had
a little more cash on hand
Howe &C.. R) spoke In favor OF Fern.
str0ms motion, and denied that he was
actuated by any improper motive when
he moved to change the date OF the
bond sale
Thomas was opposed % the motion
offered by FernsrOm on general prln-
clplos. There was an election pending
and. Of course he had am object Ion
view He was not opposed 90 a discus
sion Of the financial situation. but Fr-
day night was committee uight and 10
Mr. Feustrom wanted the matter disc
CuSgad Doc should select some other
night The city was not bankrupt.
There would be more money IN the
treasury next January than there was
last January In conclusion.
| Thomas said: Common far-
ness demands that before the gentleman
from the Third SAYS ans more about the
Increased expenditure he should consult
.I.. H..... rfrs..r.t f.rrr.Tf. 90