The Topeka state journal., 1902-02-01
SAVING BEGUN.
Five City SinecUres Abolished
Today by Mayor.
Means So, Less Expense
Each Year.
TREASURER'S FIGURES.
Show That City Will Have
Need of Economy.
BuSiuess.Iike administration OF
Finances Is Necessary.
rREASURER'S FIGURES.

City Treasurer NJ. NJ. Hale in his
statement of the financial condition of
the city for January substantiates all
the statements made by the State Jour
nal concerning the financial condition of
the city. The city will be destitute of
money to pay current expenses in about
two months, unless Mayor Parker and
his administration can check the tide of
extravaganza in the conduct of city fin
ancial affairs.
Mayor Parker has started his admin
istration right. He has abolished five
city jobs which were unnecessary, and
which have been costing the city $S,24O
a year. The offices ceased to exist to-
day. They were as follows:
Instrument man, city engineers
Office, $65 per month. th.......... $3.50
Rodman, city engineers office, $50
per month NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 600
Sewer inspector, $55 per month";. $50
Sanitary policeman, $50 per month, 600
Sanitary policeman. $50 per month 600
Total .. So, ,24o
This is a saving of s270 a month In
the summers it may be necessary to re-
store some of these offices. But for the
present they are unnecessary.
The last of the cash which the city
has on hand will be used up in the ear
ly part Of March, provided the city ex-
penSeS run as heavy as they did last
year. The months of April, May and
June will have to be provided for by
borrowing money from the banks and
paying per cent interest.
There are still "a very few thousand
dollars" in outstanding warrants to be
taken up, City Treasurer Hale says. He
states that he does not know exactly
how much outstanding. But his report
for the month Of January shows that
the city has on hand $32, 1879. Last
year on January 81, the city had on
hand $27, 7,312.67.
When the outstanding warrants are
taken up, the balance on hand will be
about the same that it was on January
81, 1901
1t must further be remembered that
the city has drawn more money from
the county funds this year than it had
at the same time last year. There is
less money due the city than there was
at the same time last year. This was
the statement given by the county treas
urer two weeks ago. At present the
county treasurer states that he is un-
able to give later information until his
quarterly report is completed, which will
be within a few days. 1t is practically
drawn about $4,000 more this year than
it had drawn at the same time last
year.
On January IA the State Journal
printed its first statement concerning
the financial condition of the city, and
in that statement quoted City Treas
urer Hale saying:
Il expect this week to receive from
all the city warrants outstanding, and
have probably $4,000 left on hand to
pay current expenses"
Treasurer Hale's statement proves to
have been a. very accurate forecast. He
will have within few hundred dollars
on hand of the amount he said he
would. Throughout the controversy
concerning the financial condition of
IA (.ifN RF. a a IN q
a fair and equitable disposition, and has
endeavored to the best of his ability to
give out accurate information from his
office. He is not to blame for the finan
cial condition of the city, and is GER
tainly making the best of it.
The morning paper, with its usual
pains to miSlead it's readers concerning
Mr.. Parker's administration, states that
the amount paid out from the general
revenue and general Improvement funds
for the month of January, 1901, was
could have been ascertained by investi-
ga ton. that the amount paid out for
the first three months oS 1901 from the
general revenue and general improve
ment funds were as follows7
January ...............- $15, 1856 95
FEBRUARY 15,S44.lS
March Observation-Disclosures. 1864. 5S
The State Journal therefore reiter-
ates its original proposition, namely,
that if the expenditures for the open
ing months of 1902 are as heavy as for
the opening months of 1901 the city
treasury will be bankrupt of funds
and money must be borrowed by March,
1902.
1t is a simple proposition; between
$4,000 and $4,000 cash on hand, to pay
bills eggregating $4,000 a month. How
long would the money last?
Tt has now become the duty of Mayor
Parker to straighten out the tangled
web of city finances which is the heriz
tage of his administration. 1t will take
ir11a n Mi 9 acTl1f TQraf M
one doubts that by careful management
it can be done. 1t can not be done by
raising salaries, encouraging useless
and extravagant expenditures and
keeping on the pay roll a horde of peo-
pie who do little except draw their pay.
BY reducing salaries and running the
city departments with as small ex-
pense sS possible, the city of Topeka
can finish the year 1902 in much better
shape than it finished the year 1901.