The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-01-01
NEW CHARTER WILL ASSIST.
Comptroller Would Get Through
Fiscal Year Without Deficit.
by james Y. Player. ComptroIIer.

ny ""H'eS fs isayer, SOhptr0ller.
a New Years Day comment on municipal
finances for the closing year should 20 b,
thoroughly enjoyable, be prophetic of pleas
ant conditions for the ensuing year. We
shall manage to get through this fiscal year
without deficit; nevertheless, the pros
poets for next year are not entirely bril-
liant from a financial viewpoint.
The Charter amendments are of Come
value, but they Will afford little or no
financial relief. These amendments contem-
plated material Improvement TO the city.
ard that Improvement they will assuredly
accomplish. They will insure the building Of
good streets and better sanitary sewers.
and they Will enhance the general appear
ance OF the city by promoting universal
Betterment of the city's financial circun-
stances. however,. must be brought about
through the constitutional amendments,
which will b. submitted to the voters next
autumn. We shan succeed IN effecting some
saving by the Charter Amendments. but
this saving will be inconseCuential in COM
parison to the great and real requirements
of the city.
If the people will vote for special rate
of taxation, the citys financial condition
will become more nearly normal. The maxi
mum rate of taxation proposed is 30 GEMS
on the 500 valuation, with authority to IN
crease the citys bonded Indebtedness about
81. .00o.OG0. The increase in municipal reye-
nue. based on present assessments. would
be about Sl,SC.U9.
penses is }l.OcJ000 more per year: $l,Oe9.go
would not foe too much. The business of the
city cannot be administered without an ad-
ditional sl>0o0.ec0 per year. That much We
need; that mucn we must have.
Before the last general appropriation Dill
was submitted to the Municipal Assembly
1 pared thousands and thousands of dollars
from the SIotments for the various ceUart-
mcnts. After 1t left my hands the Ways
and Means Committee pared oil $vo;o1
more.
| should not fall to saw that. in formu-
lating the bill. we discounted the very best
efforts of Collector of the Revenue Hammer
aud License Callector Whyte: that IS. We
accepted estimates of augmented receipts
for the year. Indications are that both Of
ficIals will exceed their own increased esti-
mates. These results are very encouraging
Mr.. Whyte'S estimates were SlD,VO pc
yond the normal business OF his oflce IN
former years. He estimated an increase In
receipts, not only from the Ordinary grown
in business, but in excess of the best re-
ceipts in ordinary times. IN all proDaDliity
he will surpass his own fatterins estimates
Since the passage of the general appro-
priation BILL bills have been passed for sup
appropriations agGregatlng ABOUT
amendments election. $4,000 for the increase
in the cost for re6ucibS garbage ana lhe
balance for necessities for the city insttu-
t!nrs The chief saving that has been ei-
fected Is in the pay rolls.
4 supplemental appropriation Dill proDa-
bly, will be submitted to the Municlpai as
senbIy this month. The expenses OF the
eleemosynary institutions have gone re
yond the estimates, as was expected anu u
will be necessary to make appropriations
for necessary supplies. 1t may be that al
fairs will work out into a deficit. but pros.
pects are that We shall manage 10 get
through the fiscal year. by practice OF econ
omy, without getting into the shadows.