Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-27

Smith was that one 1t was certainty
that no matter what he did, 1t would
be wrong. 1t was only a question OF
how far he could sidetrack giving
actual offense; he could not please in a
single instance.
But those grim jaws Of the brown
eyed man snapped. and set, and the
square cut chin held firm. The shaggy
eyebrows drew straight line across
his face and CLEANS of lightning
glimpsed forth from the eyes beneath
them. Councilman Smith spoke,
and he said all he had to say. And
without change, the council accepted
this business mans figures, and every
department in the city government has
done the same.
Man Behind the Ak
That's why Smith is "the man behind
the ak" just now. He had a job-no
one knows what a task it was save he
and his associates. But he did 1t we'll
so we'll that every department has ac-
cepted the result, feeling that it has got
all that was coming to it, considering,
and perhaps little more. Not one man
in hundred could have done that and
have come through the ordeal smiling.
"It was a tremendous task" said the
councilman as he chatted about 1t,
fitting back his swinging chair Then
he struck match to light the dead end
of his cigar, but he had his mind on
that grilling job and the match nipped
his fingers and went out and he never
knew it.
How will they get along on the
diminished revenue?" he was asked.
"I don't think any Of them will suf-
fer" said he. "They have about as
much as they had last year. The in
crease in assessments about counter
balances the decrease in the tax rate
and thus evens things up a bit.
"But whether they get along or not
they'll have to-" was the further state
ment, as the jaws set again. "They will
keep within their allowances. They've
got to. Every month they will have to
make reports, every one of them, and
when one is overdrawn on the average
| it will be cut squarely off till it catches
up. One department this last year had
spent two-thirds Of it's allowance be-
fore six months had passed.; we are not
going to have any more of that. This
city should be like a big business con-
cern. No business man would think of
spending more in his year than he made
or than his income. Neither should the
city And it won't. Not this year, any
how.
City One Great Family
"It does a city good to get check
ing up once in while. We are like
one great family. Now, take man
who has been making $1,000 year. and
he manages to live on 1t. and to enjoy
life, and keep within his income, and
even save a little. Perhaps he pros
pers, and gradually he gets where he
can spend $4,000 year, and he lives up
to that. While he has $4,000 1t would
be awful hard for that man to live on
$1,000, and he thinks he couldn't pos
sibly ever do that again. and he Won
ders how he ever did.
"But something comes along. and he
finds that he has been overspending,
and that he has to retrench. Perhaps
he has to go back to that $1,000. 1t Is
killing at first, but he finds he can do
it. Oh. yes; he can; and he does. And
the FIRST thing you know, he finds that
he is just about as well satisfied. and
perhaps he is saving a little.
Nov, we are In that position. Every
year our revenue has increased and az
it has grown we have found new ways to