The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-18
THAT RAISE OF WAGES,


this city raised the pay of the laboriue
men in the city's employ % cents pc,
day. or from 81 70 s2,25. the Democratic
organ in this city raised loud and
bitter wall, 1t saw blue ruin. ahead OF
the taxpayers, and could not bc
comforted. The action taken by the
American administration In this was
taken promptly upon The incoming OF
the new officials, and could not, by
any fair view OF looking at
it, be termed in the least de-
gree POLITICAL and vet the Demo.
cratic organ threatened all sorts
of political ruin TO the American party
because OF that action, and called upon
the taxpayers to defeat the party guilty
of this extravagsnce" and of pander.
ing 20 the wrong desires of the mere
laborers,
That organ took no account of the
economic fact that the raise accorded
to the working men by the American
administration was not bit more than
exact Justice and fairness called for.
1t is within the knowledge of all that
the prices of every commodity have
risen since the two.dollar rate was fixed,
| as it was fixed at first on the initiative
of Mayor Thompson IN his former ad"
ministration. Everything that the
laborer has to purchase to eat and TO
wear has gone un. Meat is higher, -four
is higher, vegetables are higher, butter
and eggs are higher, clothing is higher,
and everything necessary for the health
and comfort and sustenance of the
laborer and his family bears higher
price now than it did when the two-dol-
lar rate was fixed.
The Democratic organ has not III this
campaign sprung its tremendous politi-
cal sensation and threat which IL held
over the American party at the time
this raise was made. We therefore
take occasion to remind our con-
temporary, the Herald, Democratic
organ aforesaid, that it is missing It's
best opportunity aud is failing to carry
out it's threat. If it was such au IN
Justice to the taxpayers last winter to
make this raise, it is equally an IN
iustice now. II the laboraTs receiving
1926 per day were overpsid at that
time, they are overpaid now. We there
fore invite our Democratic CON
temporary 10 come 10 the front and
press the political issue which 1t created
for itself when the Americun admins"
tratiou made this raise in the pay OF
the laboring meu.
At the same time, we wish to direct
the attention Of our contemporary, as
we'll as the attention of tho public, to
the futility OF it's predictions of IN
creased tax rate by reason OF this
raise in the pay Of tho iaborers
There has been no such raise, as our
contemporary well knows, and as the
public we'll knows. The tax rate for the
current expense of running The munich
pal government is precisely the same
as last year. There has, 10 be sure,
been an increase of ] mill, TO pay IN
terest or the new issue of water and
sewer bonds: but this ] mill increase
was in effect voted by the taxpayers
Of the city when they voted the million
dollars of water and sewer bonds, For
il is not TO be conceived that they
would vote these bonds without having
in view the necessity Of paying interest
thereon. This interest at per cent
which the bonds bcar-amouuts TO
$4,000 a year, which is precisely the
raise that mill gives us in the city
tax levy.
There has been absolutely no raise
By reason of anything done by the
American party or by reason of expense
incurred under the administration of
THAI party. So far as anything in the
control of the American party is con
cerned, the tax levy has not in any
way been raised. The raise, as stated,
is simply for the interest on the million
dollar bonds voted by the taxpayers.
who fully understood at the time they
cast such vote. that the bonds were to
he sold. that they were to draw inter
est, and that tho city would have
10 pay that interest. That whole
proposition. however, was one which
antedated the incoming of The American
admlnistra tion. Tt was something which
they could IN NO way interfere with.
even if they wished 10 do So The
ta1 raise of | mill vent With the
vote of the taxpayers in favor of the
bonds. That is I'll there ia to this ques.
tion; and neither by reason of the in
creased pay TO the lshorers in the en-.
ploy Of the city, nor for any other cause
whatever, has there been the slightest
increase made By the American admins.
tration in taxation, nor in the running
eypenees of tbs city fer any cause what
ever