The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-29
VOTED BY THE TAXPAYERS.

VOTED BY THE TAAPAY ERS.
When the taxpayers Of this city voted
million dollars to improve the water
system and complete the sewers, they
in effect voted the $4,000 year neces-
sary to pay the interest on those bonds,
That interest did not begin to run in
full until the present year. Now, how
ever, it is required to be paid every
year until the bonds are taken up. Con-
sequently, tho City Council was obliged
during tho present year to provide the
tax levy necessary to meet this $4,000
This it has done, and this is the only
peg upon which the opposition is able
TO base a charge OF extravaganza and
raising the tax levy. But that raise
was made in effect by the taxpayers
themselves when they voted the bonds.
It is not matter of choice with the
Council whether they will or will not
provide this money. Under the law and
the contract it is obliged to provide it,
and to that extent tho tax levy is
raised. The raise is one mill, which,
under the valuation Of total Of S40,-
100000 Of the city's assessment roll,
raises the $4,000 required.
The opposition have sought to OBJ
scure the eye with dust beaten from the
old Morris rags in order tc muddle the
facts in this case. it is true that the
first four months Of the present Ameri-
can administration saw increased ex-
penditures as compared with the like
four months Of the year preceding;
this, however, was explained by the fact
and it is the fact-that the Morris
administration in its last months OF
power paid as little out as it possibly
could in order to make n showing of
turning over large moneys to the new
administration, and also to burden the
new administration with enlarged ex-
penditures. Having control of the purse
strings, Of course the Morris admins
tration was enabled to do this, with the
result stated. In the matter Of accounts
absolutely on the surface, the amount so
put of for the American administration
to pay amounted TO $76,1l9.05. Besides
this there were numbers Of warrants
also put off in the same way. The re
quest was made TO numerous warrant
holders not to present them until after
the close of the year. This was so gen
orally observed that warrants came in
on the new administration in a perfect
Hood, The combination Of unpaid bills
and unredeemed warrants which should
have been paid long before, made bad
showing for the American administra-
tion in the first four months Of It's in
cumbency. That is precisely what was
planned for by the Morris partisans.
But the trick was absolutely transpa-
rent, so easily exposed that no one was
deceived by it for moment All that
any taxpayer had to do was to take
glance at the items making up the total,
and the easy explanation was at once
seen.
At the same time. the surface show
ing gave the opposition press an oppor-
tunity to raise loud outcry about the
extravagances of the American city ad-
That this outcry was ut
terly dishonest, that those making it
knew it to he dishonest, and that they
made 1T merely TO impose upon the pub
lie, made no difference to them Their
intent was to make the outcry and keep
making it and 10 make it so vocifer-
ously and 80 uuinterruptedly that the
people would not be able to listen to
the absolutely clear and straig ghtforward
statement which lucidly explained the
whole matter
And now since the cry Of extrava-
gance and squandering money uselessly
has absolutely failed of making any ef-
feet upon the public mind, since the ex-
penditures have come to the normal
basis, the opposition is furious. 1t has
been contending all the time that
large increase in the tax levy would be
necessary to meet these alleged enormous
expenditures of the American admins.
tration, but since there is no increase
of the tax levy on any account what
ever except the bare matter of the in
terest referred to, the opposition is
frantic. It's prophesies went for moth
ing; its differences built on false prem
ises fell to the ground; and it has
nothing left but to gnash its teeth and
weep and wall.
The American party is doing conspic.
uous service to the people in the man
agement and control of the finances in
a businesslike and economical manner,
and is at the same time yielding results
IN public improvements, in the establish,
ment of better public order, better NOR
ais, and In the suppression Of crime. All
Of these the public is able to see easily;
but the opposition is utterly unable to
forgive. There is no extravaganza:
there is no raise Of the tax levy by
rnuGan Of Uoufon an1 ,,,,tof,1