The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-14
COME AMERICAN" FIGURES.

SOME AMERICAN" FIGURES.
Elsewhere in this issue is an official
statement furnished by the city au-
ditor. which shows the comparative
condition Of each city fund on June so
of this year as compared with the
same fund on the same date In 1905,
when the Morris Democratic admins
tratiOn was in office. This same state
ment was also given to the Amer
lean" newspaper, but it Is a safe bet
that it will be published only in The
Herald.
Particular attention is invited to the
comparison because it shows as moth
ing else could the extravaganza of the
American" administration and the
low ebb of the -city's treasury. In round
numbers, the total net overdraft in all
funds under the Morris regime was
5000; the Thompson administration
has a total net overdraft of S2O9 900, a
difference in favor of the Democrats of
over $4,000. The contingent fund,
which is the general operating expense
fund of the city, is now overdrawn
S172, 600; on the same date in the Nor
ris management it was only $59. 900, a
difference against the Americans of
S117,O0O. The water supply fund is $23, 900
worse off now than il was under Nor
ris. and the waterworks fund shows
an overdraft of S31 900, as against a
surplus under Morris of $4,000
Just one fund now shows a gain as
compared with the Morris administra-
ton, and that is the street fund. The
Americans show a credit balance of
$4,000, as against an Overdraft of $40 900
under Morris, but the present admins
tration has yet to make heavy drafts on
this fund 10 meet its share of city i'm
provements, while the Morris admins
traticn paid as it went along.
Since these figures come from the
American" city auditor. they cannot
be questioned by the defenders of the
city administration. In the face of this
statement will some American states
man rise up and tell an anxious public
just how much more economical and
business-like the present management
tratiOn? It viii require considerable
ingenuity to explain why an increase in
the overdrafts of over 500, 600 is evil
dence of peculiar financial ability; and
II viii take more ingenuity to show how
such a deficit for the first six months
of the year is TO be converted into a
surplus at the close of the year.
As a matter Of fact, every city official
who knows anything about the city's
financial condition foresees a large, IN
paid floating indebtedness ahead for
the city to meet next year; and it can
never be met Iegitimately until the leg
islature authorizes an increase in the
city's tax levy-a contingency which
the taxpayer might as we'll prepare to
meet now as any other time.
Moreover, the city council knows now
that it viii have to raise the levy for
this year right up TO the limit permit
ted by law, and this limit will not begin
to meet the expenses of this year. BY
Jan l. 1908, the taxes which are paid
in November will have been spent,
there will be a large outstanding in
debtedness, and the new year viii be-
gin with a deficit that will absorb a
good part of the revenue for 1908.
It is not particularly pleasant TO
chronicle these facts, but it is better
for the people to know what is coming
and have a chance TO hold the admin
istration responsible than to go along
serenely suppOsing everything was
lovely only to find that they had been
buncoed while they were asleep.