Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-10-09

Tho more the financial status Of the
City is looked into. the NOR, hopeless
y appears
The ovordrft in fhe contingent fund
alone. at the end OF last month. was
s2l0.220.aG. Tho Tribune compares this
20 am ovrrdr1u against the same fund
two years ago. which % gives as 500
oo3 % Then. after some moro or Ices
unintelligiblo juggling with figures It
says. But this difference Of S2i 600
surely is not serious when we consider
tho tremendous difference boo public
work done"
There De- double attempt at deoep-
ton in this 10 ls suggested chat an
ovcrdraft of $4,000 this year U.s. uo
more serious than IAN oyordraf of s9g
900. two years ago. and Che statement
is made, Indirectly. that the difference
f. due 10 the difference in public im-
provements Both propositions are
utterly fnlse
Ia the first place the overdran tvo
years ago did not exceed the income
At the close on that year the deficit
was wiped out and there was a. balance
left Of 3.s03 49, That was the situation
then The situation now this There
T. an overdr4u NJ s2lO. 220 3d. while aI'
the taxes for This fund amount 90 only
about $4,000. That Deg 90 say tbe
city has already spent au the taxes
that can Boz collected for this fund This
year, and then 32322O.3 6 more. for
which there is not "a cent Boo view. And
there are three months more uf the
year what win the oyerdran amount
10 at the end of The year. 40 the pres
ent rate Of expenditure That Is the
question.
In the second place. the Tribune says
an overdraft is not serious when vc
consider the public work done But the
fact is that not O. dollar OF the $40 900
has been spent on public works That
deficit Is IN the contingent fund alone.
and the money Don that FUND cannot be-
spent for public Improvement legally
The various funds set apart FOR public
improvements have their own tragic
story 90 tell mo- doubt but only le-
norance. or wilful attempt az de-
ceiving the taxpayers. can account for
the inHuustiou thlt the deficiency Dob
the contingent FUND is due 10 public
Improvement Only incompetency. OF
worse. can account for that deficiency.
Which Is it2
We believe the taxpayers should now
take the necessary steps 90 prevent FUR
Their mismauagement Of the affairs of
the city The Constitution Of the |
State SAYS expressly that 40 debt in |
excess Of the taxes for the current |
year shall be- created by any city |
town, or village. or any subdivision /
thereof IN this state, unless The pro-
position To- create such debt. shall have
been submitted 10 vote OF such quail
fled electors as shall have paid prop
erty tax therein iu the year preceding /
such election" but here we have a
ret OF men involving tho city in debt
1T the rate OF thousands OF dollars
month in excess OF the taxes. ana
without the vote of me people in clear
violation on the fundamental law of
the state. And they call themselves
"Amcricaus,' And they talk about
aw-breaking'
How long are the taxpayers going 20
stand that expensive kind ot laW-break-
Ing? Some time the weight win FAN
heavy upon the homc-ownera or small
means. who always are expected 90 bear
more than their share of The burdens
OF taxation. what are thoy going 90
do about BE- uowf
u should ho remembered iu uHis con-
nection that the city pays six pen cent
interest ON the money % borroHa with /
which Go defray the contingent oA-
penscs while somebody pockets every
cent of interest ON che money 90, UIty 4
deposits in the Institution with which
a. b. now doing business by tna au-
vice. undoubtedly. of some great utrnr
whose righteous soul Ia sh.veras af
tho very Thought ot hararch1I domino .
ton. How long would stockholders .
400 a. corporation tolerate such mau- .
aEcmcnt1 Would tn,, mot .au the d.- .
roctprs to account particularly f .
stared tnaw m the faDes /