The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-09
men, no wonder Mr. Beveridge went
! to Chicago to find bride.
THE "NEWs's" FALSE FIGURES.


article running into the third column
assaihng the financial condition of Salt
Lake City. 1t undertook to show that
tho city was in financial distress, was
about TO become bankrupt, and that the
American party was responsible for the
alleged disaster TO the public finances
here. It's showing was based on the
claim that the year S income of the city
was $l64,444. The exactness of these
figures seemed to carry conviction to
| the unthinkipg mind-that is TO say,
the mind which wrote the article-and
it was no doubt hoped, TO the dupes
who read no paper other than the Des
eret News.
On the showing that the city's income
was so small, the News proceeded to
build UP fabric of deficit based on
| the proposition that the city is spend
ing upwards of $43,liS every month;
and that in the next six months the
deficit will amount to s25S,sSS.
On Sunday morning The Tribune
showed that the expenditures, as stated
| by the News. were immensely below
| the real income Of the city, This In
come upon the direct tax amounts to
almost half million dollars. Tho
saloon license amounts TO 100000; the
other licenses, fines, forfeits, etc, ap.
proyimately to $4,000; these making
total of almost 100000 income In place
of the Sl64,4a4 that was stated by the
News.
On the basis of the real income as
shown in these figures, the expenditures
as given in the News would leave a
safe and large surplus at the end of
the year Besides, as we showed on
Sunday morning and also on Monday
morning, the bulk of the revenue of
the city for the year is Yet to come.
The half million dollars to be derived
from direct taxation will not be fully
paid for the most part until the latter
part of November, when the account
will be practically closed and there
will be plenty Of money on hand to
meet all the expenditures of the year,
leaving considerable balance to the
good.
On this showing and upon being con-
founded by the fact, the Deseret News
last night in its weak and feeble way
undertook editorially to crawl out of
the bad dilemma into which II had in
volved itself. II printed at the head of
its editorial columns the following
statement:
SOME FIGURES.
In our issue Of Saturday We presented
e Straightforward, impartial statement OF
the financial status OF the city, as gwen
by those who know whereof they speak,
An effort to obtain the figures as seen
from another point of view failed, as eN-
planned In the article referred 10, put per
haps we can give the other side another
time, provided there is another slde'
which, however, is by no means certain.
The taxpayer in this city is interested
In the financial transactions that he IS
has right to know what he obtains for
his money. The recent strained efforts
on the part of sheet that depends
largely on the party. In power for It's
very existence. to make believe that the
public improvements commenced during
the last couple OF months, chiefly. have
absorbed all the funds of the city are
so rldiculously absurd, as to suggest
that the object Is TO deceive the public
and hide a rotten condition until after
the election.
that all the talk about deficit was for
political purposes. Well, II the figures
are wrong. this should be easy 70 prove.
and thus correct the impressions they
have made. AS far as the News" is
concerned. we have no other interest
than that which every citizen has In
seeing an honest city administration and
the necessary economy in the appro-
priations.
The idea of it 'Ibelng A straightfor-
ward, impartial statement" to say that
the city IS income is less than one fourth
Of what it actually is, is decidedly in
the most impudent, evasive and tricky
vein of the News's workings. When
the News says, further, that it made
can effort to obtain the figures as
seen from another point of view and
failed, it states bald, impudent, trans
parent falsehood. 1t knows we'll, with
out any special effort ''to obtain fig
ures' from any point of view, that
the city's tax roll is as stated III The
Tribune. 1t knew what the eleven
mill tax rate as applied to that valua
tion would bring; and it knows well
that this is the rate, not five mills,
as it claims. 1t knew in general way
about what the saloon license is and
what is derived from fines, forfeitures
and other licenses and from misceI-
laneous sources. 1t had all the in
formation at hand without any par
ticular seeking at all, Just as The Trjb-
une had. II is an insult TO public in
telligencc for the News to undertake
TO sneak out of IFS dilemma IN the
way that it does in that editorial.
OF course, ''the taxpayer in this city
is interested in the financial trunsac-
tions that he is compelled to furnish
the funds for, -
1t is truism that She has a right
to know what he obtains for his mon
ey." All that is granted. of course.
And it is applied perfectly in every
way, except where it is denied by the
Mormon church leaders TO the rithe
payer. II the church leaders would
simul{ apply to the tithe UaveIS this