The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-13
FINANCIAL FORECAST VERIFIED.


FINANCIAL FORECAST VERIFIED.
When an Thursday the figures Of tho
ovcrdraft OF tho contingent fund were
shown to US, IA used aditorially III
yesterday mornings Tribune, wo said
that from those figures tho Herald
would compute u deficit of over $780,.
600 at tho opd Of tho year. Know
ing tho Herald q imbooility In tho mat
ter OF financial rockoninga, knowing
It's predisposition towards error on
every possible subject In which error
can be reached, and knowing its
animus against the American party, it
was oasy TO predict that tho Horald
would compute deficit Of over $780,
900 at the end of the year, in spite
of the plain showing which the figures
made. That forecast has been amply
justified. The Herald yesterday morn
ing fell easily into the obvious blunder,
and unthinkngly computed a debt Of
$685. 33,
Tho thirty throo cents are in the pa
ture of q clinoher, probably, to carry a
similitude Of truth and of exactncss;
and yet nothing could be further from
the mark than the figures arrived at
by that paper.
The fact is that the finances of the
city for the present year will come
out just as near even as they can be
reckoned, The year began with an
overdraft of $90,55S.37, as is seen by
the auditors report as of December 81,
1906, page II of the published reports
Of the city government for last year,
Tho deficit at the close of the pres
ent year in this contingent fund
(Which is the only one to be reckoned
with in this connection) will be SS5,-
900, as near as can now be reckoned,
provided the city officials use the
utmost practical economy, as they are
sure to do. The Herald g figures, with
its wild talk about injunctions, bank
ruptcics, deficits, constitutional limita-
tions, and all that sort of thing which
has no application to the case, is
simply the raving frenzy Of the heated
season.
IT is little surprising that the
Herald, after beginning its foolish
discussion Of the city, finances, its
misstating of facts in a way that com
pels antagonism and correction, could
be so blatantly calling for a cessa-
ton Of bostilities. Why should the
| Herald strike a blow and then
yell to have the fight stopped3 Can
not it face the music2 Apparently
not. 1t shes n brick and then runs
and yells to have the fight stopped
But that is the Herald IS way. There
is nothing surprising about 1t now any
more than there has been in the like
tactics heretofore.
The Tribune presented the true
figures in this matter yesterday. The
income of the city from the tax levy
$230,000 for the contingent fund.
Add to this 100000 from licenses,
fines, forfeitures, etc, and we have a
yearly revenue for this fund Of $780,
600. The expenses for the first half
Of the year chargeable to that fund
were in total, 1914, ,14l 05; that paid
up the old overdraft on this fund; paid
17,930,63 in judgment damages in
herited from former administrations
paid upwards of 900 in interest,
and other extraordinary demands
The expenses for the coming six
months on the normal basis are
reckoned at S240,o00; this added to
the 1914, ,14l.05 spent during the first
six months, including extraordinary ex-
penditures on this fund, makes a total
Of $6l5 900, or $S5 900 in excess of the
$3.50, 900 revenue. But as the year
started with an overdraft of $4,000
on this fund, it will be seen that
there is nothing alarming about this.
The finances of the year will come out
about even, with nothing to alarm any
one and no cause for even the least
anxiety, let alone the frenzied terror
assumed by the Herald yesterday morn
ing in double column scare head.
The city officials are, in fact, getting
along very well, and nobody need to be
III the least alarmed about them,
The city administration is proceeding
in a business-Gke way, and will pro.
ceed with all due economy for the en-
suing six months of tho present year
: The Herald had better 90 and take a