Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-13
SOME MORE FIGURES.

the admissions forced from the ually
npologist for graft he financial status
OF tho City is as serious as II was
represented in the minority report of
the finance committee. presented to
the Council some time ago, and after
wards In local article in the News"
The Tribune admits that the pres
ent year commenced with eu over
draft on the contingent fund of $780,
55s.a7. The appropriations for the
past six months have, Notwithstanding
the shortage from last year. been so
reckless as to leave an overdraft. on
the 3Oth of June last, Of $172, 0D7.S5,
That Is to say. the overdraft OF $780,
600. in round figures, at the begin
ming of The year had been almost
doubled at the end of the first six
months.
The Tribune. further. calculates
that the expenditure for the entire
year win exceed the total income we
are speaking OF the contingent fund
to the tune of ss5.oOo. This win be
the deficit at the end OF the year.
Anyone. who viii take the trouble
of comparing the figures given to the
News ana published on the 9th of
this month. will be struck with the
substantial agreement between the
two estimates According to the
"Ncws" article the deficit at tho end
Of the year viii be $94. $4,000 The
Tribune with we'll understood habit
of looking at the Citys deficit through
the telescope reversed, makes 1t $780,
600. The preeaution has been taken,
however. to state; 1T is expected
that the expenditures from this fund
during the remaining six months of
the year, will aggregate about $4,000.
q month" and the $S5,000 deficit is
dependent on this expectation. If the
expenditure should be about $4,000
u month. or $50 ,0Oo-~and such mat
tiers cannot be regulated with any
precision when II community is run
on "nerve"--what then? Evidently,
II is high time for the taxpayers TO
md out something about a business
that concerns them. since they are
expected TO pay fox the extravaganza,
ants.
The Tribune endeavors to excuse
the actual and prospective deficit by
stating that the Morris administra-
ton unloaded upon the American"
administration upwards of $4,000 of
unpaid accounts" and that this Is "a
continuing overdraft." This state
nent is taken, we presume from the
last annual message OF Mayor Thorn
son. In that document this passage
occurs:
when the present administration
went into Office, II was found that
there was something like $4,000 of
unpaid bills. contracted during the
year 1905, which had to be paid for
by this administration"
This allegation bears the date of
February IS, 1907.
The funny part OF 1t is that the
Mayor did not seem 10 think of this
serious condition when he composed
his message OF Feb. ~, 1906. At that
time he submitted for the considera-
ton of the Council the reports for
1905, but there was no reference TO
a shortage, That a shortage created
in 1905 should be forgotten by the
Mayor until 1907 Is an absurd propo-
sition.
The fact IS that there was no short
age at the beginning of 1906. The Of
ficial statement OF the balances shows
a credit In the contingent fund of
s59.47S.S9. (MeSsage OF the Mayor with
the Annual Reports OF the officers OF
Salt Lake City, for the year 1905, page
32) The total Debts Dec. 81. 1905,
are given as sSis1404 and that, We
presume, represents the $4,000 OF
"unpald bills" that the Mayor dis
covered twelve months later, and also
the Tribune's unpaid accounts" But
the Cash on hand" on the same date
was $i.t35. $3.50. (Ibid. page $50
That there were abundant resources
on hand when the Americans" took
control. ia shown by the figures given
by Mr.. c. Felt, the former auditor. He
proves that the actual unincumbered
cash on hand on Dec. 81, 1905, was
$sl.424.56. That is the heritage" OF
the present Council from Its prede-
cessor.
The American party officials during
the yenr 1906 spent first all the cash
on hand; secohd, all the revenue from
all sources that could be added to the
contingent fund during the year. and
thirdly, enough Of this years revenue to
create a big deficit to commence this
year with. And there Is almost nothing
to show for It. That is the kind OF H.
nancial managers the city has had
fastened upon It, How long would II
private business man tolerate a set oil
employees with such business methods
We expect the Tribune win deny. al
first, that the present administration
commenced it's adventurous career with
large sum OF cash on hand. But In n
week or so. 1t will probably admit that
we have told the truth In this particu-
lar. too.
KEEP WITHIN THE LAW.