The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-22
PONDS AND AUDITORS.

hONCo HNO AODi ORS.
After an expenditure of some Sl9 900
and the lapse of more than a years
time, the special auditors have evolved
what seems to have been the only rea-
son for their long employment, namely.
an argument for another $500, 900 bond
issue by the city. To be sure. the argu-
ment isn't worth much more than the
other productions of the auditors. and il
is mighty poor return for the money
they have cost, but still it is something
To show they have been in the city of
fces.
With this feeble backing as a basis
Of operations. the council on Monday
evening rushed through resolution for
the submission of the bond question to
the people with a celebrity that sug-
gested the haste of an expert confidence
man accOsting the Hey Rube" he ex-
poets to bunco.
Neither the experts report nor the
message of the mayor contained any
definite information as 10 the real
financial status of the city by which
the taxpayers can judge whether a
bond issue is imperatively necessary at
this time or not. a schedule of esti-
mates is submitted as to departmental
expenses. which have apparently been.
sweiled to the limit in order to show
the need Of more bonds but there is no
suggestion of methods by which econ
omies could be effected to bring the
mupicipal operating expenses within le-
gitimate bounds
The only cry is for more money-a
cry that has become chronic with this
administration. and has found its most
eloquent expression in the highest tax
rate the city has seen in years, with a
deficit of indefinite though magnificent
proportions.
Under the law the city cannot issue
any more bonds except for water and
sewer purposes. Recognizing this, the
administration has conjured up a Sc
ries of water main extensions, sewer
extensions. reservoirs intakes and
canal improvements for which. osten-
sibly, the bond money would be spent
if the people voted for the issue. But,
if the bonds were issued and the money
placed al the disposal of the council,
it would be a simple matter to juggIe
accounts, as has been done already,
and utilize the funds TO avert what
otherwise will be a most embarrassing
situation in the city treasury.
Possibly the improvements outlined
would be desirable; the city's water
supply can hardly be too cOpiOus or too
well distributed, and sewers are always
needed; but the people of Salt Lake are
bearing a heavy lead OF taxation. Their
rate is very high, and most of them
are loaded down with special assess
ments for sidewalks and street paving
until they can hardly meet their obli-
cations. This is particularly true of
the small householders, who are con-
fronted with a diminished earning
power because of lessened employment,
and who are never in position to meet
any large and unusual expense without
serious sacrifice.
Councilman Hall, who is one of the
best posted men in the public service,
has spent some weeks in study of the
city's finances. He has gone into all
the departmental estimates, has inves-
tigated at first hand the proba bile rev
enues of the city, and declares his be-
lief that the city can run it's govern
ment on a 13-min levy and still have
100000 with which to make necessary
improvements. Naturally. when he
presented this opinion and asked that
the bond resolutions be deferred, he
was shut off with short shrift.
His idea is to put the departments on
business basis-a thing the majority
OF the council contemplates as horri-
BILE calamity. He believes in economy
with efficiency. and the present city
management has no such notion of
public affairs. In the discussion of the
question he was not even accorded the
courtesy of a hearing nor was any at
tempt made TO controvert his figures.
His estimates may have been inaecu-
rate. but no one was prepared to show
where or how they fell short of the
facts. The council had determined to
railroad through the bond resolutions,
and it had no time to discuss any al
tentative.
1t is impossible to find out just how