Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-21
ExTRAvAGANoE AND PRICES.


The citizens of New York are begin
ming to realize the necessity of looking
after the expense accounts OF the city.
A tax payers conference, representing
real estate interests, proposes to take
up the question of municipal eYtrava-
gance. The city has borrowed money
to the limit Of its credit, and spent 1t
injudiciously. The cost of living has
increased In New York, in proportion to
the municipal debt This fact has fin
ally. dawned upon the people of that
great city. They realize that; THE
issue of taxes and budget affects the
welfare of All citizens, whether prop
erty-owners or tenants, for the tenants,
IN the final accounting, are the real tax
payers 1t is an issue of civic econo-
my"
The Taxpayers organization is pre-
pared to take up every item of expense
and weigh II TO prevent such eXtrava-
ganco as has existed, it Is claimed,
in past years. 1t is hoped to prevent
such squanderings as last year, when
the borough president of the Bronx
asked for an increase of 100000. and
wasted so per cent of the amount spent
through his bureau Of highways. and
paid $4,000 to clean a building that
could be kept just as well for $500. 1t
Is also hoped that another increase can
be prevented in the Bronx bureau of
highways from 100000 to $1,000; and
In the bureau of buildings of an IN
crease from $l2S,5OO to sl32, 500.
one member Of the executive commit
tee Of the Taxpayers conference claims
that the payroll of the city should be
gone over. He says there are stenog-
raphers, for instance, receiving Sl,400 or
$500 year who are not better quail
fed than stenographers in the down
town district receiving 5000 or $1,000
year, Bookkeepers, too. he declares,
who would be Wen paid in a private
business at SIS a month seem to feel
that they are entitled TO 500 or even
$3.50 when they become city employees.
The New York World points out that
the city spends about S2e5 yearly for
every family Of i've persons, What
that means TO the poorer classes few
realize, but as the World remarks,
Taxes paid IN the rent bill the food
bill aud the clothing bill are the heaVi-
est single factor In the cost of living OF
the poorest people. When half the tax
money assigned to the Bronx borough
presidents office Is wasted, as the may
or's accountants reported. 1t costs
poor family In Staten Island more to
live When Kissena Park aud police
farm graft are permitted In Queens,
the poor Of New Yorks east side suf-
fer"
The citizens Of Salt Lake WIN sooner
or later realize that from an economic
point Of view. bad, eXtravagant govern
ment Is very poor Investment 1t is
bad for business it is worse for the
poor consumer who pays for that OK
trayagance out of his scapty wages.
reward for political services be It by
burdening the various departments
with superhuous hands or by the cre-
alton OF positions in order to secure
votes or In any other way, the cost of
living Is added to, To that extent, and
the burden Is felt hy those who ara
least uble 20 carry IL, To borrow money
is no remedy That may make the City
appear hush for short timo, hut the
day OF reckoning comes and with II
the awakening from the draam OF {
foofs paradise Good honest city gov
emlnent Is what brings lasting pros
perlty and promotes healthy growth
Salt Lake City now has an unenviahl
reputation Tor being am expensive cit
60 nve In, Ne know not to what Ok
tent this may he justified but 1t is alb
solutely certain that eNtravagant cit
government results, as I'm New York, I
high prices on all necessaries of life.