The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-01
NO RAISE IN THE TAX LEVY.


We notice revcrsion once in while
in tho papers of the opposition to the
old thoroughly exploded lie that the
American party has every year in.
creased the rate of taxation in this city
The Tribune has from time to time
shown the utter falsity of this claim.
There is no increase in the city taxes
this year. The American party found
no occasion TO increase the taxes. al
though it has done a wonderful work
in public improvements. The admins
tration which the American party sue
| ceded, increased the tax levy one mill
| each year. Nothing was said about that
by the opposition, because that was a
church. controlled administration, and
everything that was done by it was
agreeable to the church leaders. But
| as soon as the American party gets in
! tho fact is seen that that increase
gritted the teeth of the old crowd even
though they had dared 10 say nothing
about it, and they gnash their teeth
accordingly at the American party for
what their own party did while it was
in office.
The American party found confront
ing il in its first year, two propositions
calling for large sums Of money. One
was the first year IS interest on the mil
/ lion dollars which had boon voted for
water aud sewer improvements under
the Norris administration. That was
: $4,000. meaning ono mill in taxes. The
/ American party was also rbe same year
( obliged to pay upwards of $4,000 of
/ past due obligations. left unpaid by
| that administration. And ever since,
/ that two mills Of obligation has been
/ load for the American party TO carry.
/ Every one Is aware Of the magnifi.
cent public improvements put in the
present year by the American party,
I tho street paving, tho sewering, the
/ building of sidewalks, and in general
the bringing Of the city into q metro
| politan condition. It has been msgnifi.
I cent work throughout. and has cost a
, vast amount of MONEY; and still there
was no increase In the taxes.
The people Of this county are en-.
tirely safe in trusting their affairs TO
/ the American party. This party has
dono splendid things for Salt Lake
! City. II will also DO splendid things
/ for the county when it gets charge Of
/ public affairs IL will expose and
/ punish the assessment roll forgeTies; it
will straightcn out the road accounts !;
/ il viii investigate the stcalings at the
I county infirmary and the job whereby
a real estate deal amounting $4,000,
osteusibly for a new site for the in.
firmary, was put through. II viii
show how the road money has been d.
verted from its proper use and made
scrviceablo for personal aud favored 10.
calities in the county. II viii break up
the petty graft in the Commissioners
accounts; it will investigate, expose,
and recover for the county. so far as
possible, the enormous costs of the po.
litical iohbcries undertaken by Sheriff
Emery and County Attorney Hanson.
There is no doubt but the county is
entitled 10 recover tens of thousands of
dollars for malfcasance and misfeasancc
in the paying out Of moneys on political
account within the past two years
IL is impossible that the ring candi.
dates should make these disclosures
which the public is entitled to know.
IT is absolutely certain that the Ameri.
can party will make these disclosures.
will show mp these frauds, iobberies
and favoritisms.
The voters, and especially the tax.
payers, Of this county are entitled TO
know al about their public affairs and
expenditures. They will never know
about them if the ring candidates are
elected. They are certain TO know about
them through the election Of the Ameri-
can candidates. II is, therefore, their
clear duty 70 support the American can
didates, and to find out what has been
done with the public money.
And that is precisely what they are
going TO do. The Tribune hears from
all parts of the county that there is an
awakening on this question that bodies
i'll TO the ringsters. the grafters, and
the incompetents. Let the light be
turned on. But il is only the American
candidates that will do it. Therefore
they are the ones who should be elected
And in the interest of honest public
service and clean official work, it is
incumbent upon tho voters of this
county to throw out the old aud foul
and put in the clean and new.