The Cairo bulletin., 1909-03-17

Merchants Luncheon and of ta
banks of the city with reference 4
: the city's financial condition va
: largely attended aud proved 10 b
!. very laxative There were presen
. His Honor Mayor Parsons, Aldermen
I Koehler, Wagner, Burke Greaney
Scullin. Kelly, Thistlewood Nellis
Davis and Meehal; Messrs. Feucbtel
and Wool of the Merchants Lunch
con. and the following representa-
tiyes of the banks: +. A. Smith
president of the Cairo Naticna
Bank: John s Aisthorpe. president
of the First Fank & Trust Co; Ellis
Cox and H. r, Aisthorpe cashiers OF
these banks, and J. H. G1llig7n
cashier of the Alexander County Ma.
tiona Bank.
! The mayor stated the purpose of
the meeting briefly and expires
the belief that good would cone from
the conference
Alderman Greaney chairman OF
the fuance committee. read the re-
port prepared by the city clerk anu
| comptroller. showing that the cit
! had floating debt al the en1 of each
wear 70 from SIS, 900 to $50 000. The
alderman spoke of the means tha'
had been suggested to provide for
this deficiency and expressed the b.
! lief that n license ordinance was tn
/ only practicable method. He wOulI
| favor n general license ordinance
with saloon liCerses placel at $3.50
or 81 900 a year. and a limitation Of
one to 300 people which would leave
| the number of saloons at what they
were now, Wholesalers would pay
s1050 and independent beer mer-
chants 5000
The mayor said the amount drawn
from the general fund for street i'm
iprovements during the last two years
was about $4,000. which had been
considerable of drain upon the city
e, A. Smith, president Of the Cairo
/ National Bank spoke at length upon
city finances in past years. drawi
comparison with present conditions
| to show that there was no occasion
for alarm. He did not see any urg
ent necessity for adopting a general
revenue ordinance aud imposing
heavy license taxes upon people i1I
the present or prospective condition
or the Cfry, but IT it was desired tn
create special funl or revenue fer
some special purpose that was an
al r.
have the authorities go about this
carefully, first ascertaining exact
the city's condition which he asserted
had not been done, and then provid
ing for the needs of the city without
imposing any greater burden than
was necessary.
Alderman Greaney took issue with !
MIR. Smith, saying that the citvs
financial condition had been ascer
tanned and published and tha city
had floating debt of about $4,000
at the end of each year What it was
desired to get rid of was this debt
and the interest it drew and the dis |
counting of city paper by the banks
Mr.. Smith drew a comparison be-
tween the increase in the citys re-
ceipts from corporation taxes in the
last decade, and the increase in
licenses, showing that the latter hal |
been much greater than the former |
Alderman Koehler said il was de- |
sired to get the city out of the nit |
We want better fire department /
better police department. and the /
streets cared for, and for these
things money hal TO he raised. he |
sides taking car of the floating debt
John S. Aisthorpp, of the First
Bank 4 Trust Co.. said he agreed
with Mr.. Smith that there was no
occasion for arousing the peopIe
about the city's financial condition
The floating debt of SIS 600 was net
much; il had come from the natural
growth OF the city: IT devolved upcn
the city council and mayor to devils
ways and means to raise the cify's
revenues to meet its needs aud carry
on the city's affairs properly. ANY
business man would do this Tboro
Is no good reason why the CITY an.
thorities should not do something
The city's expenses had 10 increase
as it developed. aud the public are
gong to demand better service Tho
city is not now spending as much as
1t should spend on it's fire depart
mcnt, police department and stree.
cleaning. and people should be will
ing to pay the cost. The corporati n
tax is up to the limit AMI the only
source from which the needed money
could be secured was from lecens-s
He favored higher licenses.
w. H. Wood. of Wood & Rennett
and of the Merchants Luncheon com.
mittee, said the council has tn
power to get what money it needs
and they ought TO devise for then.
serves what they would do TO raise il
CITIZENS do not pay as much tax a.
tbeY should in fact the taxes ar
very low in Cairo. The city sbouII
have at least 100000 for running OK.
penses; there is no use building
streets AMI walks if they are not 70
be cared for. Mr.. Wood said he had {
bis own idea of how to raise the