The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1909-09-09

ni0e|iHS uelu TUESDAY nlBnC, rang
the, alarm against the extravagant
expenditure OF city funds, went on
record as being opposed to the rati-
fication Of either the 10 or 20 cent
levy at the coming special election,
and In the event Of the defeat Of
the leV1es gave assurance of it's as
slstance In meeting the deficit which
the city faces through the failure Of
the city council to issue retail LIQUOR
licenses.
Exorbitant Lcvies Proposed.
In a report made by the special
committee appointed some time ago
by President Capito, and which re-
port was endorsed last night by the
largest commercial organization
within the city, it was. held that
the extra levies submitted to the
people on September IA for their re-
lection or notification, were exorbi-
tant and unnecessary for the econ
omical administration Of the NUM-
cipal government.
15-Cent Levy Sufficient.
While the committee reported
that the failure Of the city to issue
license to retail liquor saloons had
curtailed the revenues Of the city to
such an extent that an additional
levy was needed, in the opinion Of
the special committee, this special
levy should not exceed Is cents and
II the ~: and 20 cent levies are de-
feated on September IA, the Cham
Der Of Commerce will assist in devils
Ing means to meet the deficit For
this purpose the special committee
was continued at the meeting Of the
chamber of commerce last night.
Want More Municipal Economy.
Get back into reasonable limits
and run the city on a more econom-
lcal basis" was the advice given by
F. M. Staunton, the we'll known local
banker, who has taken an active part
In civic problems. Mr.. Staunton,
who Is member Of the special COM
mlttee which made the report last
night asking for the defeat Of both
levies, IN experimenting the re-
marks of Chairman Schwabe in the
introduction Of the report, stated
that the city government had been
extravagantly run for the past four
or five years; that salaries had been
boosted and that places had been
created for payment Of political OBJ
legation. The city, he commended,
should pay. no more. for the services
Of its employees than private per-
sons, firms or corporations.
Danger Of the 10-Cent Levy.
TO ratify at the polls the Decent
levy to pay the interest and sinking
fund on the bonded indebtedness
would mean, said Mr.. Staunton, that
this levy would run during the life
Of the bonds now outstanding, some
Of which run for more than thirty
years and any levying body hereaf-
ter could lay this levy during the
life Of the bonds. Between the 49,
cent and the 20-cent levies, the lat
ter was the best, thought Mr..
Staunton, but a question of princi-
pie was involved and the committee
was Of the opinion that with the
present valuation placed on proper
ty the levy should not be allowed
to exceed SO cents.
At this time, said Mr.. StauntOn, in
the present temper Of the people, he
did not believe any additional levy
could be carried, certainly not the
l? or 20-cent levies.
Quorum Absent
Chairman SchWab in presenting
the report Of the committee stated
that conference had been held
with the Board of Affairs and the
finance committee of the city coun-
Gil, but there was not quorum Of
either Of the municipal bodies pres
ent. The Board of Affairs had part
~ agreed with the special commit
tee, he said, upon reductions in the
maintenance. Of the city government
and there was only a difference Of
some $4,000 or $4,000 between their
figures.
City Attorney Higginbotham was
present and stated that he was I'M
able to understand how a 15-cent
levy would "be sufficient to meet the
deficit If only $4,000 had been de-
Quoted from the published estimates
by the special committee from the
chamber Of commerce.
GrOsscup Opposes Reduction.
Councilman Fred Paul GrosscuD
called attention to the fact that the
council and Board Of Affairs had
passed an ordinance fixing the num-
Der and salary of the policemen and
even If it could be accomplished he
was opposed to any reduction in the
salary Of city employees, whom, he
thought, should receive more than
in other cities because Of the high
cost Of living in Charleston COM
pared with other cities.
Report of Special Committee.
The following is the report Of the
special committee, asking for the de-
feat of the additional 10 and 20 cent
levies, endorsed by the Chamber of
Commerce:
To the Charleston Chamber Of Com
merce,
Gentlemen:
Your committee appointed to in
vest1gate the necessity Of the pro-
posed extra levies, in addition to the
report already filed, beg to report