Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1909-07-03
TAMPERING
With Sinking Fund Resources
VIII Injure City's
General Council Overrides State
Legislature in Making
Levy.
How Two Policeman SwOrs
Falsely in Case of Emmett
McDermott.
LUCHsINGER JUMPS in LIGHT

Since the establishment of the
Sinking Fund the credit of the city
of Louisville has been good, but
there are signs of seismic disturb
ances in the city's credit and you
can look out for disaster now at any
time. In 1907, when the Democrats
were in power, the city tax rate was
$1.sO on the 500 valuation and of
each $1.SO the Sinking Fund got
seventeen and half cents. The
Republicans floated in with Gov
Wilson in 1908 and made <the tax
rate $1.75 on the 500 valuation, and
of this the Sinking Fund got only
seven and quarter cents on each
$1.75 quite a drop. In 1909 the tax
rate remained at $1.75 and the Sink
ing Fund was cut to three and half
cents on each S1.75. Think of the
drop in two years, from seventeen
and half cents in 1907 TO three and
a half cents in 1909. 1t means the
taking away of more than 100000
from the resources off the Sinking
Fund.
The General Council and the city
administration generally excuse this
rifling of the Sinking Fund resources
by saying that the difference was
made up in the increase in saloon
taxes The excuse is flat, stale and
invalid, and for this reason:
Section 3010, paragraph s, of the
Kentucky Statutes reads in part:
1.-The Sinking Fund shall be under
the control and management of the
Commissioners of the Sinking Fund.
and shall be held and sacredly used
for the payment of the principal and
interest of the bonded debt of the
city The General Council shall have
no power to pass ordinances to
diminish the present resources of the
Sinking Fund as now established
until the debts of said city charge
able on said fund are paid. but may
pass laws to increase tie said re-
sources"
The Court of Appeals decided not
long ago that license tax was not
to be depended upon; that none
could tell how many saloons would
apply for license during the year,
but what does the General Council
of Louisville care about the Court
of Appeals?
Now the question naturally arises,
what is being done with the more
than 100000 a year that ought to
be put by to keep up the city's
credit? The Sinking Fund Commits
sioners increased their force this
week. too. A. +. Detweiler was made
Assistant License Inspector and
Miss Anna Snider stenographer
Another sample of the high
handed methods of the police under
command of Robert j. Foster has
come to light. but not one of the
daily papers published it. On a re-
cent Sunday several police under
Fosters charge were looking for
riffs in the lid. They passed John
Blaes' saloon at Seventeenth and
Main streets and saw Emmett Nc
Dermott standing outside. MeDer-
mott has been taking his meals at
Blaes' place and was awaiting his
dinner. The police inquired of Nc
Dermott if there was chance 10 get
drink inside. McDermott said
there was not. Lock the - 49,
up" said Foster, applying a vile
epithet. So McDermott was locked
up and charged with lettering
When his trial came up in the
4 AOuIi tWO OllittlS odtii
testified that they had known Nc
Dermott for twenty years or more
and had never known him to work.
For the defense Michael Norton,
President of the Kentucky Stove
Company, testified that McDermo OFT
had been in his employ as "A molder
for twenty-five years and backed mp
his argument by producing books
and pay rolls. OF course McDermott
was dismissed. But has anybody
heard of the grand jury getting busy
with the police who swore McDer-
mott never worked? 1t would look
like a case of false swearing. These
men are still on the police force. Is
their testimony to be believed?
Capt Luchsinger has set up a little
monarchy of his own in German
town. He announces that he has es
tablished an employment bureau and
expects to make everybody go &c
work. Possibly he is organizing q
strike breakers agency. You know
Luchsinger has had experience
along that line.
One correspondent asks: "If al
In Councilman Ii. +. Reager insure'
30 per cent. of the policemen and fire
men. what per cent. would he insure
in case he were elected Aldermen
The answer is-wait until he il
elected.