The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-03-14
CAIRO'S FINANCIAL CONDITION
Is SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION
AT MERCHANTS LUNCHEON
E. A. Smith Says No Occasion Fer Alarm Judge
Dewey Expounds Law on Licenses and
General Taxation Mayor Parsons
and Chas. Feuchter Speak.

teday the city finances received fur
ther attention and some good ideas
were presented from various points
OF view. There was a large attend.
ance AMI John c, Fisher, of the
Evening Citizen, presided at tie
board Mr. Fisher had invited repre-
sentatiyes of the banks and of the
city government and some of them
were present After an excellent
,linner, and when the cigars were
going around, Mr.. Fisher introduce
the subject of the day in the follow
ing little address:
is 1t not the most vital topic be
fore the people of Cairo today. out
side of honesty in elections the ques-
tion Of running the city within its
means?
Have we not seen topic after top
ic discussed at these luncheons, and
committees appointed to see what
could be done. only to find that noth-
ing could be done because there was
no money to pay for it.
We heard the matter Of lower fire
insurance discussed. heard of adval-
tages detailed, were informed that
thousands of dollars could be saved 10
the business interests of Cairo in
lower insurance rates If the city
would give better protection against
fire, and when a committee went into
the matter they came 10 that great
insurmountable stone wall of no finan-
ces.
I'VE heard the city hall project dis
cussed, and the shame of the present
quarters told and retold and when
the committee went into the matter
to see what could be done. it was the
same story Of no finances
we have seen our streets, our sew
brick streets, deep in mud, although
we have q new husher that has clean
ed them well, and when we inquire
why it is not run over the streets
regularly, the story is the same, no
finances
cidents, like at Tenth street and
again at Fifteenth street, and high
water comes upon us, compelling the
operation Of the pumps, and an epi
demic of disease compels us to ex.
pend money for the protection of the
public, and because we have no inan-
ces, our credit is endangered.
so to get at the root of the matter
we have got to provide sufficient rev.
enue We will have to increase our
income, or reduce our expenses, or
perhaps both.
Now | am not physician, and
so cannot prescribe for the patient,
but any one can go to the telephone
and call the doctor so | have today
invited the representatives of all the
banks of Cairo to meet around this
table with the representatives of the
city government, in order that we
may discuss this matter, if we desire
to do it, and find a remedy, for there
must be a remedy or the patient VIII
die.
"There is no lack of money in this
community. Only last week we
heard how easily a road proposition
was disposed Of A committee was
out a couple of days and raised the
money asked. The same energy, the
same directness. applied to the mat
ter of city finances, ought to bring
some result, not in the same length
of time, OF course, for this is big
matter, tremendously big one, that is
confronting nearly every municipal,
ity, but because II is big is no reason
why we cannot work it out. No one
else will solve the problem for us"
Chas. Feuchter responded to a re-
quest for report from the commit
tee appointed at a previous meeting
to consider the subject. He said the
eommitte had addressed note to
the city council as requested, and he
understood that the council hal
adopted a resolutions directing that
conference be held with the Lrnch-
ttil AO-lAtiilttt anu VI
the banks of the city, to consider the
matter and decides on what should
be done. He believed that this was
matter for the city council alone
to settle, that they were in posi-
tion to best know the eity's condition
and needs and it devolved upon them
20 find a remedy and pass such laws
as might be necessary. His informa-
ticn was that there was nothing that
could be done except to raise
licenses. He would tax every one
that can be so taxed under the law.
He would not increase the tax on
real estate. because that was already
heavily burdened with improvement
taxes. OF course people would object
to having license taxes placed upon
them. or raised; people always
kicked when their pocket books were
tenehel But the city ought TO get