The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-19

It was over One hlllion dollars on
January 1st OF This Year.
Takes one-HaI OF tho City Tax TO
Pay the Interest on the Debt.
Auditors Report Presented Shows che
Above Facts Enough TO Make Every
Citizen Think Twice and Then Tell
How to Meet the Situation"
Now. ] am citizen and a taxpayer.
and ] take the liberty OF answering
this article. telling how | would do II.
While ! do not int-nu 10 enter into
any controversy over the matter, feel
that must criticize the article, which
no doubt is true In fact. but In nv
judgment is misleading. inasmuch az
the situation is not fairly presented.
The Increase OF Sl50,O00 IN the
bonded Indebtedness. as everybody
knows, was for the purchase of the
city wGterworks, and Is considered
BY ALL (?-EdD 10 have been a wise
movement on the part OF the admins
lrauon that consummated the deal
This waterworks system is valu-
sble asset OF the city, from which a
revenue is derived sufficient to pay
the Interest on the si50,O00 bonds Qf
II does not. the city must pay it-Ed)
Ioake necessary repairs and exten-
sions. and in time (thc words 'in
time" are Appropriated create a sink
ing fund for the payment OF the bonds
This feature OF the question was care
fully avoided in the article referred
10 (and properly so-Ed). which as
sumes that the entire amount OF In
tercst must be met by tax levy, where
as only about onc-half of the amount
due from the city must be so met
Now. all there Is To this question,
looking at 1t in It's worst feature. Is
that Ogden city has about 100000 OF
1o1iing debt. which is nothing. in /,
my opinion, TO cause alarm or get ex-
cited over (Think OF it, Mr.. Nye says /
that 100000 probably Illegal debt is |
nothing" He must carry such little (
sums IN his vest pocket-Ed)
The writer of the article. THE BIG /
CITY DEBT" says in substance: II
the merchants of the city would as
sumo this Indebtedness they could pay
IL of in two or three years, but not
wishing to misrepreSent anything. we ,
will quote Just what he did say:
"a merchants license OF 500 to
$500 for each business house would
wipe out this debt in two or three
years"
Now. ] want TO ask. in the name OF
all that is fair and just between man
and man. why the merchants OF our
city should be asked to pay this debt?
I Ask the legislature II said we might
do it-EdD They pay their full pro
portion With all other property own
ers OF all money raised by tax levy,
besides they are constantly being
called upon and daily contributing 10
various benefits, most OF which are
our city. drain upon them which |
most other property holders escape
| ask again, why try TO shift this
1ebt on the shoulders of our mer-
,hants9 Qt would be easy II they
would stand for it-Ed)
The writer of the article goes on to
'ay that, without high merchants
lcensc there Is nothing TO do other
han double the taxes or repudiate the
lebt"
This means. of c-Nrse, to pay the
1ebt IL one year Now, why not be
and give the taxpayers two
IT three years to pay this debt. as
veil as the merchants which, In my
opinion. is the very thing 10 do7 With
he increasing value in the property
# the city a levy OF or 2% mills
will pay this debt in three years. and
10 one will feel it, and this Is just
ghat | expect TO see done by the level
eaded business men composing the
resent administration.
And | expect to see them go about
he business cheerfully and with
mile on their faces. as there is moth
ng serious about the situation. and
o hope we shall not see this matter
eferrcd to in print again
Why not join the ogden boosters
instead of trying TO make it appear
hat our city Is on the verge of bank
uptcy? (Signed)
]. C. NYE.
Here we find a man who thinks The I
tandard did wrong in telling the
eople that The city was in debt over I
ne million dollars on January !, 1910. |
Suppose Mr.. Nye had a manager of 1
big store and this manager should
IN Mr. Nye In debt only a hundred U
luuSduu uUlldIS, duu Subulu COUCedi =
ne deficit until the sheriff started to
ELL ont Nyc's store, how would Mr..
ye feel? And II Mr. Nye should com,
lain Of the managers extravaganza,
hat would he say If his manager
hould pat him on the back and say
Oh, that is nothing. Just boost, old
ian. BOOST2" fC
Whenever the people Of this city q
row ashamed TO have the conditions s.
the city's finances printed in the
cwspapers then 1t Is time the condi- "
ons that bring such results should /
e changed. This paper purposes TO c
i've ~ the news, good. bad and in 81
Inerent; We shall conceal nothing. b
The present conditions were brought
bout by those who have been prom b
ed better things. and they should t,
Ot complain when their broken prom Il
es are exposed.-Thc Editor II