The Detroit times., 1910-03-02
SLASH BUDGET"
. SAYS CONTROLLER
Material Reductions May Be En-
fected All Along Line Without Det-
riment To Service" Tells Council.

In transmitting the estimates for
the year 10 the common council. Tues
day, Controller Frank +. Doremus
sent communication, a portion OF
which follows:
THE original estimates aggregate
Sl3,ll5.5 62.s2 Supplemental estimates
have been transmitted TO this depart
ment amounting TO S6S9,557.73, max
ing the total amount asked for main
tenance and improvements Sl3.soo,-
l2055. The amount asked. less esu'
mated receipts and balances is VIZ
SS1.i74.45. IL we deduct from this
amount S250,000 OF liquor license mon
eys, TO be credited 10 the appropria-
tons for the police. health and poor
funds. we have left Sl2,63l. i7445 10
be raised by taxation and bond issues,
should the budget be allowed in fuli.
1t has been suggested that bonds
for a portion OF the sewers and school
building for which estimates nave
been submitted could be authorized.
and issued after the limit has been
increased. The proposition is OF very
doubtful expediency and ought not 10
be seriously considered. The idea
savors too much OF mortgaging a
prospect or attempting 10 negotiate
loan without visible means OF pay
ment Assuming that the people viii
vote to increase the bonding limit this
fall the improvements for which the
bonds were authorized could not be
commenced until some time afterwari,
and 1t is doubtful If the end accom-
plished would justify the means EN-
ployed.
"And increase of S15.000.000 in as.
sessed valuation this year would per-
NIT OF the issue OF 100000 OF bond"
AS II is unlikely that all OF the bonds
now authorized will be issued during
the coming year your honorable body
would be justified in authorizing bonds
in the sum of S450,000 for schools and
sewers If you find that the necessity
for them exists.
Assuming that bonds in the sum
named will be authorized, this bud
get would, upon an increase Of $l5,
900 900 in assessed valuation, require
tax levy OF s121Sl ,474.45 and impose
a tax rate of over $3334 per thousand.
Attempts have been made to JUST
~ this immense budget upon the
sTOuHu tldl the rdpiu SIoWtH Oh lhe
city demands all the appropriations
that have been asked. II Is undoubt-
eddy true. as a general proposition,
that improvements should keep pace
with the city's growth. II is likewise
true that Detroit has enjoyed a splen-
did industrial and commercial deve-
opment but IL has not been of sufIi-
cient magnitude TO justify the ex-
penditure OF this large sum of money
in one year. The fact that the city
is growing does not warrant grow
ing tax rate II that were true the
larger the city the higher the tax
rate would be: and the city might be-
come SO large as 10 paralyze every in
dustry in its midst and cast upon the
laboring and producing classes an UNI
hearable burden OF taxation.
THE magnitude of the task before
you is apparent when il is stated that
IL will be necessary to take more than
So 900, 900 from the estimates in order
10 bring the tax rate down tc its pres
ent proportions. The estimates for
maintenance in the various funds
should be carefully scanned. Material
reductions may be effected all along
the line without detrimont 10 the sery-
ice or sacrifice OF the public welfare.