The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1913-07-15

THAI plays UPON HIS COuuIeuduCc Wi1Cu
in the presence of those who worship
and adore him? No, the honest and
fair editor is not likely to publish any
of these records unless he can break
away from the spell that binds him
at the feet of his lord and master.
$50 much by way of preface"
AS to figures that prove, according
to the wonderfully wise and astute
editor of the Democrat, that the Mayor
has deliberately lied and wilfully de-
. ceiyed, look - over them carefully.
They were made carefully and not
at random as you might be led to
suppose.
| In round numbers there will be from
the tax levy and franchise $4,000;
from licenses, $4,000; from sale of
rock $4,000; from whisky tax $4,000;
from police court $500. These to-
gether with a balance of $4,000 on
| hand at the first of the year make
total of $4,000.
These figures in part must be based
on the same items from last year and
may vary slightly when the actual
amounts are received. The eXpendi-
| lures must likewise be largly based
on the expenses of the past year. The
! interest and bonds will be $4,000. The
| library will receive about $4,000; the
hospital $4,000, (Which has been es-
tablished and opened during this ad-
ministration); the public school, $14-
900. The general expenses of last
year were $4,000. This latter item
| included several new streets, the re-
! construction Of large portion of the
1 old streets, and several new sewers,
although the honest and fair editor Of
the Democrat says not a dollar was
spent. Much of this work will not be
necessary this year and the expense
will be several thousand dollars less.
| With the new electric motor installed
at the quarry and the new contract
for lighting there should be a saving
of perhaps $4,000 in the general eX-
penses, so that they are not likely to
reach more then $42,000.This with
the other expenses above make a
total of $71,400, leaving balance of
over $4,000 from the general purpose
fund and available for the improve
ments recommended A flrst-class
modern motor truck can be purchased
for about $4,000, the portion of Main
street needing resurfacing can be re
|
end of the sewer will probably cost
$4,000 or $4,000, which will carry it to
a point from which the city can easily
handle the extension with its own
! force Besides the above figures the
records show that the city had on hand
at the first of the year SIT, 900. That
the receipts last year were about
$4,000 in excess of expenses. The say
ing in this years expenses should more
than make up the reduction in the tax
rate and leave 1000 or more
available for improvements and any
emergency that may arise. 1t is i'm
possible to explain how the fair and
honest editor of the Democrat has ar
rived at his figures. 1t would be I'M
kind to say it was malicious and in
territorial and might hurt the child's
feelings and it may be better to attrib-
ute it to gross carelessness that has
marked the great majority Of his
statements.
1t would be wrong to pass without
comment his mention of the splendid
condition in which Mr. O'Brien left
Main Street, and the statement that
with proper care it would have lasted
for years. If the editor means by
proper care that all traffic be kept off
Main Street, then if the public ap-
prove of such care, it can still be pre-
served for ages by forbidding its use
and may stand as a perpetual monu-
ment to the great foresight and en-
gineering ability of Mr.. O'Brien, I'M
der whose administration the street
was laid by a firm which it is said
had never before done such work,
and which, much to their credit, has
not done any since This may or may
not be tue. 1t is true, however,
that the street was improperly laid at
first and had to be partly relaid and
Mr. O'Brien and his associates permit
ted that portion to be laid over the
first structure instead of having it
torn up and that in this way the dan
lgerous crown was given to the street
which caused the grand jury to force
the city to roughen the surface in
such a way as to greatly injure the
street - 1t is true that the only two
blocks which were laid anything like
in the proper manner are the only
two that are anything like good to-
day. 1t is also true that there has not
been a year since Mr.. O'Brfen'S re-
tirement from office that the company
which did the work under guarantee
has not been required to patch the
! street to such an extent as to almost
appear to be resurfaced and that the
patches would hold only for a few
months and that the present condi-
ton Of the street is due to this very
same inefficient construction and
makeshift repairing for which the
city has not been able to enforce
payment from unreliable contractors
It is also true that the natural life
of such street where properly
laid at first is from Is to 20 years
without any repairing instead Of
years with constant repairing. If
Main street is any credit to Mr.
OBrien let him have all of t.
AS to the Fire Department which
in the language of the honest and fair
editor of the Democrat "has been
totally destroyed" This is too silly
and childlike to need more than pass
ing notice. 1t can not be honestly
said that there has been single fire