The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1914-12-19
HORSE SENSE NEEDED
Financial Condition Of City Calls For
intelligent Investigation

the financial condition OF the city
They want the information before they
vote on bonds They are entitled to
il but whether or not they will be
much wiser after they get il than
they are now IS big question in our
mind. In fact. the trouble In Crystal
Fall, has been that statements as re-
quired by law have not been gotten
out yearly as the law directs The
reason for this is that the expense Of
/ duplicating items already published
and paid for is too large We are can
did enough to say that il did look like
useless expense, although we didn't
applaud the economy OF past councils
when. after the condensed repots were
presented, the document was scanned
50 that as many words as possible
might be cut ont and save on printer s
bills
The people are entitled 10 know
whore their money has been spent and
how much Indebtedness hangs over the
city today. i'm addition they are
entitled to statement showing the
current expenses Of this city and each
OF its departments with the number Of
men employed and the salary Of each.
With that data before them and
lead pencil in our hands we can
easily figure out where we are going
to arrive at We hope that the
council will find IL convenient 70 go
INTO detail and show the people just
where their money went. what the
hall cost, what the furnishing cost,
what the truck cost what the sewers
cost what the power plant addition
cost and will cost betor it Is com.
pleted
The with this data before them we
hope that the people will assimilate it
TO themselves. not have commissions and
spew il all over There is no use
crying over spilled milk The bills
have been contracted, the items. TO our
knowledge. are all legitimate ones and
must be paid After paying them it
is time enough 30 consider putting the
house in order IL the people don
want this council to spend any more
of their money get rid of them We
believe, however, that the council has
learned lesson and that il Will not
repeat.
Now. let 8 get down to brass tacks
right on the threshold let us say with
emphasis that we are rot the guardian
Of the council. hold no brief for that
body nor have we any excuses to
offer They spent the money and
must stand by the consequences But
the council isn't altogether 10 blame
Time and again we have seen people
come before the council and ask for
improvements. for an etxra on the
hall, for a sewer for a street or water
works and the council invariably
granted the reqnests and made the
improvement. Some of these same
people are now cursing the council tor
spending so much money Again, we
say, the people have just az much of
the blame TO shoulder as has the coun-
cal. The trouble is that most OF the
howlers are not honest with them
selves
As far rs we know there are S9j. 0O0
worth Of warrants in the bank and a
payroll OF $25, GOO which was allowed
but on which hut few orders have been
issued That makes $50. coo Against
this there is S2s. 600 in taxes being
collected and the bond issue proposed
amoants 10 $40, 600 total OF 500. GOO.
allowing tor the delinquent taxes
There are some improvements yet TO
be completed on the power plant that
must be done out Of the $50, 600 so that
the council is left with about -, 900
and the prospective liquor licenses to
run the city with the coming year In
addition there Is the revenue from
the power plant which amounts to.
we are told, net Of $40. 600 That 8
all the money the city ought to spend
next year-yes. more than II ought TO
spend
II the electors do not vote the bonds
what them The entire indebtedness,
over and above the amount the taxes
will take up will be put in judgments
and assessed in bulk perhaps next
year. upon the property Of the nun.
icipality can you stand III
Now, II you vote the bonds and feel
so hard against the present council
that you can't tolerate them any
longer sou have three ways TO rid the
city Of thom One IL 70 wait three
months until the regular election and
elect a new bunch The other is TO
recall the present lot and the third is
10 petition tor.a commission form OF