El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-30
Shouldn't Get Angry When
People Ask About Steward
ship" Opponents Say.

Mayor Kelly should not lose his
temper or become peevish because Tax
paving voters ask MIN to give an ac-
count of his stewardship. Ihey nave
a right to ask him to explain lne CIR
cumstances surrounding any uansac-
tion Of a public nature, concerning
which there is any doubt
Neither should ne be so childish IN
his demands hat the question be pro
posed by an individual rather than by
a committee.
Mayor Kelly should not set himself
upon a pedestal, as though he We're an
object Of worship. he should not De
surprised that many of the men VINO
contribute to the municipal FUNDS
which he has fallen into the haDlt
OF spending so lavishly, would ike 10
be Informed regarding that eXpendl-
ture.
They do not exactly refuse to take
him at his word, but, being business
men, in the habit OF going into detalls
regarding business transactions, ana
regarding the administration of the
city's affairs as a business proposition,
would like 10 know what they are get
ting for the money they are paying
INTO the treasury in the torn OF taxes.
The average resident taxpayer Of Fl
PasO. or OF any other city or
ity. rarely objects to the payment Oh
any taxes which may be levied pro-
vfded he is assured he is paying no
more than his neighbor is paying ana
that the monies paid into the tax col
lcctor are properly and conomicalIy
expended for improvements and gen
eral b~etterments.
Extravaganza Is Charged.
The opponents OF mayor Kelly charge
that the affairs of the city, under
the four years Of his ADMINISTRATOR
rapidly and happily drawing TO a close,
have not only not been carefully ana
economically administered but On the
other hand has been marked by eX-
travagance n waste and that the
Monies wrung from the tax payers, SO
far from going into legitimate ana
necessary improvements nave lounu
their way into the pockets of friendly
n other tax eaters, sup
posed to be able to control votes which
will be thrown to the support of the
ring on primary day..
Tint cduce Key Rate.
Mayor Kelly and his advocates in
their speeches and in their advertise
ments in the public press laid great
stress upon the allegation that when
Mr.. Kelly went into office four years
ago he found an insurance key rale
of "A cents and that that key rate mas
been reduced to IS cents. j state
ment is true but neither mayor Kelly
nor the ring should AXE credit for
that reduction with the bringing about
of which they had no more to DO tnan
they have had to do with the bringing
about of the great war which is now
devastating Europe.
Insurance Not Reduced.
Efficiency, economy, safety first
is a splendid lmottO if lived up to.
Voters, however, are urged not to take
too much for granted hen an appeal
is made to their sentiment but to de-
l1and facts and figures. Take for in
stance the matter of reduced key rates
for FL Paso. Tt is true that in four
wears the insurance key rate has been
educed from Al cents to is cents, but
Notwithstanding this reduction the in
surance premiums paid by thousands
OF policy holders in El Paso are higher
today with a is cent key rate than they
were in 1910 with a A cent key rate.
Concrete Examples.
Below are given q few concrete eE-