The daily progressive-miner., 1916-04-01

for city finances, I wonder where they could more appropriately ob- tain the funds. Tax records oi those Councils own making, show shortages in collection. The 1915 City Tax Accounts show the fol lowing:
 Assessed valuation. .... S1 ,101 ,550 Council tax levy, 11k%... 16,50O Taxes collected. ......... 14,90C Shortage ..............$ 1,60O
 If instead of the parsimonious policy that was outlined to obtain school funds, the economic policy of making just collections were pur- sued, the shortage that the tax records show would not occur, and the affairs of the City would be on the basis of that of a modern factory, instead of the small back room tailor cutting to a limited pattern.
 The passing Council was not bound by the acts of it's predeces- sors, except as those acts are legal and founded on the right. Those with whom Council contracts are aware of this, and unless the con- tract complies with these require ments, its existance may be ter minated with that of the Council that made it. Proceeding Councils granted reductions of taxes to cer- tain corporations, and have attempt ed to contract their successors for ten years to do the same. The moral obligation of the passing Council to carry out these contracts, found- ed as they are On an unequal tax rate, was war outweighed by the moral and sworn obligation of that Council to the City, to collect the shortage that the Tax Records show. Sincere good government would require this.
 The tax rate in Alaska of 2 per cent is not exorbitant, and the cent per case tax on the prop erty that cannery pack represents. is only two-third per cent on a case of red fish, and one and one- third per cent on case of pink fish, in 1915, less even than the reduced one and one-half per cent tax rate levied by the Council, as the property tax. The tax on the property that is saw mill cut of lumber, is ten cents per thousand feet, like red fish about two-thirds per cent of the value of that lum- Der property.
 Where is the moral right of any Council to maintain in existence. contracts by previous Councils, that grant still further tax-rate reduct- ions, on the real estate of the corporations, already favored with tax-rate reductions on their product. Yet tax-rates, even as low as one- half per cent, on real estate values, were maintained by the passing Council.
 Even those favored corporations themselves recognize their moral ob- ligation to pay real estate tax. and they did so for years when they were located outside the city l:m- it's. If they pay any tax it !stould bc the equable one. the one that every one else pays, and especially so, since that moral obligation that they accepted, has beee made legal by the extension of the city limits to include them.
 An excerpt from a letter lately received from the Assessor of King County, Washington, says, "We have several canneries in this State paying Federal taxes upon their product, said taxes being wholly eliminated from consideration in the assessment and taxation of their physical properties"
 The Standard Oil tax reduction was made because a private own CT wanted to dispose of his dock location to that concern, and they insisted on an inducement to take it from him. The Council blithely came forward with their funds, and the present Council repeated the act, funds flor school and municipal purposes" as the law book states. and dipped out the inducement wanted. The City businesses should have subscribed to that inducement. together with that owner.
 It is unfortunate only for them. that my opponents find it necessary to go to times before my affairs were merged with those of Ket- chikan, and associate me, by in- nuendo, with fancied demerits of the salt water fire protection sys- tenn, at one time employed here.
 As for planking unnecessarily the City streets, that charge against i .,a hv ;uuuando ooo;c ;s on shaf-