The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-08
EXCERPTS FROM
ANNUAL REPORT
Commissioner of Finances and Public
SAFETY Discusses city's Revenues
in His Yearly
Summary.
NO SALOON REVENUES
Commissioner Collins Deals With This
Phase Of Taxation in His
..- Report to tho
Council.
} SALOON REVENUES

| Teh following article was given to
The Gate City by Commissioner J. A
M. Collins, as part of his annual re
port as superintendent of finances and
/ public safety. with the suggestion that
! it be printed as the same. The Gate
article but reproduces It simply as an
excerpt from the report Of the com.
missioner It deals with taxes, and
is as follows:
when the state legislature raised
the prohibition flag over the capitol
at Des Moines, as a warning to all
cities employing the mulct tax as a
means for raising revenue, that cy-
clone was due January l, 1916, which
would knock $23,500 hole In the In
come Of the general fund, we took Off
cial notice Of the fact and proceeded
to devise methods whereby to discount
its devastating effects. Just here it
might not be out Of place to give a
brief outline of the functions of this
fund The general fund Is the clearing
house out of which the police. board
of health officials, Judge of the su-
perior court, city officials and all en-
ployes including attorney, assessor,
engineer and assistants, welghmaster
and street supervisor are paid. In
addition to all street repair and clean
ing work Of every description, printing.
office rent, election expenses, personal
injuries and multitude Of unclasst-
fed. accounts. The income for this
fund is limited by law to ten mill
tax levy, and receipts from the SUI
perior court, weighmaster, police, In
terest on monthly balances, dog tax,
peddlers, pool tables and other license
fees. Until January of this year the
mulct tax has furnished $23,500 Of its
income, which is nearly the amount
raised by the ten mill levy. For the
fiscal year ending March 81, 1915, only
the months Of January February and
March will be affected by the loss of
the mulct tax, which will make the re-
ceipts for that period $5,S75.00 less
than for the same months last year.
The loss of this amount at this time
out of an already badly crippled &C.
count, is a serious matter, but when
on April we are called upon to face
a loss during the coming year out Of
this fund Of $685. 500, 1t needs no warn
ing from us to remind you of the i'm
portance OF intense study and expert
ence in handling this account, for
some radical measures must be
adopted to meet the situation. Be-
cause Of what we have learned during
the past two years, we feel confident
Of being able with but slight assist
ance from the legislature to devise
ways and means to overcome the loss
of s23.500 for the coming years, but
after this amount is put on solid
basis with sufficient income, there still
remains that great edficit Of over $780,
900 in this one account, which we in
herited from the previous administra-
ton, to be provided for. We are free
to confess that we know of no way
nor has any one been able to suggest
a practical way by which this debt can
be disposed of, except by an act Of
the legislature authorizing a bond Is
sue, or permitting the surplus from
other funds to be transferred to this
one. If allowed to do so, the latter
method will solve the problem at less
than one-fourth the levy the former
plan will call for. The general fund
is the only one with more than one
source of income or more than one
definite object Of expenditure. The
deficits in all other departments with
careful handling can be provided for
without any outside assistance with
the. possible exception OF the light
fund, but the burdens on the general
fund are far too great for its limited
income The legislature has been
adding burdens without providing any
increase except the one they have de- |
prived us of without sufficient warn |
ing. Early in 1915 we anticipated the |
loss for January, February and March, |
1916, by reducing the police force to
the lowest number consistent with |
public safety. It also became neces |
5ary to suspend two very able and |
efficient men. One, the hight inspec- |
or, as the light fund levy had |
reached its limit Of income without
sufficient funds to pay light |
contracted for four years ago. The
other, the Waterman at the Des
Moines river bridge. The suspension
If these two men was the most I'M
pleasant duty of our official life. We
we're also forced to withdraw city sup
BORT from the Associated charities,
which was also regrettable. The effect
If these reductions with some minor
savings, was sufIcient to overcome
he loss Of revenue and bridge the gap
Until April 1, at which time a new ad-
will be in control, when
ome permanent plan must be adopted
o overcome this loss for all future
ears Whoever has this duty to per
orm, and it must be done by some
me. will have the fight of his life, and
will be entitled to the support and
of all good citizens"