Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-29
svelve Men Overcome by Launch Party Wins
TAYLOR FORESEES
BIG TAX INCREASE
Former Director Points Out
Penalty of Smith Admins
tration's Extravaganza
REVENUE is INADEQUATE

The first OF a series OF statements to show
the financial muddle into which the city
| has been plunged by the Vare-Smlth ad-
mlnstratlon and TO warn the citizens that
| big increase I'm the tax rate must be faced
| as result, was issued today by A Merritt
= Taylor, former Transit Director who to-
| night Will take the stump for the Town
| Meeting party
The city's expenditures for this year. Mr..
Taylor shows, will exceed by 35,162,57496
| the amount which Finance Committee
| Chairman Gaffney declared would be sum
| cient for 1917. The total also exceeds by
| $4,000, 900 the tax returns for the year as
| estimated by Controller Walton. A tax
| rate above 81 would have been necessary.
| Mr. Taylor points out, to have balanced
| the books for the year. and as the year Is
| ending with big deficit future increase
| in the rate will have to be made to cover it.
| Mr. Taylors statement follows:
Under date of December 30. 1915,
| Thomas b. Smith, Mayor Of Philadelphia.
and Joseph +. Gaffney, chairman OF the
| Finance Committee of City Councils. ad-
dressed a letter to the heads Of all city de-
| partments, which will be found in the An
! nual Appropriation Red Book, issued by
| city Councils for 1917, on page 129. In one
| paragraph of this letter appears the fol-
| lowing
| Appropriations have been made to all
| departments for the entire year--nOt as
| in the past for part. This, however. is
|
| invitation to any department to indulge
| in reckless or extravagant expenditures
| head will be held to strict accountability
! for the proper careful disposition of the
| particular funds allotted to him.
| Under date of January >, 1917, Joseph
| p. Gaffney, chairman Of the Finance Com
| mittee of City Councils, addressed letter
! to the heads of all city and county depart
| ments and bureaus, which will be found on
| mage 130 of the afOragaid hppk m "a
| 81 aph of this letter reads as follows:
Permit me to remind you that this ap-
| prlating ordinance recommended by the
and approved by the Mayor. appropriated
sums sufficient to preclude the neces-
sity Of departments making requests dur
| ing 1917 for additional amounts.
| In addition to the annual appropria-
| tions referred to in the aforesaid letters
| by the Mayor and the chairman of Finance
| Committee Of Councils. which they claim
to be appropriations in full for the year
| 1917. further amounts have been made
available, follows:
unappropriated balance .......... s67. 500 90
surplus iexcess receipts 1917 over
Controllers estimate) .,,....... ISL, ,479. SC
property tax G'rovident Lie and
Trust Company ............... 6G3. 205. 10
Total NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 90
"Of this amount 100000 was appro.
priated in July, accepting the bequest of
the late John q. Johnson. This cannot be
CLASSIFIED as current expense and the
balance, i,412,574.96, was distributed to
the various departments and bureaus in ad.
diton TO the items which It was previously
claimed would be ample for the entire year.
AT the present time there are in sight
bills for salaries, wages and supplies, which
will be due and payable before January 1,
1918, in excess of S1,750.00O and unpaid
, mandamuses now drawing per cent in
terest amounting to nearly S2,OOo,OOO.
with these items included the total ex-
penditures in excess of the amount which
the Mayor and the chairman of the Finance
Committee assured us would be the current
expenses for 1917 will be S5l62,57496
II am informed that at the last meeting
of the Finance Committee OF City Councils
the chairman Of the Finance Committee was
asked by member what amount was then
available for appropriation. and that his
reply was $2500.
Toward paying the sl.75O.OOO current
bills and the mandamuses aggregating about
$4,000 900, making a total OF $3.50, 900,
before January /, 1918, the city can only
make a temporary loan OF $1,000, 900, which
is the legal limit, and postpone the payment
of the balance-S2 $50. .OO0-until after jan
uary 1 a charge against the citys cur
rent revenue for 1918,
THE citys expenditures for the year
have been over $5,0O0.000 in excess Of the
tax revenue. as estimated by the City
| Controller under the law.
when your public officials record the
true state of affairs, you win find that the
income from your 3175 tax rate has been
exceeded by over 5000 900. and that to
have paid this excess would have required
a tax rate OF over 81.
AS the city is compelled to charge the
1917 deficiency of over S3,750,0O0 against
the cltys tax revenue for 1918, you must
| understand that you will have to submit
TO a severe penalty for the folly and ex-
travagance of the Smith Administration
In a prior statement issued early today
Mr. Taylor made strong declaration for
clean government and announced that he
would campaign throughout the entire city
from now on until election in the interest
of the Town Meeting party. Mr.. Taylor
will open his stump.speeCh tour tonight at
a mass-meeting in the Fifth Ward in Ma
jestic Hall, 523 South Fourth street.