The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1918-11-15
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ne FINANCIAL COuulllOO OF the ClF
is OF such great importance that it
ought tO'receiye the. caroful consider
alton OF all our citizens
At the present time the revenues
are not adequate to pay the actual
running expenses, and as a matter OF
fact never has been when wholly de-
pendent on the legal sources.
The Constitutional limitation Of 5
mills for all city taxes only yields
approximately $4,000 per annum ad-
ded to this are some special licenses
and fines in the Municipal Court which
increases the total to approximately
{ $50 GOO The actual expenses of the
City at this time in round numbers is
$4,000 leaving deficit OF $4,000 and
! this with the cuts and Curtailments
inaUgurated by the City Government
| Now there is in this emergency only
two remedies, one is to- get more rev.
enues-or cut down the expenses to a
| point that it will fall within our in-
come. AS commissioners elected by
the people to properly administer the
| City Government, we must do one or
the other soon, and win do SO. but
before taking any decisive action We
assume it to be our Guty TO suJnit
to the people for their approval or re-
| lection the only remedy provided BY
Jaw, Yiz:-an occupation tax. If 1t
fail then our duty is plain, and the
responsibility will not all rest on the
Mayor and Commissioners
In submitting the measure to the
voters ut the time We ought to make
iplain the reasons therefor. so that they
may understand the real situation.
| When the present City Government
took over the management OF affairs
| we realized the conditions confrontiM
us as I have set forth above, but were
| induced to wait the action of the
Constitutional Convention from which
we hoped for some relief for Cities
in the way of providing some addition
al revenues. This oody. after adj
jiournments and delays extending over
"a period hi nearly a year, closed
| it's work without any reief being
granted as to increase in the general
FAX rate and, we are left Just where
we were before Now. il is up to US
to make use OF the only remedy left
] Personally l have never been an
lardent advocate OF an Occupation
Tax, believing it far more equitable
and fair to raise revenues 10y general
taxation. but that IS out of the ques
ton now The lack or revenues by
general taxation has existed since the
adoption OF The Constitution Of 1871
but the deficit has always been made
/ up by saloon licenses. gambling fines
boarding house fines. pool room Ii
| censes, and increased fines in po-
| lice court. In fact a virtual t0lera
| ton of some illegal and immoral cor
| ditions in order to get revenues to
run the city. The revenues from these
sources tided the city over and en-
abled it to make some Improvements
sbut through the gradual evolution Of
public sentiment all these sources Of
revenue nave been cut Off and nothing
to take the place. The saloon Ii
Ccnses alone amounted to practically
one hale OF the total amount received
from the ; mill real and personal
taxes paid
The abolition OF liquor licenses,
gambling fines, pool room licenses,
hawdy house fines, etc, has created a
better moral condition. an appreciablo
/ reduction in crimes and a better OBJ
lservance Of law and order. So much
SO that no good citizen should seek
a return to old condition, but should
make every effort to finance the City
| through legitimate sources in order
to continue the present moral IN
life, accomplished after many years
battle with evil and immoral influ-
ences
Il has been suggested that we
/