The Sentinel=record., 1918-09-04
OCCUPATION TAX AND BOND ISSUE
THESE ARE SUGGESTED AS THE NECESSARY ESSENTIALS TO
 KEEP CITY GOING
City Manager 5eldine Makes Appe al for the Co. operation of Citizenship on Policies That He Says Win Be Announced Later.

Will later De submitted 10 the peOple| of this city. and support of Amend ment No, l3, which will be voted onI 1 by the voters at large in the state at l the next general election which per mits cities to issue bonds for public| 1 improvements, were substantially theI points emphasized by the city admin istration last night at a mass meetinsI held at the Business Mems league.
 The weather was not inviting, butt regardless of this there was a largsl attendance. in fact many stood outsideI about the windows and listened to theI speakers.
 Mayor McClendon made an address, 1 of welcome to the negro convent,onl earlier in the evening and was late, but arrived before the crowd broke, and briefly stated that the increase of ordinary taxes would not help the city because of the large proportion of the general tax that went to other sources, but said that there should be- devised home tax, all of which would remain in this city; and that the bath | house tax once proposed of d dollar on each bath ticket should be renewed in effort so that 1t might probably be- drought 10 consummatlon
 City Manager Bedding spoke of the | serious problems ahead of the city He stated that the city owed $200000, and that Of this sum about $77 900 would be in the city uneXpended when this months pay rolls were met There was a deficit he said, of about $35,000 each year as between the city revenue and the city expenses He referred to the | Tact that if the nonresident holders of the city obligations went into the courts to collect, property would have
 to be assessed at full valuation, and | that would be a serious matter be- cause the people would be paying proportionately on all state, school.
 road and other funds, far in advancs
 of what other tax payers over the state were paying.
 . MT, Bedding spoke of the necessity of cooperation. He said that his an-
 ministration as city manager would
 mean efficiency He referred to the
 fact that he had not been elected by
 the people, and owed no political debts. He said that the city would be eco
 nomically managed with a view Of
 saving at all times, but also wanted to
 keep the city making steps forward
 instead of being permitted to retro
 grade
 T don't have to play politics. he s,t
 work and am going to do it. Any dir- ferences that may have existed be- ltween myself and others are forgotten. The idle critics will in due time be made to go to work l appeal to all citizens to join hands with me and lets live up to the idealism Of this new 4 form of municipal government" | Judge l4edgerwood said that the city
 form of government was ideal, but
 that the revenues had been materially reduced through reforms. lie was .l glad these reforms had been worked < out He said that the greatest com ? plaint now came through auto speed
 CTS and those who opened their cut
 outs. He said that the police had no
 
 drivers as to the speed limits, and that
 it was agreed motor cycle officer would be sent out to gather evidence land that when that was done he would see that every violator of this law was ! punished in his court.
 ! "The present form of government is all right. said Judge LedgerwoCd. { Hhn 5,ft n in Ngf
 out political obligations The spoils system is eliminated lie owes no po- lltcal debts l. is up to Belding 10 deliver the goods, and win cooperate with him to that end"
 Commissioners Eisele, Roth, ane
 Stearns made brief talks MT Eisele said that the occupation tax and the
 bond issue were essentials He plead
 ed for their support MT. Stearns pleaded for a spirit of optimism ana cooperation Mir. Roth told the people
 the city was on a good financial basis, and that it had handled the affairs
 well, but that more revenue would be
 needed for the future.
 Rev Waldrip responded 10 a can I lprogress they had made, spoke of the blessings that nature had poured ont here for the benefit of mankind. and called attention to the fact that when lthe people are all together they are lalways in harmony He wanted a
 more beautiful city, and believed that one thing that would help would be for all the people to tell the truth at the assessors table. He said that coop
 eration would save any city or any lgroup of men from bankruptcy or
 evil days, and was glad to see the
 spirit of cooperation in the meeting
 He told some stories from his always lready fund and offered a new motto for Hot Springs, taken from the story of the golden vase, that being: From each according to his ability; unto each according to his need. That Ipolicy, he said. of equity between men. would substantially help in the prog lress of any community