The Sentinel=record., 1918-08-14
MUNICIPAL BANKRUPTCY.

Bankruptcy is just a few paces ahead of your city.
 There is no question about that.
 hetrenchment is probably going tu ss adopted, but that retrtencnmeut VIII only put off the evil day.
 It is not a pleasant thing to pro claim bankruptcy of ones home town but 1t is far better that the cold facts be stated, so the people will know
 The property of every property owner is involved in this question of municipal bankruptcy.
 Today the city owes $2o0, ,000 That sum was borrowed at 6 3-4 per cent interest, and is drawing sl3,50O pei year.
 The peopleswho loaned that money have not renewed the loan, which is overdue, because they want, and oth CTS want, 10 per cent for money loaned the city now.
 If ten per cent were agreed on that would be $20.000 per year interest ths city is paying, and $20000 per year would mean one third of the city B gross income paid out in interest on debt
 The commissioners are business men. and they are about to put on a retrenchment policy that will cut ex- penses to the bone.
 When they do. tho nenple will feal the effect, for it will mean less pub lic sarvinn Iaaa avau opaI1 i,,,nroy.. ment less fire protection, less street work, less police protection, less ey- erythng.
 Something is wrong, and eyerynody knows what that something is. and nobody seems willing to correct it.
 The something that is wrong is that noralists are impractical They preach but they do not reason.
 Prohibition cut the revenue of cities almost half--and was worth the sacri- flee in revenue. But the morals.s . stopped there. They did not halp toI provide for the deficit.
 Cutting out the saloon cut two| ways-which proved up the excellence| of the moyenent-but still didn't help the municipal program. For cutting| out the open sale of liquor reduced the| police court revenue. That was goooy proof that the saloon should have been put out. because fewer people got intoI the tolls of the law-but also it was cutting off revenue again.
 The difference in having the ss loon license from 30 saloons would have kept the city going very well i- nancially; and when a police court grist of unfortunates were paying a side toll from the liquor traffic, that was making it easier still, Every reasoning man knew that when income from privileges, lawtm and unlawful, were cut off, the city would be lacking in income Those people who preached prohibi- ton and who preached other reforms owe it to their cause to help campaign for increased taxes. But they don't do it. You cant tax people without their consent Every tax levy must be by the consent of the governed. A ma 1oritv of the people must lawfully ap- prove tax levy. And majority oi the people are not approving an in crease of legitimate taxes on them selves
 Your fire department employees are going to quit work tomorrow If they are not given very reasonable in crease in salaries. They are right Not one of the fire department em- ployees owes it to you to work for you for s75 per month. when the cost of living is so high. and when he knows that as a sober strong man he can get well more than $lo0 per month from any of dozen different places where men are badly needed |