The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-01-14
WANTS EXPENDITURES
COMMITTEE
Bismarck, N. D.,
Jan. II. 1893.

Jan. II, 1888.
Editor, Tribune:
First of all I wish to impress your
readers with the fact that we are
making no protest or criticism Of
present or past city or county office
holders. feel that q plan as described
should work to their advantage and
at the same time effect savings to
taxpayers.
On page five Of this issue we have
Inserted display advertisement 1t
regular rates advising your readers to
study the. article, THE Taxpayer
Takes Charge" on page n In The
Saturday Evening Post Of Jan. II, de-
scribing plan adopted in the city Of
Chicago.
We offer herewith some Of the high
lights of this article:
Workers, Not Crusader
Our committee in Chicago has de-
liberately avoided tackling its job In
the spirit Of crusaders. We are not
!. wasting breath or the more vital pow
er of cooperation by bothering to con-
denim what has happened in the past.
Since March, 1882, Chicago has been
steadily achieving q sharp reduction
in the operating costs OF its govern
ment through the cooperation OF its
various officials with an extralegal
body Of which am the general chair
man. This Is the Committee on Pub
lie Expenditures, composed Of 100 men
whose only right to interfere Is their
love Of their city and their despera-
q n
my judgment, through some such in
formal device as We have set up, many
other cities will be forced to seek re-
lief.
A plan like ours becomes dramatic
only when it encounters resist
ance. We have had surprisingly
little. In this case, we were trying
to determine If an intention to spend
$50,000.000 Of the taxpayers money
in the next five years could not be
Cancelled, in view Of the stark neces-
sity Of reducing Chicago's spending for
some years to come to absolute essen
tials Of government. When these es-
sentialS are examined In cold blood
in any city, the taxpayers will find
that beyond waste, extravagance or
even graft, rivers Of wealth are being
poured into well-meant enterprises
which are unholy only because they
represent something the taxpayers
cannot afford to buy.
But at the forefront Of such .
movement, we have discovered there
must be men who don't care whoop
about threats or pressure; men who
want no political advantage.
So. presently, the taxpayers Of Cook
county found themselves In debt for
tax bills for two successive years ct .
time when even an ordinary tax bill
would have had the flavor Of disaster.
It was an impossible burden. and
when the holders of the equities In
perhaps 81 O00, 000, 900 worth Of real
estate were literally unable to pay,
many others who might have paid
found in this troublesome mess the
boldness to refuse to pay. That =
what has commonly been spoken Of
as the taxpayers strike.
). Our committee found its power In
the genuine eagerness Of most Of the
officials to cooperate, plus the fact
that the banks had decided that our
committees Judgment could Be trust
ed. To some extent. the banks have
shown themselves willing to b guided
by us. do not mean that they have
been disposed to put up any sum We
might ask for-naturally not. since
they are banks. But they have shown
that they positively win not lend
money for any municipal function
which does not have our active sup
port. This has been q powerful lever
in dealing with the really small num-
Der Of recalcitrants In public office
who still cling to q faith In Santa
Claus.
If Il may be allowed to shift my
metaphors. the goose that lays the
golden tax egg had not been killed,
but 1t had been made very sulky.
Again We suggest that every tag
payer read this article In the Post