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Show OgderCs Saving Mayor, u It is the custom of some mayors to make and publish annual reports in which they glorify their conduct of the office by viewing the record of the term through a large sized personal telescope. Bill is an enthusiastic believer in and an energetic promoter pro-moter of, this custom. Besides, he owns a newspaper news-paper and if the people are at all dubious about the excellence of the Mayor's record he settles the question beyond doubt by giving editorial approbation approba-tion to the acts of the Mayor. Now if there iMUtir body who don't like this arrangement call upon Bill and he will tell you where yon can go to. 5 0 We had one of those reports last week, edited by the mayor and mayored by the editor. In it, without the shadow of a smile, the Mayor frankly declares that he is it, and the rest of the city gov. ernment is nowhere. He says he has saved some $48,000 to the city during the first year of his term That is a modest claim. Like Bill Nye's squaw, almost too good to be true. But the point is elsewhere. else-where. I have been informed that after a careful search of the nooks and corners of Billtown some dozen odd people were found who really believed what Bill said. Such a thing was not thought possible, but this is an age of wonders. My information was founded found-ed on fact. Some few patriots have taken Bill seriously; se-riously; they have yet to learn sera thing of his methods. Hence this dissertation. In the natural course of events a Mayor who can save $48,000 in one year in Billtown is a cork-erina. cork-erina. Such a one would have a distinct claim upon a renomination. Behold the benefactor of the city! Isn't that a fine bouquet for the Mayor to throw at himself. Evidently Bill had some idea it was pretty nice himself. So it would be if it were not like Bill Nye's squaw. But in order that the fakir and his folly shall be soon parted it is our province to say that Bill is just trying it on the dog. He has not saved 148,000.. He has not saved a cent. That requires some explanation. It is this: The report was financed by Bill, but for the money he drew a draft on his imagination. Here are the facts: By drawing from the county treasurer almost every dollar that had been collected col-lected for city taxes; by turning the $20,000 in the interest fund into the general fund; by lumping the receipts of the city court; and by a clever manipulation of figures the Mayor is able to show the sum of $48,000 more in the city treasury on the 1st day of January, 1903, than was contained in the same treasury one year previous. Figures don't lie. Selah! But there ace occasions when a Mayor can lie with figures. Kismet. The city has the same valuation and the sam tax levy it had a year ago. The salaries of police and firemen have been raised. The police force has been increased. In no department of tne city has there been a material ma-terial saving. The only increase of revenue has come through the license department and the city court. Yet there are some people who read Bill's report and swallowed it, $48,000 and all. All of which goes to show that in this age of reason we develop a few suckers, and it is our own fault anyway, any-way, because we elected Bill. However, truth is truth, and fiction is Bill. If you don't believe what 1 say, tr':e the trouble to call on a gentleman named Moyes at the State Bank of Ogden. He is an accomplished, obliging, truthful gentleman. Besides Be-sides he is city treasurer. He will give you the feu ts. C ti I? In the report referred to the Mayor speaks of tbi city court as an "expensive luxury." This term se-nis to be an illadvised use of English as said coat has turned over to the city treasury during 9 2 about twice the sum usually derived from finrs and forfeitures. Probably BUI is jealous of the prosperity of this same court! Come to think M it he contributed a tenner toward making the iJsl i)ralR!filBB1 s9llBHEi squaw "HKKKKBKsSKi" it Bin's igppMMy, was whatfcjllljij " tilniit the franchise tlwrtMisMRimiiiiM'il On top of it they grSaled a franehlse to the Home company on more liberal terms than the one granted to the Bell people, although there was a clause in the Bell franchise In which they agreed not to do so. The freaks of individuals extend to public bodies and you can't tell from the looks of a council what's in their pocket Mayor BUI slid out of town Tuesday evening so he would not be here to veto the Home company's franchise as the Bell people expected him to do. J. C. Nye is Mayor pro-tern and he will sign the franchises. J Jt Just a word, dearest, before I close. The Mayor nas gono East to buy the waterworks, and don't be surprised if he brings back the bonds (S400,-000) (S400,-000) in his vest pocket. There is another election elec-tion coming and the Mayor has got to do something some-thing about delivering the goods. He has three schemes up his sleeve with which he expects to fool the people when his present grandstand plays failbut I'll tell you about them another time. |