Show Financial Powers of the City The establishment of the copper plant in this city about which so much has been said would undoubtedly be for the benefit and prosperity of the inhabitants It is one of the very things which the business people have been sighing for It is just the kind of industry that they have been anticipating They are doing right in making strenuous efforts to secure it The failure to obtain by subscription all the money necessary for this purpose was unfortunate It is to be regretted not only because the kind of talk that means cash appears to be much scarcer than the other sort which is only sound but because it has necessitated a step that is of a somewhat doubtful character The application to the city council for an appropriation of 30003 as a bonus to the copper company was prompted by an excellent motive The public welfare was in view of the gentlemen who asked for it and of the councilmen who signified their willingness to support the request At the same time ifc must be clear to every thinking person who understands the limits of the lawful powers of the city council that the city has no right to engage in a private enterprise nor to donate public money to establish or support sup-port one The truth is sometimes unpleasant and this is not a pleasurable statement to make nevertheless it Jc beyond serious question that public funds can only be applied lawfully for a public purpose The general welfare clause of a city charter does not cover any such expenditure that which was contemplated in an appropriation ap-propriation to secure this copper enterprise enter-prise Any expenditures for the welfare and prosperity of the inhabitants of the city must be of a public character and for public object If the city can give f30000 to encourage a copper industry why not 300000 or a larger amount If it can appropriate public funds for one private enterprise why not for many others Where would be the limit What would restrain tho city authorities but their own preferences It will be said perhaps in this instance they are backed by public sentimont The people who pay the taxes are not only willing but anxious to have the money appropriated for the purpose Perhaps GO But that is only true of a portion of the taxpayin public And one disagreeing disagree-ing taxpayer could enjoin the city authorities au-thorities from paying the money and he would have no end of law and precedents to sustain the injunction It is true that if nobody made objection the appropriation would stand and that many cities have advanced much larger sums to secure the establishment of necessary i essary industries and enterprises and tho a i expenditure has proven to be wise in every sense But that does not alter the fact that under the charter of this city no such I power is conferred upon the council and while there is no doubt that the whole community would be benefitted by the establishment I tablishment of the industry in question it is a private enterprise and a bonus to secure it would be an illegal expenditure I of public money The charter gives the city council power 4 to appropriate money for corporatepur poses only That is direct and conclusive conclu-sive and ought to settle any dispute as to its lawful authority People who think some of the members too squeamish on this matter should look at it in thelight of the law if they do not see that the principle prin-ciple involved is in itself incorrect It seems that an arrangement has been effected whereby this difficulty may perhaps be avoided and aid be given to establish the desired industry The city council have power under tho charter to purchase receive hold sell lease convey con-vey and dispose of property real and personal per-sonal for the benefit of the city both within and without its corporate boundaries bound-aries to improve and protect such property prop-erty and to do nIl other things in relation thereto as natural persons It is understood un-derstood that the 25000 appropriated by the city council is to be advanced on good real estate the dealers in which will devote de-vote the purchase money to complete the required bonus and that when the real estate is sold the money will be recovered into the city treasury and the city is likely to be the gainer instead of a loser in the transaction Without attempting to question the exact I ex-act legality of this arrangement It looks as though it came nearer to being within the line of the chartered powers of the city than a direct gift of public money to a private corporation If it is justified at all however it is I by the public sentiment which is so strongly in favor of the enterprise It is I of course to be understood that all the purchasing and selling powers of the city relate to public uses and public purposes That must bo kept in view in this transaction trans-action If the mayor comes to the conclusion con-clusion that the city authorities can legitimately legit-imately make this explained arrangement arrange-ment it is notvery likely that there will be any public opposition to its consummation consum-mation The copper plant Is wanted Everybody seems agreed on that It is to regretted that the bonus required to secure its establishment es-tablishment could not be raised without recourse to anything but strictly private sources The public revenues cannot be guarded too strictly |