Show TAX REDUCTION AND RETRENCHMENT RETRENCH-MENT The HERALD is in receipt of the annexed an-nexed communication which is commended com-mended to the consideration of the city council and county court To the Editor of THE HERALD Considering the times the difficulty of obtaining money the scarcity of employment employ-ment and the prooability that the condition condi-tion of affairs generally may not materially ma-terially improve during the next few months would it not be wise that a 25 per cent redaction in values be made upon all city and county assessments The stringency of the money market and the financial condition of the people generally do not admit of such heavy and burdensome taxes at the present time While values have largely dropped front last year the taxes in very many cases if not in all are equally as high It is a time oi retrenchment and economy and public extravagance is the most to be deplored of all excesses Those who have been selected by the peoplo to govern and control affairs should see to it that the strictest economy compatible with good government should be insisted upon The salaries of the city and county officers should be cut down and all expenses that can be dispensed with should be dropped In short let economy be the watch word and let the burdens be as light upon the people as it is possible under thetrying I circumstances under which we are pass ing ECONOMIST I We are aware that thete are some people who will claim that after the assessment is made and the rate of taxation is fixed there can beno change made in the way suggested in the foregoing communication communica-tion But that it can be done is sufficiently suffi-ciently attested by the fact that it has been done in many places Park City has quite recently made a reduction often of-ten per cent It is not with much confidence however how-ever that we publish the letter and direct attention to rcquestsitcontains The present city council while exhibiting a large appetite for revenue has not had much stomach for retrenchment particularly par-ticularly as it may touch the personal interests in-terests of the members and their official friends Jut that the extravagance which has marked the administration of our municipal affairs must stop is a demand de-mand which they would do well to heed And if they want to gain favor with the voting people at this city or to escape some of the odium which has attached to their doings they should make an effort to cut down the taxes so that the people generally gener-ally may be able to pay It isconsidered by some of our citizen I > I n I t > < > Jr o J e > < < whose property has been artificially run f up in value by Liberal assessments that j the possession ofpioperty in this city is a detriment There are places here which do not bring in rent enough to pay the various taxes assessed upon it There must be a change in these affairs A great many men are out of work and do not know how to raise cash enough to pay the taxes which are levied upon their homes If the city and county attorneys would come together and agree upon a policy of i tax reduction and also of general economy in the conduct of public affairs it would be received with universal satisfaction and would do much to take off the odium which has come upon the administration |