Show TAX LEVY MADE I IONE ONE MILL HIHER Americans Add to Public Burden Burd n Despite Dete Demo Democratic Democratic Democratic cratic Protest CORRUPTION IS CHARGED FERNSTROM SAYS FUNDS ARE DIVERTED FOR POLITICS True to tho the determination of the American party leaders the city tax levy was raised from 11 to 12 mills by bythe bythe y the city council last night Toward the thelast thelast thelast last President A J Davis applied gag rule and refused to permit discussion saying that it was nearly midnight and yesterday was the last flay ay to fix the he levy The levy as finally fixed is as follows Contingent fund 5 mills water supply fund 4 of a mill mm payment of accrued interest and principal of water vater bonds of ot a mill streets 5 mills sewers 3 of a mill mIlT public library 14 of a mill Shy ri Votes for Awhile It had the intention of the Americans to pass the levy early in inthe inthe Inthe the evening The roll call showed how however however however ever that Councilmen Carter and Mar Martin Martin MarUn tin Un were absent and that left the Americans without sufficient votes to pass the levy After much delay Councilman Martin appeared and gave the requisite majority The resolution fixing the levy leV was in introduced introduced Introduced by Councilman W V Mont Fer Ferry Ferry I Iry ry chairman ch irman of the finance committee It was at once attacked by Mr Fern Fernstrom Fernstrom Fernstrom strom the only Democrat on the fi finance finance 1 nance nance committe who made a speech against t it Fernstrom Attacks Americans Mr 11 rr Fernstrom said As a member of the finance com corn committee committee I wish to state for the information tion of the council that we met last Thursday evening and discussed the financial matters of the city with the view Yiew of recommending a levy lev Our means of knowing the exact financial condition of the city were very meager because the auditor had failed to com corn comply comply ply with his sworn duty to furnish not alone the finance committee but the public with a full and complete state statement statement statement ment but much was ascertained to show that the necessity for raising our taxes is and when they are raised the street and contingent funds will be raised to the full extent of the thela law la There will be a deficiency at the end of the year of at least to 20 a condition which has liar never before confronted the city Unless some ex extraordinary e means are adopted to meet this most serious condition the credit will be utterly destroyed The Phd Th greatest greate cause for tor this condition is un nfl undoubtedly undo do the hasty ty raising of ot wages and the increase of at employee In the va various various rious departments department The raising r of wages appeals to me as a conspiracy and a collusion among the leaders of the American AmerIcanS party Pay Tithing The laboring man receiving the in increase Increase increase crease of 25 cents per day after he has paid his 10 per cent of tithing to the American party is benefited by this raise 2 cents per day The teamster who it is so earnestly advocated should have a raise because hay and grain grah was wasso so high Is benefited by this raise by 5 cents per day and the American party rakes off out of the city treas treasury treasury treasury ury fund 45 cents and all aU who may object to the paying of this tithing tithing ing are threatened with Immediate dis discharge discharge discharge charge This is flagrantly unjust and cor corrupt corrupt corrupt rupt The fhe courts of nf this district should have their attention called to the fact anti antl see if It there Is not a law covering this point and a grand jury should be impaneled to investigate and indict the guilty parties partie so as to break up this most corrupt and damnable collusion that ever ever encroached upon the treasury of Salt Lake City That there is a as scheme s heme of raising a campaign fund at atthe atthe atthe the expense cannot be denied and that the money which is going to tobe tobe tobe be secured from the city treasury is no small sum For instance In the tho sprinkling ling hing department whose expenses are over per month 10 per cent of that means monthly to the Am Amri ri rican can party corruption fund from rom that de tle department alone It is no wonder that the fi finances finances f I nances aro are ruined in eight months I recommend that the city discharge all unnecessary that the wages be restored to where There they were before the tithing scheme was inaugurated and that any in any depart department department department ment who attempts to collect tithing from the bo be at once dis discharged discharged charged and If f then Is no law against such a n shameful practice that if it the legislatures reconvenes the governor and the legislature be petitioned to en enact enact enact act such laws as will severely punish fuch corrupt and demoralizing meth methods methods Wells Shows Inconsistency Councilman Black and other Ameri Amen Americans Americans cans tried to explain that the increase in the levy was due to the necessity of providing a sinking fund to pay payoff off the accrued interest on the water and sew sewer sewer er or bonds Councilman Wells replied by pointing out that an increase of f i of a amill 1 amill mill mm was made in the contingent fund levy not one dollar of which will go Into the sinking fund He pointed out that at the end of Jast month mouth the tho contingent fund was at the bank and declared that the in increase increase increase crease was due to extravagance in ad administration administration administration ministration of city affairs There were several speeches spee hes the tIle Americans contending that they were forced to increase the tax levy because of debt left by the preceding adminis administration administration The tax levy finally passed after President Davis had cut off oft de debate debate debate bate Those voting against it were Barnes Holley Hohley and Auditors Report Comes In InThe InThe InThe The auditors report showing re ie receipts and disbursements for tor the first six months of the present resent year as com compared om corn pared with the corresponding six months last year was transmitted to the council by Mayor Thompson last night Councilman Arthur F Barnes sharply criticised the administration be because because because cause the report had been withheld from the minority members of the coun council council cil for so long a time that they did not have time to inform themselves of ot the financial condition of the city before I voting on the tax levy |