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Show l FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE CITY. The Deserct News Inst night in an nttorly rascally and dishonost purport-(,'d purport-(,'d reply to tho signed statement of tho Mayor and tho Council as to tho purpose pur-pose of the proposed issue of bonds, rehashes all its old suspicions, fake-stories, fake-stories, misleading figures, and grievances griev-ances of half fact and full Ho. Tt charges bad faith in advance, and puts it up to the signers of tho statement that they are lying. And it concludes its revciw of tho statement by claiming that it "fails to show just how much every homo owner will be required to pay for tho privilege of living iu his own house if the new bond issue is authorized." au-thorized." And, further, it says that "a true statement as to what the people peo-ple of this city pay directly and indirectly indi-rectly in tho shape of taxes would be a highly intorosting contribution to tho bond discussion." No doubt, both of these things aro desirable; no doubt compliance with them is impossible; and equallj- without doubt, no one would have time to read that full showing between be-tween now and election da-, wore it possible to mako it. Special experts would havo to itcmizo every bit of property in this city, showing the present pres-ent taxation upon it and the proposed taxation that would bo added by rea son of tho bonds. For such a showing as that tho delinquent tax list would be only a starter. Tho delinquent tax list usually occupies about, twelve pages of tho ordinary newspapers. A statement state-ment such as tho News calls for would require at least double that space; and, besides, would require a very long time to .prepare it. As to tho true statement of what tho people of tho city pay directly and "indirectly," we think nothing short of revelation would bo competent for tho task. Indirect taxation, such as the Nation imposos. is always something so obscure in its burdens that its special applicability to an' person is a matter mat-ter practically impossible to determine. So that in calling for these things, the News makes a thoroughly impracticable, impracti-cable, not to say impossible, demand, and it well knows tho impossibility of complj-ing with any such absurdity as it calls for. Tho News concludes by saving that it understands that "figures will shortly short-ly be made public proving conclusively to the lax-payers that tho Council does not need a loan in order to administer the affairs of tho city economically and t conservatively." No doubt. Council-I Council-I man Hall presented those figures in the Council some time ago. Their impracticability imprac-ticability was scon at once by every person who read them. They contemplated contem-plated nlso a cessation of public work and the retirement of plans for public improvement; in 6hort, a thorough deadening dead-ening of progress. Tho figures that aro impending have already "impended," and when the' come the' will neither be a surprise, a revelation, nor an admiration ad-miration to anj'body who reads them. Tho truth is that this whole matter has been gone ovor thoroughly by tho best financial ability in tho city. The demonstration is absoluto that the bonds aro needed in order to put in the public improvements that are imperatively impera-tively demanded. Tho figures the News refers to absolutely leave out these urgent ur-gent improvements that the people all over tho city aro in urgent need of, insist upon having, and ought to have. Tho showing made by the Mayor and tho Council is clear, absolute, correct, honest, and positive. There is no escaping escap-ing from the facts as presented. Tho bond issuo is absolutely needed in tho advancement of tho city, and the taxpayers tax-payers will further their own interests emphatically, as well as tho public interests, in-terests, in voting tho bonds. |
