Show City Aims for Economy No fO cry rises from the populace with greater 1 earnestness and intensity than that pleading for reduction in the cost of government The relief relief re re- re- re lief ask asked d for traces directly to the need of f a people peo peo- I pie pie being bled white to carry carryon on on activities in tate I. I county and local units which how however ver de desirable de- de rable most of them may be they cannot af af- af- af ford To meet the tax gatherers' gatherers exactions sacrifices sacrifices sacrifices sac sac- are called for which are unfair unjust and unreasonable A cause compelling a reduced standard of living but ut seldom if ever receiving due ue attention is the mounting tax bill of the people While the Salt Lake county government refused refused refused re re- re- re fused to heed the distress of taxpayers when it adopted its 1939 budget on Tuesday imposing an addition of one mill to the county tax levy for next year the city commission on Friday did the praiseworthy thing by adopting a budget of which is lower than the figure for 1938 assuring continuance of a mill 15 tax rate Though there is an increase of in the allocation to the public safety department over its apportionment for 1938 1038 the public is so well aware of demands which will certainly be made upon it for improved traffic regulation th that t it may be questioned if sufficient funds will be mad made mad available to it to meet the city's most pressing problem The city finance department and the auditors auditor's office in preparing the tentative city budget in insisted insisted insisted in- in upon a general reduction of 10 per cent in departmental estimates to balance contemplated expenditures with estimated revenues without increasing the tax rate Cleaving close to the tentative figures the budget as adopted gives to the several departments appropriations appropriations' as follows follows follows fol fol- fol- fol lows Auditor public library public affairs and finance public safety parks and public property street t department engineering class cIas C roads state water supply and waterworks statutory and general bond retirement bond interest interest interest inter inter- est surplus surplus' a and nd reserve for cash deficit Within the commission C Commissioner of Streets John B. B Matheson was the only member to enter a vigorous protest against the allocation allocation allocation alloca alloca- tion made to his department department-a a lump sum cut he insisted of In fact according to other oher commissioners his department will later J. J eive additional funds which will manifestly redu reduce the difference He lie cites and bring his apportionment ap apportionment apportionment ap- ap in line with the 10 per cent reduction reduction reduction tion affecting other departments Commissioner Matheson stated his objections objections' to the allowance to his department I am thinking thinkIng think think- ing g in terms of the public he said and its demand demand de de- de- de mand for better streets and the to em em- of the street department about of them now working for lor less than 90 per month He said he foresaw a definite curtailment of street improvement work in 1939 Finance Commissioner Murdoch explained that to be paid by the city for machinery for the street department already bought must be considered as an addition to its budget and the additional from the state for use on city streets as well as a sizeable prospective amount to be added during the year In these circumstances he said said- the commission does not feel any particular department has been imposed upon pon He urged the commissioners commissioners' to conduct their respective departments in the most economical economical economical eco eco- way possible realizing to the fullest we have a big obligation to the taxpayer in such times as these Commissioner Murdoch's statement will be applauded It exactly interprets the attitude of taxpayers in such times as these The public is not pars parsimonious parsimonious-it it it is hard pressed and needs h help lp When the first sting of his discontent eases off Commissioner Matheson too should realize that his fellow public servants have done the praiseworthy thing in refusing to increase the burden of weary and worried taxpayers No still stander ler can satisfy the American peo- peo Tiple- Tiple Harold HaroId Ickes secretary of the interior I I 1 d don't dont t believe that Germany is going to rulee rule e world Sir Sir Albert Ames of Montreal |