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Show f Economy Ia Kejrnote . WITH a , city election approaching, It be- hooves the members of the city commission com-mission to approach their budget sessions - with, the utmost consideration for, economy. A casual survey -pi Hie prospects, as made by members of the commission, indicates a reduction in the tax rate of one-tenth of a mill for the year.. At the same time the Tstatc : officials figure on1 an Increase 'of five-tenths ; of a mill. Such Is the general ratio of rising, ; and falling taxes! ' I ; Members of the commission figure that; even wHh this trifling decrease, the city will! have, a deficit at the end of the year. This . assertion, of course, is intended to justify the exorbitant tax rate which exists in Salt Lake. The Salt Lake tax rate is too high and has been too high, for a number of years. It is plainly apparent that the city cannot continue - on the course it has pursued in the past wjth-; wjth-; out m.r::. lining this high rate.'- There must be a change! New departments and Institutions cost money and these are reflected in the tax rate. And yet, it would appear that it should cost no mrf to operate public: Institutions than it does conduct private .institutions of a similar- character. It should .cost the city no more for the care of Hs offices than It costs the management of a private office ' building. The city should be able to "con-da. "con-da. t a golf course with the same force ani the same expenditures as a similar course unJer private management., . ., ' These things are illustrative rather thai. specific. They have an application In most' civic activities. The use of two men where one would do Is bound to make for excessive exces-sive costs in government. At the present time there is one municipal, county, state or j federal employe for every six families of the United States, This is prohibitive government and indicates one of the chief reasons why taxes are high. There is no reason why Salt ' Lake should follow the national tendency in this direction. A program of rigid economy Is necessary for the reduction of taxes. It is a rigorous . cure, but it is the only one that gets anywhere. any-where. We realize that it is difficult for the city departments to. obtain this viewpoint. Under the existing organization there are five u'.-f srtments which are more or less in com-r com-r t.tion for the public funds. The objective U the budget sessions seems to be for each de partment to get as much as it can. There ii little display of a cooperative spirit toward getting the most for the least money. In this we have the greatest barrier to a lower city tax, and the public expects to see it eliminated. elimi-nated. . v |