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Show lij HOW CITY EXPENSES HAVE IN- lUj, CREASED. IS A comparison of tho cost of the Iff' municipal govornmont four year3 Si ago and now will bo of Interest 111 to the taxpayers, who foot tho bills. I' For instauco four years ago it cost Iff)' to maintain tho city council tho sum MM of $0,330.75. Last year tho fifteen Iw eminent gentlemen absorbed ?C,820.17, HjH' or $180.42 more. This too when their lw number is the sumo; when no more II meetings were held than there wah I ! at that time. Four years ago tho ex- I Iff penso of running tho mayor's olllco If was $1,GG3.55, to which should bo add-HStf add-HStf cd, in order to bo absolutely fuir, MM $898.10, making $2,401.71. Tho item of In $808.10 wns tor sundry expenses of Hujj his ofllco, such as for help for in-Hfts in-Hfts digent persons and like charitable ob- III Jects. Mayor Morris has paid out H'jP $3,101.13, of which only $120 was for HuM contingent expenses, So that with H-JS overything conceded In his favor that II can bo conceded, the mayor has sue-Hj sue-Hj cceded In costing tho taxpayers $042.-H.-H 42 more than Mayor Thompson did in H'jlL "Is most extravagant moods. In tho H-j year 1000 tho city recorder's olllco Hfy cost tho taxpayers $4,804.72. Last Hull year Mr. Critchlow and his deputies Hh took $12,109.51 of tho people's money. ' It is true that Wilkins, clerk of the H. board of public works draws $100 per HII month, or $1,200 per yoar that was formerly charged to tho board and i tlr.it the city courts, police and civil, MJ are charged to his office, but when Hl'i it is remarked that both tho courts 1 1 have a deputy nt $90 a month, a clerk Btj: at $75 and a stenographer at $C0, it Hji ; ' will be seen that they nro expensive Hj ' i luxuries. Nor is thcro any reason Hi: for needing so much help. One j bright clerk nt even tho maximum j-: , salary could do tho work and one K1 stenographer could take euro of all HA that sort of business for both, offect-n: offect-n: Ing a saving of $2,520, without any effort. I)ut because the statute pro-Hji: pro-Hji: vldes that such officers "may" bo an-Hi an-Hi pointed of courso Brother John and Hr ; the mayor had them appointed. They Hjf need votes. Tho auditor's ofllco used Hli to cost $2,337.85. In 1U0O of courso. i l In 1901 It cost $4,007.20. Only $918.S5 MM' I moro than it was then but a considerable considera-ble bio advance in four years. Tho at-Hi at-Hi torncy's ofllco cost in tho year of K! grace 1900, $1,507.20. Now it costs, Mm I or did last year, $7,777.20. An In-crcaso In-crcaso of $3,210. To bo fair to the attorney an item of $300 should be MM deducted from this sum, because that MM' was tho amount of tho emergency MM: fund four years ago. Tho board of Mmm i public works four years ago co3t Hj ' 51,205.91 for maintenance. That in-MM'' in-MM'' ! eluded tho clerk who is now charged H" I on to tho recorder's ofllco at a salary H4! of $1,200 per annum. Last yoar the j maintenance of that board was $2,490.-M-M, 75 without this clerk at tho $1,200 rate. The maintenance of tho engln-j engln-j cerlng department four years ago was Hj $8,702.35. Last year it was $lG,.'iu2.(iG. MmM', n increnso of $7,090.31. Of course there has been moro work in tho en-ginccr's en-ginccr's ofllco of late than thoro was at that time, but not sufllclent in mmM vol am o to mako that much difference. Four years ago tho health department cost $14,055.51. Last year it cost MMM' $30,838.37. Two items amounting to $9,GSG.53 should bo added to tho cost B four years ago for isolation hospital 3 and crematory, making tho total cost $23,742.04. So that the cost is $7,09G.3 moro than four years ago, duo to In- H crcaso in clerks, inspectors and gar- H' bago wagons for tho Snorry family H' down In tho Second precinct. Tho cre-matory cre-matory dci)artmcnt cost four years MmW ago $S,258.92. Last year it cost Mmm $13,574.90. Four years ago Liberty park cost to maintain $5,031.43. Last year it cost $ll,2u.&3, not including an expenditure of $1,039.85 for tho parkkeepcr's residence. Four years ago tho maintenance of tho joint city and county building, so far as tho city Is concerned, was $C,3G7.GG. Last vear it cost $8,2G0.03. Four years ago the land and water commissioner's commission-er's department cost $9,000.12. Last yoar It cost $12,101.24. Four yuars ago it cost $22,37G.70 to sprlnklo the streets. Last year It cost $31,115.01. And wo might go on still further, covering every department, but why contlnuo? Is not tho showing sufllclent? suf-llclent? And taxes are growing higher yoar after year. With an increase of J9.000.000 in property values comes a big Increase In tho tax levy. Truth recognizes that this city Is growing that Its needs are greater than they were four years ago, but not in tho proportion of added expense. It Is time that the taxpayers called a halt and checked tho extravagances that have crept In and are creeping in. This city is bonded to the limit, it is time that something was done. Trutn believes something will bo done nt the coming city election ; that tho over-burdened public will arise and oust from power tho tax consumers. |