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Show ROWE REPLIES TOJpiSM Mayor's Answer to Chamber of Commerce is Discussed F.iu J.den, Utah- Mnrch 23. 1321. Editor Standard-Bxaminer: mttmlny 1 tre8paB" "Pn your valuable spnec tO answer some of the state- Tuo oVT1'' th n,aVor ' VOW Is-VOL0. Is-VOL0. 4rc.h -,,,h regarding Lh. report re-port made by th.. chamber of commerce com-merce committei ma0.r -sny" ,"rh,v committee ;fa; ' '"In.-tly told .hat It ua, not pro, l'ose.l to Issue all these bonds al once, but over a period of years." How car he mayor speak tor those men who mt-i 0,ct,PU 1 lh offices of commissioner, com-missioner, and are as yet Unknown 1 A' the coming election In November two commissioners are to be elected and nroMded the Incumbents should pe defeated, the two incoming com- mlaalonen would control th- situation, situa-tion, and could do alsnulelv - th-Pleased th-Pleased in aplte of all fair" promise made in their behalf, if these bondi tire once voted, the cltucn8 will lose LI control and the funds will be -pent hv the officers in power when .vn.l how (within the law i they pleas.- If you don't vol.. the bonds." you know the money will not bo spent I find nothing in the report of the chamber of commerce committee which proposed to increase tht tax rate to provide for Improvements not-withstanding not-withstanding the mayor's statement to the contrary. The report says that nianv of the Improvements should I" made out of the general fund as ha.-r ha.-r en done in the past, and can, by economy and good Judgment, be don-ln don-ln the future CREDIT FOR GROWTH, The mayor says "Thai the logical eons.-quenci of the attitude of the chamber of commerce committee Will p to retard progress, and declare i the world that we have no faith In ourselves." i if course, we know he la not serious In this statement because he knows it is not true. What It means is. that the business man, taxpayers, tax-payers, and thoughtful men arc trying .1 t, uuiieeejary ex penditures in these trying timcH of adjustment ad-justment and financial stress. when the average working and business man. farmer and stoekraiser is struggling strug-gling to save himself from disaster, uind should have no additional burdens The mayor knows that much of the growth of i cden is due to the hard labors of thl members Of the chamber cham-ber of commerce, and thev are always working for the city's advancement He knows that the numerous factories that have been brought to this city was the result of the work done by these men he so severely criticises. I f course. I know that the mayor is not sincere In this criticism. ABOUT TA1 1 1 I believe the mayor underestimates the Intelligence of the taxpayers, if he thinks they cun t tell what 70 per cent of their city tax Is unles,, it Is lexpreaaefl by the number of mills I in Hp.-aking of the report of the I committee, and saying It was only (Signed by sixteen of the entire membership mem-bership of the chamber of commerce, the mayor failed to call attention to the fact, that the report was approved by ihe unanimous vote of tho Itotary club at open session, at which were sixty or levant) of tla leading business busi-ness men present, all of whom arc-members arc-members of the chamber of commerce Since that lime the Progressive Business Busi-ness Men's club endorsed tho report. The mayor mentioned several municipal mun-icipal lighting plants successful according ac-cording to their own statements, but it W.'nl.l prol 'tl'l; I"- a i Ins.. gU'-.-s, to say that not a single statement Issued Id correct, measured by modern accounting ac-counting methods If this Is correct a much greater number of such plants have been absolute failures, but of them the maor tells us nothing. The mayor Is very fond of quoting the waterworks as clderco of succcsj of municipal owned plants. Xow 1 am decidedly in favor of the city owning the waterworks, no matter what the cost, but in the case of t'gden City If the proper depreciation and interest charges were made, and cost of taxes considered, the entire complexion of that account would be changed, and the balance might be in the red Instead In-stead of the black. In fact, the mayor would find the actual profits very small indeed, if there were any. I am sure tho committee would have favored a reasonable bond Issue for the purpose of securing additional water and improving the distributing systtm. but are opposed to the excessive exces-sive amount now asked for. If there was ever a time in our history his-tory that demanded tho practice of economy and conservatism. It Is now Taxes hi present are burdensome, ami If possible should be lowered, but it is certainly a very inopportune time, considering con-sidering the present' bconomlc and financial fin-ancial conditions, for either the city or anv other corporation to take on obligations that are not absolutely necessary. H M. HOWE. |