How The Figures Are

The Argns having asserted. that the past year has beem an extravagant one in tlio way oí expcnditures, -ve have itafeem patas to look over the figures few tlie year, and finU that the utmost economy has been used in nearly all ttoe departmeiits, and there has been no cxti-avaganee. Hero as a table that may be of som e interest ia this connection : On ünnd Feb. 28, 1890 $10,903 02 1891 11.878 75 " 1893 18,3X2 00 " " " 1893 1 .313 19 ' " ÍS94 25,970 93 " " " " 1895 29,096 4-5 Thfe explains ivhere the $4,000 is tliat tlie Argus claims the past year shows to have exceeded the year previous - it is in the balance on hand. Durimg the year 1892, (and for the years previous the reto, for tJiat matter) there -vas oaily one month in the year in which some of the funtls of tlie city were not overdrawn. For Üie past year hardly a fuiwl has been overdrawn, the poor and the s-treet fands Tfeing short a sinall amount lor a coupte ot montlis op so. Ou the 31st oí Jan. '92, the overdraft exceeded the balances on hand by $15,587.75. On the Sist of Jan. '95, of Dr. Darling's administration, the balances exceeded the overdrafts by $35,331.92. A differemce of $50,919.67 In favor of the past year. The fact Is that tliere have been a number of extra items added t-o the past year. One tlilng there are more fire hydrants to pay for now than tliere was a few years ago ; there was $500 paid (to Prof. Charles E. Greene, a legacy fro-m a lormer admlnistration ; and $400 to the people li-ing on N. Fiftii ave. as damages for cutfng down tiiat Btreet, both bupdens thrown upon this adininistration by former ones - the last mentioned origlnating as tair back as '91, if we rememler rigat. Then again in the past year thexe ha-t-ie ben sidewalks touilt and paid tor to the aanount of upwards of $800. wliich will all toe paid back by poprerty hoMers, but which added to the expense account oï the year, just t-lue same. To perjiaps show in a falrer ivay the cost of the formeir admiiiistratioa of affalrs In 1892-3, as compared witfli that of 1894-5, it may be stated that 'the city tax 1S92 amounted to $6.90 on $1,000 assessment, just exactly thO same as tluls year and 15 cents less than '93. With this differeaice, tliere was ralsed this year $5,000 lor eewer furnd, and $3,500 fo-r flrst instalLment of sewer bonds, in all $8,500 not raised ia the year 1892. Taking all thhigs int cons-Mlri-atio'ii 'there lias been less expended ïor the running expenses of the city ïot the past yea-r than ior previo'us years, notwithstanding the g-rowtJi of the city. The raising of salaries was misstated ty tbe Argus. The only salarios chaaged by tlie new law are thoee of the. city elark and city attomey, and neitlier one will be raised iinless the eo'ii'iicil so order. The clerk's salary was changed oi the recommendatioai of Wm, J. Miller, lio has served four years and knew what the cliM-k oug-ht to )e pai:l. Mr. Uea-kes must certainly telievO tlmt Mr. Miller is a man of good juilgmeiit or lie would not have eeleefced him or.a j pponsihle position in tliO postoi'fico. l!i'.' manshars salary i.s fixed the same as it was in the formor act that th is new one supersedes.