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Tuesday, Iftay, 23rd. , 1933
<br />To my fellow officers and employes:
<br />Unque s ti ona ly you have been interested in the news stories concerning municipal affairs
<br />that have been appepring in the press during the past Teek.
<br />`'i-he inf orma tioT available to me et the present time � i scloses the serious condition.
<br />of the f inancia.l affairs irs of the T;`unicipal City. Ogre }k.ve an estirrr te: �' deficit in
<br />a)p®rating funds for the next eigl^t-month period of approximately �;200,000.00. This
<br />has been caused b-T t' e c�osi.ng of banks thereby freezing our working balances, and. a
<br />29 per cent delinquency in the Spring tax collections. If the experience of last
<br />' y^ar is repe^ted, the delinquencTr in the Fall payments will be greater than that shown
<br />by the Spring collection, however this point has not been given consideration in the
<br />jj estimated deficit, and vie are hoping the collections vri.11 be rs large in the Fall as
<br />they mere in the Spring. '
<br />I The closing of the; henks and th.e tax delinquencies are indications of the serious
<br />financial condition faced b?r our fellcw citizens anc tax payers. You are acquenited
<br />vritl-, 'the extreme distress of thousends of South Bend's citizens, over 18,000 of whom
<br />are on direct poor relief end thousands of others unemployed and living on accumulated
<br />savings.
<br />'j T.1he e v^i lnb le bank and buil~ ing; and loan d ep osi is bfv e shrunk or been frozen during .
<br />• this '-)eriod of depression more tti-an fifty millions of dollars. It is estimated ,the
<br />community income for all inc ustrie s en.d ind ivVu als has shrunk approximately '70%;
<br />tax delinquencies have increased approximately 100%. The earning power of property
<br />from which taxes are collected has had a corresponding decrease in line v:rit.Lthe
<br />conditions set forth i_n tti.is paragraph, with the result that thousands of our citizens
<br />■ '1 have been charged taxes vfrich they are unable to pay.
<br />''+e, as City officers and employes are faced with a duty to out, fellow citizens. The
<br />estimated d_efi_cit must be met by saving end s^crifices on the part of every one. We
<br />must save our cit-r from conditions faced by man-T other municipalities where deficits
<br />i have been ntet b-r e0,,ditiorial borrowing until the community has become bankrupt by its
<br />inability to pay. ='e must approach t ^!e problem e s a familt recognizing that the in-
<br />come ,' the producers h,: s been reduced and th^ t we are no' longer able to continue our
<br />expenditures at their former rate. They must be reduced in keeping'gith our esti.mr ted
<br />income ^rr, in a('F`i_tion, efficient end loyal service with the hip'- standards that have
<br />been established in this community must be continued. Efficient police and fire
<br />protection and a clean anc healthy city must be maintained.
<br />There is another siee to the problem and that is, if South Bend can weether this
<br />depression i,,.-i.thout increasing its burden of debt, i.-' it can be known for its loyal and.
<br />efficient employes, if it can stand out as one of t1re few cities of the entire country
<br />that has come through v!ith f1ving colors due to the willing sacrifice and lolra.lty
<br />lof its public serv, nts, it vrill prove attractive to new industries looking for
<br />locations in communities that are clove enc progressive, and b7Tmeking our city
<br />• ,attra.ctive to new industries we can help a_L its unemployed citizens end taxpayers to
<br />i obte in w cork am thus huild our city to its former financial position.
<br />I am calling uponf every office r and employe of the city to do his duty in this time
<br />of street of. I assure you tl-_at if .-ou will meet the conditions and the sacrifices
<br />(made necessary bzT the present. financ ial condition) as Y; ill be outlined by your
<br />Common Council am the administrative branch of the local 1--unicipal Government, when
<br />condi tions beu®me normal arnin, appreciation wi11 he shown bl,T obtaining just and
<br />fair treatment for ever-- one in keeping with the returner' prosperit1T of our fellowcitizens .
<br />j R. Hinkle, I::a7Tor.
<br />I /� TT
<br />'J 1: YO ii A: i`, lTlt
<br />li
<br />FROT, 0 ffi c e of t he Latr or
<br />TO : C ORC A. SCz"OCIT, PF ST 1,-?7 'F Bg ^_g'-1 0F1 pI?RT..TC :';'ORKS
<br />The Covernor' s Committee has notified. me that there i-, i l l available >119 , 000.00 in
<br />• (Gasoline Tax money, to be used -n the Street Department for repairs and rm intenance.
<br />I1? further advise that this moneybe used to give tre greatest amount of direct labor
<br />!,,'to men n o?-r on the dole .
<br />The economy program that is r.o-. €'oinr into effect for tl-e purpose of meeting- the
<br />deficit in the General Fund demands that all monies novr accruing to jrour department
<br />jfrom taxes be kept in the General Fund for use in other depertments and to help meet
<br />the estimated ,deficit. Thus, your activities must Jae necessarily limited in the Street
<br />Lepe rtr-e nt to such functi ons a. s th e law w ill p ermit the �119 , 000.00 to be used for.
<br />'IPlease submit to me not le ter than I-:ondatT morning e t 9:00 o' clockA . E., a complete
<br />Ilenelysis of ==our Oe---e.rtrrent shoTing each specific type of v-rork taken cpre of; the
<br />• foreman to whom this work is assigned to, and the equipment used in the performrnce
<br />of the work; the number of ran employed in the gang; tie hours they work and any
<br />�;other miscellaneous information that will be helpful.
<br />lIt has been. suggested trat you have one light truck nncl two men to take core of all of
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