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ELMIRA WITHOUT FUNDS. DEADLOCK IN THE CITY COUNCIL. BANKS REFUSING TO CASH ORDERS ANY LONGER -THE DEMOCRATS CONDEMNED. Elmira, July 26 (Special).-This city, the home of David B. Hill, is now in what might truthfully be called a state of bankruptcy. The city treasury is empty. and the banks have refushed to cash the orders issued by the Mayor and his clerks to pay the running expenses of the city. The result is that people are dissatisfied with the manner in which the business affairs of the place are being conducted, and the city employes are wondering what they will do to get money to pay the living expenses of themselves and families. This trouble is owing to a deadlock in the Council over the question of making an extra assessment on the city for money to carry the government through until after the regular annual tax llevy can be made. The fiscal year has ended, and with the end came a lack of funds. Heretofore it has been the custom of the Council to authorize the issue of orders on the city at a low rate of interest to tide the city over at such times. Until within a few days that has been done and the Chemung Canal Bank has cashed these orders until it had something like $60,000 of them. The bank officers cheerfully would continue to cash these orders if there were any prospects that they would at some time or another get back the money which had been advanced to help the city out of its financial difficulty. But the members of the Council do not appear to care whether or not the city's financial uprightness is preserved. This is due to the operations of the six Democratic members of the Council, who form the minority of the board, and to one Republican, who seems to have been won over to the Democratic way of thinking. The seven Republican members of the Council want to levy a tax to raise the necessary funds, but they are powerless to do anything. There the matter rests. It is not the fault of the seven Republican members of the Council that the city is without funds, for they have done all within their power to get the Council to raise money to pay the firemen, police, school teachers, janitors and other employes for their services. Of course, the Mayor and the Council can continue to issue orders for the amounts due to the various city employes, but when the banks will not take them and men to get their pay must go around town and sell them for anything that they can get, it does not place Elmira in an enviable light. The politicians who are trying to run the town did not realize until last Tuesday in what shape their actions were getting the city's financial arrangements. On that day the Chemung Canal Bank stopped cashing the orders and sent out word that no more of them would be paid unless they bore the indorsement of some responsible citizen or merchant. With such indorsements, the orders would, of course, be in the nature of notes. The orders are perfectly good, for the entire city property is Mable to the amount of all of the city's debts. On last Tuesday night the Mayor called a meeting of the Council, but immediately after the members got together he left the room, putting a member in the chair. Soon after the Mayor had gone the deadlock began, and It lasted until 6 o'clock in the morning. when an adjournment until the following evening was taken. Not all of the members of the Council were present when they met again, but those who did come brought luncheon baskets with them, and were prepared to stay all night again. The Democrats acted much as the Democratic Senators in Albany did last spring during the Senate deadlock. Elmira is the home of Governor Hill, and he has absolute control over the Democratic members of the Council, as he had over the Democratic members of the Senate. His followers here Indulged in about the same sort of tactics as did his followers in Albany, and now they do not act as if they would retreat from the position which they have assumed. Unless the Republican member who has deserted his associates can be brought back into line again, not one of the city employes will have a dollar of wages. The Chemung Canal Bank is not the only institution here that has been loaded up with the city orders. The officers of the Farmers and Mechanics' Bank have shut down upon them, the Second National Bank will cash only those orders that are presented by its regular customers, and the officers of the Elmira National Bank have reached about the same conclusion. This is all very well for those who have bank accounts or wealthy friends, but there are hundreds of poor men who are employed in various capadities by the city who have no such advantages. They cannot get anything out of their orders until they have gone through the process of being shaved by brokers. On all sides the actions of the Democrats in the Council are being vigorously condemned. Merchants and workingmen both are agreed that the city is being injured greatly every day that this condition of affairs is allowed to continue.
