The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-21
asssar eF susAwes COMMITTEE

To tie CITY Counctt Of ne CIy Of Dawn.
port
GESTLKNES;--hercw with We hand yoA
statement Of reccip,s and expenditures BY |
the City Treasurer, on account 81 this csty |
from the lst day Of April, 1856. 20 the 18th
day OF February iastsRtcAcluslve. by this |
statement we have endeasored to give you
eurrect account Of what has been and what !
probably will be done during the term Of Of |
fee OF the present Council. The amount |
received up 10 the time this report closes
Vas t33,lI6,76, add the amount paid out
SSI CTS 81. Our annual revenue derived
rom the city taxes for the year 1856 is SIC
$4,000. The suount paid thus far a. cur
rent expenses (Which i5t'E1 ais, different
expenditures not strictly eisssed under this
head has been 46,65e, Oo Add To this the
payment OF salaries due to Aldermen under
The recent ordinance OF about q 400 90.
and oil other salaries Of public officers re-
asining unpaid. together with current ex-
penses, aud IL will not probably increase
l.is item more than 640OO,O0, making the
current expenses for the year S1o,65S,0S,
which is eo.S&l,Sl less than the ordinary
city revenue, and this with q tax OF only five
mills on the dollar.
When we consider thai the preseHi
Council has established The otfice of City
Attorney with 9 salary Of $4,000 has
established the salary oil City Clerk q,
$500, 100; has increased the salary Of City
Engineer iron $4,000 to $4,000; estab-
l,shed the salaries Of the Aldermen at $500
each; have fitted up a respectable Council
Room at cost Of e350 20; have had reg
ularly established night watch at cost OF
$4,000 per month, making 43yO0O,0O for
the year; have paid for lamp posts and gas
about $500, 90 nearly the whole Of which Is
in addition to the expenses Of last year. We
think oil most admit that the current expen-
ses have bees very light, and We doubt L
any CITY on the river, with % large pop
| ulstion a. Davenport, can shsw . better
record
That there was an absolute necessity of
liking fair and compromising salaries for ell
officers required to perform labor or services
| for the city, every member OF the Council
Public officers will not act promptly and ct.
iectively without "hope Of rewsrd," neither
should they be asked to do 90. Therefore,
while We believe that this BODY should act
prudently and economically with respect
10 oil expenditures, At the same time no
person should be asked to serve the city
without fair and just payment for services
rendered, and any other course would be un-
Just and opposed to the very best interests
Of the city.
The city is slso in advance Of q ,S4o on
account OF the paving and matchmaking
Main street. Early in the season the cit
| izens along that street, from Front to Third
streets, peiitioned the Council 10 pave that
| portion OF said street al the expense Of the
owners Of property fronting on the same. -
The City Engineer, acting undoubtedly in
| The very best faith, made a contract there
| for, under the direction OF the Council. I'm.
| fortunately the person with whom he closed
| The contract was wholly unit for the per
| torrance OF it, and before one quarter Of the
| work had been done. he succeeded, by an
| estimate Of the City Engineer, in drawing
from the City Treasury large amount Of
money and then abandoned the contract
| The property owners then declined 10 pay
more money until the work was finished OF
| was usder such va, as would insure it's
completion at sn early day. At the request
d inaiority Of the property owners along
| that street the work was afterwards chang
| tu fEOfD grazing u IL 10
now let 20 Mr. kinsela, and from the
prompt sad satisfactory manner in which he
finished his contract on Front street, it is
believed that IN early spring the work will
be completed, IL the property owners along
that street act fairly and promptly, - We
believe they will, the city will be able to
close up this matter. but with z loss OF
some $4,000, unless the same can be re-
covered from Mr.. Phelps. The contract was
not made with Mr. Phelps a. the ordinance
establishing he Office II City Engineer re
CURED We feel onfiient also that the City
Engineer gave NJ. Phelps larger estimate
at the time he received his last order on the
Treasury, than he should have done. But
as has already been said ee think he sctee
in good faith and is only cuIpable ofs want
of care, but this one error should be land,
marx for tie guidance Of all future officers
The rule should be, that all contractors for
city work should be held to strict fulhll-
neHt of al etnuscts made with the civ,
and in NJ case should they be allowed t.
rec eve one cen, IRON the Treasury unless
by the terms Of the contract il is certainly
due.
Again, 90 must condemn IN The stroDy-
est terms the rayment BY The Council q
The twenty per cent retained 10 secure ihe /
performance OF the contract with Mr. !
Mitchell Tor the grading and filing up of
the s,eambos, landing. The city has nov
less security for the completion Of THAT
wcrk. 1t be made bad contract il was b !
ow misfortune, the city was under no NOR
al or legal obligation TO pay the amount ar.
propriated until the ", TX WAS completed. ri
this is to be the rule Of action, what will be |
the certain result Simply this, that VII IN
the city makes GOOD contract, il will throw
sway the benefits Of il, and when il makes
HooR one II must submit 10 the loss We
canno, understand the policy or justice OF
-ach b euurst. When work is advertised !
eTery bidder must be his own Judge % The |
cost, and when the contract is thus fairly |
AID fully made both parties should be held !
10 a strict performance
There is aiso about $50 ,727 behind on lie !
Front street improvement but with the II
ception Of about 5000 il will be lid by The
tine this report is flied We suggest the
propre,y o. ordering the Marshal 10 sell the
property Of all driHquents at once and
make the balance due the city at The ear.
iiest possible moment
~ VIII bt rrrH iHit We have received /
$4,000 90 proceeds of sale Of 10 city bond. |
If the loan Of S59,oOo06 This was more
aar,icuisrly Tor account Of grading and ill |
Tag cut the stea mbgat laEdinp. OF this sum
only 81 1877 ,s2 hash zen expended on ,hi.
improvement. The balance of this suu.
sag S3so2 ,os, should siIl be in the hald.
- the City Treasurer, but by the order OF
ne City Council il was paid out on the Ger
hdesies o. the Street Commissioner. As
sJ2a a. the road fund is received fron. the |
: Jnnty Treasurer, IL should not be used for
ordinary purposes, bu, held and applied TO
he completion Vi this work
In this connection your committee desire |
10 speak OF the acts and management oil The |
Street Commissioner for the pas, year =
We would not charg. him with bad faith.
but he has most eer,u My greatly transcend d |
what he should have onsidersd C.be,h.f
Il be legally 80 ~ not hi. powers, and |
95unged The city INTO an expense which no |
~ ehieer, aeung carefully aud judiciousl, |
with reference 10 the interests OF the civ
you'd have done. A large amount Of work
certainly has been done on the streets, mere
IA all probability Than before for three wear.
but il has rot oil bsen in the orooer olzeas