The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-04-09

= n
I ticabic, OF 'dnish said work withinhse I
l BimA spsoi1sd. ehss sAs sooso soesfoste 1
meAsor % be taken 10 compel them % do
%,
Srasxrs.
/ There 10 ~ urge0t necessity Tor the
Improve ment 81 the stroets &c. 10 almost
every part Of the city. | would urge
| proopt action on these matters aoL, ev-
| On il the nsosssary funds have TO be Dor.
rowed % the BooJs OF the City, ~ the
| best economy aud policy. Good and sub
staotisl crossings should be msde IN ev-
| cry part OF the city where the citiseos
| have been saxed Tor sidsWalks, and
contract should be made with soDs 70. \
sponsible party 20 keep such crossioGs
in r gaod amp pAssAbls coodi,ion during
the entire season.
The principal streets in the City
should be graded without delay, par
,icuiarly As large smount Of mscads-
mixing will probably be done this
season and the road fund will be entire
" inadequate. This Fund is not sufti'
| Gent to. make the ordinary street re-
pairs. Other permanent Improvements
must be provided for BY making
loan, A loan of sloo. ooofor thispurpose
would be desirable.
Past experience hiss shown that the
Council should never permit single
| yard of dirt to be hauled upon the
streets, but where they are in bad con-
di,ion they should be improved BY
ploughing in the cutters sndroundlng
up, as in almost every instance the dirt
must be removed below the SUI face
grade for permanent improvements,
Ike that OF mseadanizing. There Is
one idea in connection with grading Of
streets, to which would call your par
ticular attention. 1t is easily seen
how large q quantity OF Land can be
made By an expenditure Of $4,000 on
the Levee. An expenditure Of 500
900 more would make enough land to
pay the entire cos, of making. The Ri
yer is shallow in front Of the city, and
BY extending the Levee, better land
ing can he had than now, and the old
landing could be cut up into lots and
sold for building purposes
SEWERAGE"
A general system ofsewerage should
be at once adopted. There is no City
in the World where nature has done
more towards natural drainage than
in our own, yet a juidcious system OF
sewerage commenced now, and carried
out viii add immensely to the health
OF the City and save, in after years,
thousands OF dollars and hundreds Of |
lives
The ordinances relating TO the ope.
ming and widening OF streets should be !
put in force immediately.
TAKES"
The method Of assessment and col.
lection OF City Taxes should be revised
and improved.
PolIcE FoRcE.
The nigh, Police force should be in.
creased to at least ten active and ener.
getic men. There are now Ave. One
should be stationed att Davenport, one
at North Davenport, one in vicinity of
Sturdevsnt's Add, and the res. through
the centralpart ofthe city.
In addition to this there should be
day police force Of three or fourier the
central portion OF the city, and thed day
and night force should both be requir-
ed to make full report at every meet
ing Of the Councii OF the member OF
arrest. made, and for what offences.
COMMITTEES.
There are nov the following stand
ing committees:
Finance COMMITTEES,
Ordinance
Street
There should be in addition
q committee on Public works.
Report. Of Public Officers.
Wharves and Public grounds.
on Public elaine
(which latter should also perform the
duties Of auditing committee) and a
Committee on Markets.
would advise that the City Prin-
ter be ordered to publish the Proceed
iDgs Of the Council in Pamphlet form,
and strike Of at least 200 copies TO be
preserved and published in book
form.
| have thus vensured to direct Your
attention TO, and have offered sugges-
tions upon those Subjects which at
present must require consideration, not
only conceiving this to be part Of
nv duty, bat especially feeling that
our City Is at that stage Of It's progress
where prompt, thorough energetic and
effective action animated by broad
public spirit on the part Of those to
whom It's interests are entrusted, is
imperatively demanded.
Its situation at the intersection Of the
two great arterial trade currents the
country, would alone giyeit consider
| alton aud Importance, yet, with rivals
above and below generously competing
| with US for prominence we must notstsy
our own etforts.Although much hasbeen
done more remains TO be done. II will
| not 10 for l;e TO rest content with the sue \
cess of past exerSons, nor trust urtuture
% the natural course OF events, andwith
combined and well directed efforts
on our part the continued success and
growth of our city are beyond ibt.
Situated on the most magnificent
natural highway upon the North
American continent and on what must
eventually be the main line of inter
oceanic communication, being the on.
ly point at which the Mississippi
has been bridged, and in all PROBABLE,
ty destined for many years TO be the
only such point in State that has IN,
told wealth in its fertile soil, and com |
manding al its central position, there
surely can be no uncertainty as 10 its
future importance. Its past History, |
too, gives large promise. II has
reached its present development with
| 3 rspiaity unknown except in Western
experience. Its founders and its fr.t
citizens are yet active III our midst and
10 these whose experience Gas been il.
experience, as they look back upon ito
| Insignificant beginnings, its early strug
giles, its times Of doubt, and remember
the few short years tina. have suficed
for the growth and prosperity otto day,
no speculation as 10 its future inpor
lance can seem unreasonable or extrav'
agant.
And It's present condition and progress
Justify all our hopes Of its future