Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-04-22

e would leave constant floating debt hang
o Ing over 1t. Ia such cases the evidences ,
debt OF the corporation are constantly de
: preciated. and work. service and sophie
Y such as are necessarily required can only
y procured by paying extra prices therefor
4 and injustice Is continually being done +
the public creditors.
The question very naturally arises. hov
is this deficiency to be supplied Befor
this question is answered, let US put anoth
er which think is equally important
5 Is it not possible without injury to tn
city, to reduce the expenses very mater;all,
and thereby avoid so large deficiency?
1t seems to me, that of late years, partic
ularly the last three or four, municipal cor
porations like individuals have been Giving
too fact" and that such a disposition ha,
found Its way into our own city corporation
have only made an examination Of two
items OF the ordinary expenses Of the pas,
year, to wit: Printing" and Police and
am we'll pursuaded that in each of those
Items there Is room for retrenchment and
reform
l find there has been allowed for print
ing the past year. nearly twenty three hun.
dred dollars, and whether there are any
bills for that kind of service yet outstand-
ing remains to be ascertained. 1t seems to
me that an expenditure Of that amount for
u city OF population and property like ours
Is simply erfrdpdgdnce | most earnestly
recommend, to the City Council, retrench-
rnent in this branch of the city
The pay of policemen during the past
year, amounts TO nearly seven thousand
dollars, and respectfully submit to the City
Council, whether 1t is probable that the ser.
vices Of the policemen have been Of that
value to the city aud whether a retrench-
rnent in that department cannot be made
with great proprie'y
The government of a city like any other
government should be conducted upon the
strlctest principles Of economy and here,
let me not be understood as advocating pre-
cIsely that government, which might get
through the year, with the least amount of
money, for sometimes the cheapest govern
ments may, in the end, prove most expen-
sive
! trust gentlemen, that every effort on
your part, consistent with true economy
will be made to reduce the ordinary expen-
ses Of the city government That being
done. there is still deficiency to be provi-
ded for, and how
1t has been proposed to borrow from the
fund for building Water works, authorized
by Ordinance Of May 1857, sufficient
amount to pay off the present pressing in
debtedness, to be replaced from the City
Treasury when required for that purpose
In considering this proposition, it is prop
er to say, that grave doubts exist whether
the City Council have power to issue any
more Bonds since the provisions Of the new
Constitution of Iowa have placed a limit
upon such issues. 1t is contended by som that
the ordinances having been adopted author
izing loan oftwo hundred thousan dollars |
prior to the adoption of the Constitution,
that instrument does not operate to restrain |
the issue Of the bonds, even although there
by the amount of Indebtedness, should ex-
ceed the city is completely prohibited from
issuing any more bonds, until the assessed
value Of the property shall be so increased,
that five per cent thereon will exceed the |
amount of bonds already issued
Again. it is denied that even if the CITY |
Council have power to issue bonds now, and |
apply the proceeds to the buildings of water
works, there is no power to divert, by any
device, the proceeds of those bonds, to any
purpose other than that prescribed by the
Ordinance, and approved by the votes Of |
tie citizens of the city,
Without undertaking to give an opinion
upon either of these questions, respectful.
ly submit to the City Council, that while
such doubts exist, prudence would seem to
dictate that the better policy is to abstain
from issuing any more city bonds at pres.
ent.
The credit and character of the city OF
Davenport has always stood as fair in the
moneyed circles OF the East, as any other
city in the West, and dsservedly so too;
and 1t Is the part of wisdom that her gov
ernment should not do any act, in counec-
tion with her financial affairs the legality
OF which would IN any way be even doubt
full.
There is then no other way, apparent to
any mind. to pay the debt, and provide for
the necessities of the present year, but to
levy special tax to make provision for the
payment Of the interest upon the bonded
debt of the city as provided, shall be done
by the various Ordinances, authorizing the
creation OF the debt.
1t is well for you, gentlemen, and for the
citizens to meet this matter fully and fairly
at once. Delay will only add to the en-
barrassment and increase the difficulty
Meet it now by prompt and decisive action
and you furnish another cogent rea-
son, and one that will be appreciated by
the people, retrenchment of the expenses of
the city.
In connection with this subject, allow me
to call you attention to the necessity of so
amending the or1inace, in relation to the
of the Treasurer and Marshal,
as that maximum may be fixed. have
been unable to ascertain in the hasty exam
nation made, what amonnt of salary the
Treasurer has received the past year; but
that he has retained what he
was allowed to do by the ordinance, his sal
ary has exceeded four thousand dollars, a
sum double believe, Of any Office in our
state government. This is an application
Of the peoples money, not warranted in my
judgement. and | trust that you will so pro
vide by law, that such another case NAV
not occur.
The salary of the Mayor is fixed at four
hundred dollars, and that of the Aldermen
at two hundred dollars each. In present
state Of finances and prospects for the fnan-
ces and prospects for the year to come, in
view Of the great Inconvenience to the peo-
pie to pay the ordinary taxes without the
additional levy. respectfully submit
~ your nouOraple oOuy, WHetner reduc-
tion cannot be made in these items without
doing injustice the incumbents
Without going further in details upon this
subject, l recommend most earnestly that
the City Council shall take into serious con-
deration the matter of compensation TO Of
ficers and employers Of the city generally,
and make such reductions, as may be done
without injustice.
l have occupied more time than intend
ed in discussing the financial affairs of the
city, but really to me it seems the most i'm
portant question upon which you will be
called to act during the present year.
1t cannot be expected by the citizens that
In the present situation of the city Treasury
any expenditure Of money can be authorized
oy You for the improvement Of streets, and