Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-01-29
To Tax Payers and Citizens

be entitled to its gleanings.
COUNTRY.
To Tax-Payers and Citizens
The unders iened members Of the City
Council Of the City Of Davenport, submit
the following facts for your consideration.
The History Of Davenport the past year,
has been one, which in it, similitude to any
orme year. is without a parallel. Hth-
erto tie annual road, poll. and property tar
has been equal to the annual expenditures
But by reason OF the conceded necessity for
more street and other i'm improvements, q large
indebtedness this year has been incurred,
which swells the City debt TO about $780,
900 which calls for the payment Of $4,000
as interest to he paid seml-annually.
Contracts tor maca 1amiziny, curbing &c
were made be the City Engineer with sun
dry persons, and the work of public i'm
prOvement common ed, II soon become
apparent. that the work being done, was
inferior TO the contracted stipulations and
that the City Engineer was recommending
the payment Of estimates for work thas was
either baby lone or not lone at all.
A committee of investigation was ap-
pointed consisting of Alderman Cannon,
Guchlich and lsamming, with power to EN-
ploy a competent Engineer to aid in the in
vestigation. Aid. Guelich and Ramming
preserved a mastery inactivity" and did
nothing. Aid. Cannon, with Il determine
ton to find out and stop the leakages of the
public Treasury, was directed to proceed
with the work.. He employed G.. 7. Taylor
al Engineer from Rock Island, recommend.
ed by the best engineers Of both this and
that city. as assistant. As the examination
progressed it became apparent to him, that
the City Engineer was either So inconpe.
tent or negligent as to be a mere tool in the
hands of these contractors, and would rec
ommend the payment Of money when none
was due.
The following instances will show the
truth Of these statements.
C. I. Dittel, Iowa street contractor, and
leading rioter at the late fire, has been paid
about 81 900 for work on,said Sewer. All
that he could get any Engineer to say that
he was entitled to-and he claims about
81, 900 more, and is exasperated to find the
undersigned unwilling to take that auomnt
out Of citizens pockets for his individual ben
eft.
Geo. G. Arndt had y contract for build.
ing a culvert at East Davenport 300 feet
long which under the contract would
amount to a little over 81, l46 and the City
Engineer has recommended, and Arnd. has
been paid on that job over $1,000, and a
large portion of that ~culvert has tumbled in.
and is utterly worthless. This same con-
tractor had nacadamizirg done between
Warren and Gaines sts, on Second street.
which the committees Engineer reports.
will require work to amount of 81. 900 to
complete according to contract, and vet.
this contractor wants, the undersigned to
take from the pockets Of taxpayers that
cum, when he has no legal claim to il, and
has already been paid on the East Davenport
culver $500 more than his contract calls
for.
The Engineer employed ty the Commit.
tee further reports that it will require 81
400 to complete the grading on the contract
now held by James Macintosh, and that the
contract was for IS. OOo, and of this 81. 900
has been paid, leaving $4,000 to be paid on
completion Of contract.
BY this it seems that $500 has been
paid J. Macintosh more than he Is en-
titled to, and yet he is exa operated
because the u dersigued are not willing to
plumber the Treasury for his benefit.
SO Of AID. Rammings illegal expenditure
for street crossings. Being authorized TO
expend about $50, he expended about $500.
and $500 OF this was for lumber bot of Aid,
Cannon, and yet 50 illegal did AID. Cannon
consider Aid Ramming's bill, that he ref,s.
ed to sanction it. when by such refusal AID.
Cannon was . loser Of $500. We might
ennmerate many similar instances of efforts
to plumber the Treasury made unsuccessful
by the action of the undersigned and other
Alderman.
In regard to the removal Of the City Phv.
stefan. the Hospital committee found that
he was filling that building with paupers
rather than those persons whom sickness
rendered objects of charity-emigrants in
stead Of citizens we're the f~avorito patients
lie was removed, and q Republican. DIR.
Carter, put In his place. This effort 10 ston
the unwarranted expenditure at the Hosni.
tai. and thus tighten the burden of tax my
err, meets the indignation Of few hot
headed Germans.
The City Engineer 10 confessedlv incomno
tent to the faithful discharge Of Fla dntse.
Some Of the contractors and ali contrac,ors
are Republicans-admit that he il incomne
tent. The undersigned believe that but for
his recommendation and mistakes. large
sums OF money would have been saved 10
the city. In opening Marquette street he
caused q large portion of the lots of Judge
Mitche'Is to be cut through instead of fol-
loving the established street, and judge
Mitchelrs claims damages 81 800. He has
recommended the payment Of estimates
when the money was not due. He has
kept the records. books and files Of the En-.
gineers office in such confusion that thev ire
incomprehenslble to any other person. The
City Council became satisfied that the in
terests OF the public and private citizen. do.
manded his instant removal. So n.InohI,,
incompetent did he appear that hi. he:t
friends In the Council, Aid. Washhurn
voted for his removal.
This action Of the Council seems 10 h.v.
ex asperated the anne class of citizens ahoro
alluded to, and especially contractors who
depended upon his incompetency to oct
public money not justly due to them.
Thus it will be perceived that by our "a.
iossl to sanction the following payments.
viz: r'
To {. F. Dittel about 70 ooo
&c. Arndt, over paid on sewer S2'ssa
w. -. Arndt, not pay on Second
j. Macintosh. Harrison street S0 n
AID. Ramming, crossings 400