Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-06-23
CITY AFFAIRS.

~ .uu aousc the Aldermen Of this city /; let
.nem do so; surely the members Of that
oooy experience no harm from it. But If, Is
seems, there is a conspiracy among a certain
eiass o' men, to drive, if possible, the pres
eh. couneilmen from Office because they are
not wealthy, (neithcr willing tools in their
nahds, aud put in men with property quail.
llleauons corresponding with their own,-if
% siicct that end they use all sorts of argu
ihehts-sense and nonsense-it is well
enough for the public to scrutinize those
Arguments rather than laugh at the blows
oeait BY them; and inquire whether there
: not something else than anxiety for the
city underlying the whole.
ihe question upon which all the extra
TAX on Friday evening arose, was whether
or not resolution should pass the council
reducing the assessed valuation Of the city
20 per cent. On this resolution, the coun.
Gil cciii was addressed by A. e. Fulton, Esq, and
non. iiram Price-in favor Of the PROPOSE
'ion- They commenced by stating that our
taxes we're oppressiye-that they prevented
people from coming here to settle-hence
| t'e necessity Of reduction in valuation.
Ohe or two Aldermen insisted, Oh the 9th
er hand, that there was floating debt-a
debt IN the shape Of unpaid city orders Of
some $4,000 standing against the city that
must be paid before the affairs Of the city
could be economically administered that by
reason Of the depreciation Of these orders,
the city in her ordinary expenditures, was
compelled to pay some $4,000 per annum
more than it wouldwere these orders brouhgt
to cash basis that to do this, and provide
Tor the payment Of the ordinary expenses
oil the city government, it would be neccs-
sary to levy to the highest rate permitted
| by the charter on the present valuation.
Which side was right in that controver-
sy2 Which of the two was most earnest
ior the payment Of the city debt?
But it is claimed that the Council intends
to spend too much this year. How much
that body intends to use this year is clearly
stated in the Preamble of the resolution Of
iered by the Finance Committee and adopt
| cd by the Couccil, viz: $l3,1o0 for gencr-
al, and $4,000 for road purposee-whch
last sum being special fund can only be
used for roai purposes. 1t is folly to talk
about getting along with SO many hundr. ds
Of dollars just as well. II We do not keep
our streets in repair in the city then our
present taxation can do.
Another item that caused much ado was
the 81 300 salary ofthe councilmen but do
| not the Aldermen do more labor than any
other citizens to pay the debt Of the city ?
Are tney not entitled tn their pay as well as
Congressman to theirs? But if it becomes
general rule to work for nothing and il
our Congressman will set the example, |
entertain no doubt but that the Alderman
of this city will follow suit.
There has, also, been good deal of talk
about the item OF 81 500 for city printing.
In reference to that, allow me to state tn at
those items were not before the Council !;
they were only made in pencil in order to
see how we should come out with the S13..
700. The total sum Of those items was over
8 $4,000, and particularly the printing TEN
was talked about by the Finance Committee
as the very one to be reduced. \ reduction
Of about s 800 was found necessary, in or.
der to make expense and income balance.
1t was not intended 10 bring those items be-
fore the Council-as the suggested altera-
tions had not yet been agreed upon and
marked down.
There is, also, much said about paving
our city debt. The Council has no other
idea but to pay that debt but thinks the
best that can be done this gear, is 70 pay
the floating debt, for reasons before gwen.
But with this the opponents Of the City
Council do not seem to be satisfied they
want the bonded debt paid; but how: By
reducing the valuation o. the city property.
This seems to be contradictory, and they
see itjust as we'll as we do. What, then, do
they intend! five reduce the assessment,
cut down the salaries, pay Aldermen moth
ing, scarcely anything for sustaining the
FIRE Department, printing, Board of Health,
removing nuisances, etc.,-if in place of
about Sl4, 900 we get along with about ST.
ooo for year or two, by running the city
down to mere country vilage,-if We
should then get a City Assessor who would
assesses the total city property at $4,000
600, or m0re-if ct the same time we had
City Council without compensation, the
members Of which did not belong to those
who pay but little Of the city tax" but
those ''who made and sustained the city
with their enterprise and means -Gt might
be question whether they made the city,
or the city made them and who had, in or.
der to sustain the city, bought up lot Of
the City Bonds, At from 20 cents to 20 cents
on the dollar. What thens A tax Of o
mills would bring 100000. Add thereto
$4,000 income from licenses-deduct the
total expcnditure-$7,O 900, and balance Of
$4,000 would be left in the Treasury of
the city. Would that not be nice thing
for bond holder, who had already obtained
IL care not under whose nalne) a jud =
ment against the citye-particularly benefit.
ted would not those be who were first aware
Il the fact? They could collect their iudg-
ments in full, with debt and costs. A bond.
holder, or q man connected with bond hold
crs, could well afford to refuse the 800 sal
ary, could he get such opportunities.
But some one may say that in such case
the Aldermen would not levy mills or re-
duce the valuation. Even were they incn-
ed to do so, it is questionable whether they
could. Be that so-they could be forced by
our creditors to levy the 5-mil tax and it
is grave question whether wholesale re-
duction made by the City Council not for
the sake ofequalizing, but evidently for the
sake Of depriving our creditors Of the sur
plus money, would be legal.
Il do not wish to bring charges against
anybody faithful until the contrary is prov.
ed !" but when . man like the Hon. Hiram
Price, who, for his own personal benefit, has
dSkc0 more Vi ttic City NOuHStA uuLh& TIC
last twelve months, than twice the amount
Mr.. "P, your correspondent, would allow
the whole city for road purposes; when
see such men come before the city council,
and in one moment speak about reducing
the assessment and in the next about pay
ing the bonded dobt: in one moment abuse
the city council for not saving 81 300 sal
ary, and in the next oppose the coun-
cils' action whereby $4,000 is to be saved,
for the city, which we throw away yearly
without benefit 10 any except one--A few
sharpers excepted when there comes Mr.
"P." out in 4 newspaper communication
with sentence like thia-'sne officer has .
right to accept . salary while there are wild
ows and orphans-u wonder how many
widows and orphans have invested their eli
Just in Davenport city bonds) holding our
unpaid bonds when I see all this began
to thing there is something rotten in Den.
mark - ii. II.
ARR LINCOLNsH