The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-11-06


ten would be generally approved bv III
people Of the city, the officers would los
nothing by the change, and no doubt,
would be much better Tor the city in q iinar
cial point Of view.
STREETS, BRIDGES AND PUBLIc WILLS
We have, as you know, .endeavored {
Keep the streets in q passable condition, an
It win be admitted By ali that they are noV
in better condition than they have bee
since Austin was located. Besides man
bridges have been built and repaired, AM
are now being constructed under the super
fntendence Of our street committee sewers
public wells have been dug and fitted up
which are great convenience to local an,
transient teamsters, as well as to those cit
zens, who are not able 10 afford cisterus o
wells Of their own. There are other street
that shoald be improved, bridges that shoul.
be built or repaired, and few more publ
wells which should be dug, all with as littl
delay as the city funds viii admit Of.
RAvKlRNrs.
the construction Of the paYements ha
not been as rapid asWe hoped, butthe worI
which has been completed is very good anC
substantial. The scarcity Of money and thu
few laborers to be obtained have greatly
impeded the work. Most Of the property
- r r
holders agree that their paYements snail b
completed in accordance to the ordinance
just as soon as they can get the work done
THE MARKETS.
Lam glad to state that the removal Of all
tax from country produce, by your body,
has worked exceedingly well. It has not
only greatly increased the supply, but il
has 50 reduced the price that all consum.
eFs can now be supplied at reasonable fg
ures.
The establishing Of markets in each ward
has also been very satisfactory, as it places
meats and other articles of food convenient
to the laboring classes and business men,
who have no time to 60 to the city market
for those necessaries.
The debt against the market house con-
tracted by other administrations, has been
greatly reduced, although at the beginning
Of this administration the minimum rent OF
stalls was placed at only one-half Of their
original value.
The debt, on the second day Of December
last, was $5053 54 We have paid out on
this $2301 55-Ieaving q balance now due
Of $2751 3d. We have butchers notes which
fall due between this time and the second
day of next March, to the amount of
1884 20, which will leave due at that date
only $917 a.
We have put a new lightning rod on the
city market house, as we'll as doors to the
whole Of the lower story, and have the els
tern and cutters in good repair, all of which
were out of repair at the beginning Of this
administration.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Our fire department is in tolerably good
condition. The Hook and Ladder and Col
orado Companies have now good house
for engines and good meeting houses,
which they did not have at the beginning
Of this administration Yet there are some
other additions which should be made to
this department. The young men that COM
pose the companies are the best thatthe city
affords and when they are willing to use
their time and risk their lives to protect
che property of the city, we should not
hesitate to furnish them everything which is
necessary to put their companies in good
condition.
THE CITY CEMETERY
Is in much better condition than it was
this time last year, but it can be greatly i'm
proved, We have dug and fitted up well
in the. enclosure, for the purpose of water
ing the shrubbery, and have also set out
quite number of shade and ornamental
trees, as well as opened and improved streets
and walks through tie grounds. But
another well should be dug on the opposite
side of the grounds from the one completed,
and rigid means should be adopted to keep
the grounds clear of weeds and grass, and
to cultivate and protect the shrubbery with
which our citizens have adorned the last
resting place of their loved ones.
THE CITY FINANCES.
q Complaint has been made by a few of our
fellow citizens at the manner in which the
finances have been managed by the present
oitycouncil, and especially do they complain
at our funding the city debt. Those persons
do not remember that at the beginning of
this administration this city was flooded
with warrants, unaudjted accounts, ETC.,
against the city for thousands of dollars,
and that these claims were not worth over
forty cents on the dollar The only way to
pay the current expenses of the city, and
10 increase the value of these claims, was to
reduce the quantity on market, either by
absorbing them by a heavy taxation, or by
funding them in bonds. As we did not
wish to Cypress the property holders by an
onerous taxation, and as there was only one
other means of reducing this heavy floating
debt, we, as you know, determined toretire
$4,000 Of it, by funding that amount In
ten year bonds. The result has been that
since that time city scrip has been worth
from ninety to ninety-fve cents, and is now
worth from eighty to eighty-hve cents,
which shows what we have lost in funding
has more than been made up in the advance
IT the city paper, twill be seen by refer
ence to the above report that there are about
$4,000 in taxes on real estate due the city for
this year. And it win also be seen that we
have only about $4,000 in scrip and claims
AGAINST the city, now on this market, with
which taxes can be paid, and if those who
owe the city taxes would pay what is justly
due from them as citizens, the city paper
would at once be at par. Then the most
fastidious could not complain of our fnan-
ciaI condition, so we hope that they will
come forward and pay their taxes without
further delay.
would beg leave to state that the present
system of collecting the merchandise tax is
Ozerous and unsatisfactory, and would
recommend that it be abolished and thar
our merchants be required to pay license
and that they beclasSed, as under the State
law, and be required to pay license only in
proportion to the amount Of goods sold dur
ing the year.
I would also recommend that the ordi-
nance regulating the license of the city be
renodeled, as it is imperfect in some partie-
ulars, being oppressive on some, while il
does not require others to pay any license at
ell.
Trusting that your board viii at once Sc
lect 3 committee to cxatnine this report and
compare il with the vouchers on file, re.
main, most respectfully, your obedient ser.
want, r B. WmEELER,
Mayor.
a VERY sensible suggestion IN relation to
the liquor question has been made by Arch
bishop Bailey, Of Baltimore He assumed
that 6yery good government should enforcs
such an inspection Of liquors as win make
their purity certain, or stop the sale Of then
altogether IN his opinion, the next best
thing % absolute prohibition is a law con
demning all kinds Of malt and distilled
liquors that are adulteratcd, or not true e
name, and Furnishing by fine and imprison