The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-20
THE CITY GOVERNMENT,
ANNUAL REPORT OF HIS HONOR
MAYOR WAGNER.

ANNUAL REPORT OF HIS HONOR
MAYOR WAGNER.
Gratifying Exhibit OF the Operation
of the Various Departments OF the
Municipal Administration.
COUNCIL CHAMBER, February ls, 1873.
Council met this day at five P. II.
Present-Hon. John A. Wagner, Mayor
Aldermen O'Nelll, Bowen. Smith, Gage, Gar
rett, voigt, sweegap, Glover, Johnston, Moran
Slmonds, Pelzer, and Sigwad.
The minutes of the last meeting we're read
and confirmed.
| PETITIONS.
OIL. F. Campbell for rellet from tax execu.
tlona. Referred to committee on retrench
ment aud relief.
OF residents OF st. Philip street for drain.
Referred 10 committee on tidal drains.
OF vestry and wardens of St. Mlchael's
Church for appropriation for repairs to steepe
Referred to committee On public Institutions,
buildings and grounds.
Of Comet Star Fire Company TO have engine
| house lined, and three additional windows
cut Lining ordered TO be dohe, and applica.
| tion for windows received as information.
OF citizens to have Shepherd street opened
| from King 10 Meeting street. Referred to
| joint committees of streets and railroads.
OF Simon Vass for remission OF penalties,
&c. Referred 10 commitLee on retrenchment
and relief.
Of John Ancrum to roof the building in
course of erection on south side of West street
with shingles. Not granted:
OF Jas. McElroy, Jno. G. Mallonee, and
others. for plank road In Mary street, be-
tween Meeting and King streets. Refer Ito
| committee on streets.
Off. q. SLeffeDs Co. to erect steam m
northwest corner OF Coming and Cannoi
streets. Granted.
OF residents of Rutedge avenue for rlank
road from Calhoun 10 Line street. Coneidera-
tion postponed for the present.
Tho Mayors Annual Report.
| CHARLESTON. January l, 1879.
Gentlemen Of the city Council:
One yea- ago, made you report OF city
affairs as they had been ccnductcd by cur prede
cesso g., excepting OF 'he orleI term OF Two
months for which We hac hecnme responsible.
The transactions OF the year 1872 have heen en-.
tirely our own work, and whatever good or evil
| has resulted belongs entlre'7 10 our own admln.
istratiOn. II our people hive reason 10 De satl4.
| oed, we may rejoice and find encouragement In
the continued faithful performance OF our sol.
| emn dutiss; II, the contrary. our constituents
| have discovered JUS cause or c mtlalnt, we
should enter the new year WIN me nrm resoive
| to spare no IKE lions I0r the public good, and TO
correct any errors ue may have comu ltted.
| However, think we have right TO claim that,
| II we have erie', we have only been wanting In
Judgment, not In honesty OF intentlon and mo.
tive MANS views Of public government wi !
an must differ, but little harm will ever result
| from the measures OF those tha. are earn, stly
striving for that which they deem right aud JUST,
and that are earnest and 6rm In their devoti.
to pubic trusts. The danger to the common
veal emanates generally 4 ON those only VINO,
| for personal or political aims or for parry pqr
poses, contemn the principle thai the nooest aim
or honorable men Bhoud te Inc ereatess Rood OF
the greatest number; strict and impartial Justice
to ali classes and conditions; fair and judleous
encourage lent OF all worthy In eresIs fUr
| mutually benefcisl purp.se, and a pure ana
prLud abstinence from al seldah and dl'noDest
| ntents and means II eve-y one Of us can be
| convinced that he has acted upon these princl.
| pes he n. ed not fear the animadversons OF The
| wicked or the foolish for verify believe that the
very great majority Of our feIlow-ciizens will
Judge US liberay and fairy.
have deemed 1t proper TO make you some.
what comparative statement, In order to SHOW
that we have done at least a. well as the precea-
accomplished all that we could have desired:
The dlscuuraging legacy Of dests. OF denloralzed
public institutions. OF dilapflate1 public oulid-
ings, OF ruined streets ond pavements, OF miles
upon miles OF drains choked With the accumuat-
| ed hlth OF nearly twenty yetrs, our lnheri. nee
| from our predecessors besi'es dlsunited popu-
latlon that met us at The very threshold OF our
| iious interference In our pubic improvements bV
an irresponsible corporation, aRd the unlTienoly
attitude OF the public press, and OF great mum.
/ Der OF our own former sup o'ters. nave prevent
| ed such ipld developments is had no ed Tor.
But those that shall succeed u will fnd nur
public institutions In perfectw rEing order, with
excellent and trustworthy commissioners and
with economy and honesty upon their banner
| the public hullrlngs in thoougn condltlon ana
| repair, our debt considerably reduced, and Inter-
| est promptly discharged, lively progress sur
| rounding US on all sides, and with the dawntng
OF reasonable anil developing prosperity. Let
our cuizens have nrm faith In our desfioy. COD
| Is good to US. Charleston shall and must suc-
ceed.
departments might yet be vastly Improved. IL
mitting ankle y. and have sp .red n, effort to
insure to The city q full and fair equivalent Tor
every outlay, and to prevent any waste or lm'
| prudent extravaganza In the public expenditures.
II have not fully succeeded, 1t must be aitrlo.
| uted 10 our pc cuar condition, and 10 me lmper'
| Re tIon OF oil human supervision. 1t would be
| impossib to sum up all tile evils we have en-.
countered. and which the most persistent
severity las not yet entirely eradlcated. Human
effort ia too often subject 10 influence that cannot
| be aullciently controlled with the utsnost exer-
tions OF the fine minds TO avoid Mistakes. Man
Is prone 10 over.eslilHate what he could himss
do. and to undetva whBt another performs.
Thus we misjudge ourselves aud Others. instead
of extending each other friendly and kindly
encourae ement, which Ia the mob est in.
crntiye to perseverance, In public spirited
endt ayors, our Departments are not per-
feet, by any means, but there IL not one OF
them, with all our iaiings, that is not at leas,
fully equal to It's Predecessor, az well In point o.
efficiency as In economy and responsibility. This
their special reports, to which shall call atten.
tion In their proper order, will fully demonstrate.
think can truthtully sHt that the publ ar.
fairs OF the City during last year have been con-
Quoted with as much care, economy and fidelity
as any we'll managed private corporation. Anu
q be tier sta dard Of management our taxpayers
could not reasonably expect. The pubic hrath
has been unparalleled, public o der has been
maintained, our employ ees nave been punctualiy
paid contractors have never b'en delayed for q
day. and II we have not made giant strides iu
public improvements as some OF cur sister cities
pru1ets to have, we have not fatally ncrea-ed our
pub ic debt but have done that which we have
dune by he expenditure Il no more than our Gu r.
rent income Ard even or that no iucOns!derable
portion has been applied for the payment OF ar.
rears Of the last ADMINISTRATION, or large
amount OF accumulat 'd terest, and In the pnr-
chase OF property for public purposes.
THE TREASURY.
In the annual statement II the treasurer, the
pre,lous custom OF that deoartment hls been
nary credit and debit account Is rendered. com.
mencIgp with the balance on hand lst January,
1872 and conc n(luning with The balance remain q :.
lst jan nuary, 1873. after comparative statement
OF receipts and paym nts during the yelr. It ap.
pears that the cash balance 1T January, 1872, iu-
rlnding civ Bit. was s7O,5le A. and the cash
t ance ls5 January, 1873, including city Ds, Is
s91SI7 20. or this, by order OF Couuc $751; ia 10
in civ bills have been dest o, ed. II has been
the practice OF our treasury to report the actual
pa, menls for each department ot The City up o
| Inc lrst OF January in each year. leaving such
nod mi fO ba In OIL