Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-03-04
"Syhy These High Taxes. 2,

were levied. And to settle the
minds of the people, who have an
unquestionable right to know
where their money goes, we will
say that nearl y year ago, when
the present Council assumed con-
troll of the affair of the city, there
were over twenty thousand dollars
of city paper, or orders, standing
out, past due, and drawing inter est
many of these orders being in
hands of the poor or lahoring men,
who were not able to hold them,
and were compelled to dispose of
them at whatever figure their value
might be, which, at one time, was
only from sixty-hve to scventy-fivc
cents on the dollar. The result of
such state Of the finances Of the
city was, whatever the city needed,
it was compelled to purchase under
great disadvantages. These orders
were isued for various purposes
and no small amount of them went
to pay for the services of police
and detectives, the latter virtually
of no benefit to the people, who
pay the taxes.
The Council elected as servants
of the reop'c, in the spring of
1873, undertook the task of rem
edying this evil state of affairs,
which had grown upon the city.
Here let us say that no one was tc
blame for all the debt of the city
as that brought on by smallpox
was unavoidable.
When the present Council com
menced their duties, they made a
CAREFUL estimate Of what would be
necessary to meet liberal and yet
rigid economical administration Of
the affairs of the city, and what
is the result! There had been no
improvements made upon the pub
lie streets, to any amount, for the
two proceeding years. This Coun-
Gil have opened about five miles
of new streets; they ordered the
construction of miles of sidewalk,
and built crosswalks to connect
them at the expense of the city;
they drained whole section of the
city at heavy expense, have paid
nearly all that has been paid upon
the bridge, and almost half its cost;
have made provisions for redeem
ing every dollar of city orders
outstanding, and brought their
value up from sixty-flve and seven
ty-five cents, to nincty-hvc cents
and par. The people of the city
were also called upon to pay tax
to provide means for the redeem
ing of six thousand dollars school
bonds all of which have been done,
and this in n year which bore so
heavily upon the poor of the city,
on account of the panic and the
ruinous state of the lumber mar
kct.
The present Council were obliged
TO put upon the tax roll,
For city purposes, $4,000
For school purposes, 1900
Total, $4,000
An estimate for tho amounts re-
quired for next year arc,
For school purposes, S 1000
For city purposes, l2'oOo
Total, $4,000
Or n trine over ha,f Of that requir-
cd for last year.
The Council now in control has
cut down and saved the expenses of
the city whenever they could con-
sistently; they have reduced the
police force, aud have and are
gradually pcrfecting a system in the
city affairs which will hc business
like and satisfactory to all of its
citizens. They have worked in
harmony, and required rigid CD d :
ancc of all contracts. All jobs OF
any considerable amount have been
advertised +; have been subject to
public competition. They have
called to account all unfaithful SER
wants, and the fact that only ono
small charge, and that untruthfully,
las has been rrovcn), has teen made