The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-05-09
HOME MATTERS.
THE CITY FATHERS.
Another Busy Meeting.
IIay and Coal Men out In the Cold---MO Free
Bridge and Economy---Taik.
tuesday Evening, May 3, 1874.


\ petition was presented from J. Wood and -
others, chiefly business men around the Court
House square, asking the council to commute
with the Illinois River Bridge Company 50 rs to
make the bridge free for the entire city
Aid. Miller moved that the prayer OF the petit
ton be granted, and that the mayor and finance
committee enter into a contract with the bridge
company to that effect.
AID King said the petition seemed TO be signed
by the principal business men and tax payers Of
the city, and he should vote to grant their prayer
Aid. McGinns said lie might do SO at another
time but in the present state Of the ,ty's finances
and with the daily complaints of high taxes that
reached us it would he wrong TO incur this eX-
pense. If we go on in this way, where willwe
fetch up? The signcrs Of the petition were
principally men who wish to run back and forth
with their teams-grOccrs, merchants, hackmen,
Nc.--and Of course they were actuated by mo
tiyes Of self-intercst. Then il would probably
help property in South Ottawa, but that ward
had always been drag on the city. Her schools
alone cost the city more than all the taxes she
paid amounted TO.
Aid. Stout said the only question with him wae
would it be legal? lie moved the reference Of
the subject to the city attorney and law and or
dinancc committee to report on that point.
Aid. Griffith said many OF the sgners were
heayytaX payers who scarcely ever used the
bridge. However he had not risen to discuss
this matter, but to refer to the remark Of AID.
McGnnis in reference to South Ottawa being a
drag on the city. 1t had been stated at the last
meeting of the council that South Ottawa had
received of the city some 900 year TO support
her schools, while the entire tax she paid into
city treasury was less than &l,SO0 The state
mcnt was grossly unjust. OF the $1,000 the
schools in South Ottawa had cost, Sis had been
paid in by outsiders as tuition and about $500 had
been received from the state fnnd, so that in real
atty the schools had cost the city but 81 800 year
In the last four years, therefore, South Ottawa,
paying $500 year more taxes than her schools
cost had paid at the rate Of 81 POO more than She
received to support her schools. Blu. last year
her taxes, instead of being but $500 were So
36917, as the collectors books would show-that
is $1,4G9.77 above the cost of her schools, max
ing total of S2,669,i-in the last four years Of
which that ward had received back on the Spring
street improvement say $3.50, and expense of
laying gas pipe and four lamps $1OO-total $3.50,
over 140O.
: The motion of Aid. Stout, to refer, was agreed
! to.
4 petition of the eXpressmen, draymcn, truck
men, &c, of the city was presented, asking that
the ordinance requiring them to pay license to
the city be either enforced as to all or repealed,
| Aid. Porter said, the complaint of the draymen,
| GO f., lp
persons about town owning teams and lumber
wagons and paying no license were in the habit
of hauling goods from boats and the railroad
dcpots and monopolizing other business Of that
kind for doing which the dray and truckmcu paid
license.
Stout suggested the reference Of the petition
to the law and ordinance committee. Hook
thought it had better be referred to the city mar
shall. The marshal said the complaint had been
made to him by one of the draymen and he had
referred the matter to the city attorney for in
structions and now awaits his answer
Smith said the draymen had the remedy in their
own hands--all they need do was to make com
plant and enforce the ordinance when violated
However, he moved the reference of the matter
to the marshall which was agreed to-
Apetiton of sundry citizens ofthe 9th ward was
presented asking that Lafayette street, where il
crosses Pine street, be drained and made passable
Cary said the street and alley committee had
already ordered the street supervisor to attend
to the matter.
Hoban remarked that the street at the point
named was in a wretched condition and would
cost considerable to fix it properly, which, how
ever, could better be done in dryer time The
matter was referred to street and alley committee
The petition Of r. Thornton, late autionecr
was presented, asking that the autioneer's license
be reduced to S25 Referred to finance commit
tee to report at next meeting.
| A communication from health officer Hattie
way was read stating that there was no ordinance
regulating the sale of fish, That fish were now
sold in hand carts on the corners Of the streets
and that in summer time the business thus con
Quoted would become great NUISANCE, by col
Ilectng flies, creating STENCIL &c. He suggest;
that place be set apart for this business the
same as for the sale of coal ard hay, and that the
sale of fish be prohibited between 10 O'clock 4
NJ and o'clock =. VI.
King moved to refer the communication TO
committee on public health
Stout said we might as well dispose of the mat
ter at once This selling of fish on the corner
was no more nuisance than was the sale of fish
by the butchers and grocers. The fish men had
as good right to occupy that corner with their
carts as DR.. Hathaway had to hitch his horse
there. At all events, it involved question oil
law. As to the fish, they were fresh and clean
and were certainly not nuisance. lie moved TO
refer the matter to the law and ordinance com
mittce TO report, aud the motion tKins's motion
being withdrawn was agreed to-
| Airport from the city collector, 7. Ryan, was
Tread, Of which the following are the iootings;
Total tox 70 he collected. .......... $G5,@?l IS
| OF which he had collected and PAID
! To ,i,v Trcosurnr SS504Sli
To Sch1oI Treasurer 29,2ittD
To SrIfCoInmissio Sims. llSlI4
| I,r-C- In Eytnrliny FAX. go