The daily gazette., 1876-09-07

Education; namely, whether the City
Council is or is not obliged to raise by
taxation any amount the Board Of Public
Education may ask for School purposes.
1t will be no benefit to enter into argu-
ment on this subject now, inasmuch as
it would be Of no practical value, bnt |
desire you to ask at the hands OF the
incoming Legislature, for an enactment
settling this point once and forever.
As matters stand now the Board Of
Public Education is, in fact. the asses
sing authority, while the City Council
acts the part of the collector. With all
due!respect for the Board Of Public Edu-
cation, deserving as the members are of
the thanks Of the whole community for
their untiring efforts to advance the
cause of education and to elevate it to
the highest possible standard, yet with
all due respect l believe, gentlemen,
there ought to be some limit as to their
| expenditures.
| Some of you gentlemen will remember
that not long ago the argument was held,
that the City Council could be compelled by
our Courts of Law to comply with the de-
mands of the Board of Public Education,
and gentlemen what painful and lament
| able spectacle 1t would have been had not
Council wisely given way. If costly law
suit had been entered between two bodies
that ought to act harmoniously for the best
interests of the city, no matter what body
would have been victorious, the same tax
payers would haYe had to pay considera-
Bile attorney fees and court expenses. Your
own wisdom and practical knowledge will
lead you to present such an enactment
and will not in the least interfere with the
efforts of the Board of Public Education,
yet be just to the taxpayers. In my opin-
ion fixed rate for per capita for the number
of average attendance would prove the
happy medium, and in this connection l
would also ask you to take into considera-
tion an enactment prohibiting any one gen
tlemen to occupy both positions as MEM
ber of the Board of Public Education, and
as member of Council at the same time.
Accidents may occur, they have heretofore,
that the duties of a member of the one body
had to be sacrificed while advocating the
claims of the other.
Another no less important matter, is the
necessity of having pure water 1t is
claimed that the enactments obtained from
the Legislature on this point are sufficient.
, They are not gentlemen The law prohibits
the letting in of any obnoxious, impure, Of
, fensive or poisonous matter in the stream
while it should read-that nothing of any
kind should be allowed to run or be emptied
into the stream, then every violation could
be punished.
As the law reads now, the prosecuting
attorney will have to prove first that the
, matter allowed to run into the stream is in
reality offensive or poisonous.
, Gentlemen: An all-wise Providence has
given plentiful supply of pure and whole
! some water to man and the brute creation ;
and hold that no one, neither the richest
! l nor the most influential corporation along
q the Brandywine or elsewhere, has right to
y pollute this greatest necessity of our exist
. ence with the washings of old rags or pois-
= onous paints.
How many little ones sleep in their cold
2 graves in consequence of impure water
= The great Creator alone knows-not we.
2 How many weak and enfeebled constitu-
tions had their days shortened by the same
agency. Who can tell their number
Pardon me, gentlemen, if speak feelingly
!, on this subject. think and feel, nay, / am
, convinced, that these conclusions are true
to their fullest extent. beg of you, gentle
men, to act speedily on this subject, for the
evil is increasing daily
Yet, gentlemen, in our efforts to procure
pure water we must not overlook the fact
, that the parties interested had prior claims
to the Brandywine. They are gentlemen of
high culture, and undoubtedly desire to do
Justice to their fellow citizens. If the proper
, committee would fairly state our grievances
, in spirit of conciliation, some measure
| could be devised to obviate the evil.
Gentlemen: Thirteen months ofexperience
4 as presiding officer has convinced me, that
, our present contract system is worse than a
farce, it is perfect swindle. For certain
kinds of work there are five straw bids for
. every legitimate proposal, and the conse-
| quence is that some citizens refuse to enter
, the field, who, under other circumstances
would be bona tida bidders. Do you doubt
that the city is thereby loosing considerably!
do not Gentlemen! Blank forms ought to
be furnished by the city, in which the work
to be done for the city ought to be so dis
tinctly stated, that there could be no room
left for misunderstanding in addition to
, that, there ought to be space left for two
| names as surieties, so that the lowest bidder
; would be held responsible to enter upon the
contract. Then Gentlemen, we would
receive no straw bids, but we would estab-
} lish fair and honest competition. You, no
doubt, Gentlmen, saw lately in the public
prints charges that proposals were tamper-
ed with it will be your duty to guard against
any such occurrence. By proper ordinance
you will render it impossible.
Not two weeks ago q contract was en-
tered for certain work at 4G15 cents square
ward, while another bidder proposed TO do
the same work at 40 cents. By mere tech
nicality in the wording, the 40 cent proposal
was rejected and the 46ls cent proposal
adopted, and the work cost just Is per cent.
iholC thah ~ ouSho " SooO' 'hShSS yOu SOC
the necessity for printed forms. would
also call your attention to the practice of
having reports on important matters and of
bills of considerable amount, without their
having been before the committee. 1t is
proper for any member to refuse to sign
any report without due consideration and
public interest could be furthered, lif objec-
tions were raised here to.the adoption OF any
such report. In conclusion, gentlemen,
allow me to express the hope that all our
deliberations may be conducted in that kind
spirit so beftting public legislators and gen
ltlemen.
Mr., johnson moved that Council
proceed to nominate and elect Clerk
He nominated VIM. IL, Foulk.
Mr.. Foulk received 13 votes. to )
blanks, and was declared elected,
On motion of MIR. Febiger the nomi.
nation and election of Bailiff WAS