The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-05-02
Liquor License due In July...$ $500 90
Tax warrant in hands of sheriff
IN callact ....... ~ nm m

Total assets ........"....".....S16,403 %
amount OF taxes
that will be uneollected......$ 1000 90
Balance 81, 4Uj Us
Which balance shows the amount Of
probable cash resources we will have
to run the city government up to Janu-
airy ], 1873, to carry out the building of
new sidewalks already ordered by or
dinance. After which it will leave the
city several thousand dollars, surplus
fund to work upon, saying nothing
about other licenses, fines, ETC., that will
come into the Golfers OF the treasury.
WIZARDS.
The paved portion OF the wharf is in a
manner worn out so much SO that il Is
dangerous to drays and teams at certain
stages OF water, and very announcement of
use.
Much complaint has been made in the
last year OF the exhorbitant wharfage
charge for steamboats, and other water
crafts landing at our wharf, and this
complaint is not without just cause. The
rates of wharfage charged by trustees of
the Cairo city property is much higher
than they are at the most important cities
upon the Ohio and Mississippi riveis.
The wharfage has been so eXhorbitant
that many boats have passed our port
without landing. Others have come into
port and sent their passt myers ashore in
yawls to avoid wharfage. These high
rates OF wharfage are detrimental to the
shipping interests of our city.
The wharf or landing Is owned and
controlled, as you are aware, by the
trustees OF the Cairo city property, and
the wharfage collected is solely for the
benefit of the trustees. and expended by
| the trustees, not for the improvement OF
| the landing, as it should be, but for
whatever purpose they choose. 1t is a
fact well known TO our people that the
trustees have collected hundreds of thou
sands of dollars for wharfage in the last
fifteen years, and of all this large collec-
ton OF wharfage no expenditures of any
| importance have been made upon the
| landing within that time. It is unjust
that commerce should be thus taxed (for
this wharfage is nothing less than tax
upon commerce) without some CORES.
pOndiug benefit.
If the trustees will persist in making
| these collections of wharfage, they IN
| justice should keep the wharf in goot
repair.
If the trustees had expended even q
small portion of their gains from thi:
source we might now have one of the
best landings upon these rivers, instead
of the miserable apology 1t now Is. Ire
greet the necessity that compels me to call
! your attention to that subject, nor do
| do it for the purpose OF causing the trus-
| tees trouble, but sense of public duty
demands its. The city ought to own and
control the public landing, but
| its financial condition at present forbids
it obtaining it by condemnation or pur-
chase. Yet something should be done il
the city has the power, and it is our duty
to inquire and see what power the city
council has to give relief. We canno
expect tine trustees to give it, for they
like other men will act for what the,
believe the best interest of thos
they represent, and must and Will be In,
Judge OF that SO long as they are left fire.
to act. The city charter Is the measur,
ofour power-such rights and powers a
it gives should be exercised with prudenc
aud justice to all concerned.
The following are the enumerate
powers OF the charter in regard to tn
subject under consideration. See art
Gle s.:
Sec. 80. 10 erect and keep in repai
public landing places, wharves, docks an
Sec. 33. To regulate and control tn
use Of public and private landing places
wharyes, docks and levees.
Sec. "a. To control and regulate til
anchorage, moorage and landing OF a
water craft and their cargoes within til
jurisdiction of the corporation.
| Sec. 50. To license, regulate and pre-
, hibit wharf-boats, tugs and other boat
, used about the harbor or within sue
jurisdiction.
Sec. SO. To fix the rate OF whariag
and dockage.
Sec. 81. 10 collect wharfage an
dockage from all boats, RATS or othe
craft, landing at or using any publ
; land ing place, wharf, dock or levc,
within the limits OF the corporation.
1t appears to me that the city counc
! has the unquestioned power under til
charter to regulate and fix the rate
wharfage at all landing places, whetht
public or private. The charter restrlct
, the collection OF wharfage TO publ
landings, but it does not limit the hXlh
; OF the rates OF wharfage or dockage.
[ would therefore recomm nd III
passage or an ordinance fixing the rate
of wharfage at a reasonable rate. sue
an ordinance as will be just 10 the owner
: of private wharfs and not oppressive
| commerce.
HEALTH.
: The health of the city at the prescl
/, tune is good, no contagious diseases b
:, ing within its limits, and there has onl
been one case OF smallpox the past yea
, | and outside the expenses OF the healt
officers. the expense of the board {
| haalth has not exceeded sou.
/. Warm weather is approaching. and
n would admonish and recommend IN
: every citizen constitute him or herself
a health officer, by cleansing and puriiyil
their premises.
GAMBLING.
- Gambling within the city limits IL e.
,s tirely suppressed, with the eAcepuo
y occasionally, Of game OF cards CALI
II CRAPS" played by colored men Tor sai
:, and most of them have been broken
n and the players made to work the stree
l. Confidence men occasionally ply Thu
70 vocation, and officers are continually
- the alert to discover and TO prompt
~ arrest them; and the public can rest
:" sured the executive will use his utmt
:, endeavors 10 rid the community OF u
~ class of thieves the coming year.
e PROSTITUTION.
IN Prostitution, the worst OF vices, is 81
III in our midst, and will likely be for
y time to come, just so long as man a
as woman doth live. Assertions are c.
ig tnually made, and as b come with sol
c., persons who cannot nor never Will
to satisfied unless they are always co
-, planning OF the administration, that pr
'st titution is on the increase in our mic
Such rtions are incorrect. There