Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-03-21

1t is matter for congratulation
that the financial status Of the city
is in SO satisfactory condition as it
is at present. The figures furnished
me by the city clerk show that our
in debtedness has been reduced,
during the past year, to the extent
of s2,865.14 after imposing upon
our people lighter tax than has
been levied for several years past.
On March 10th, 1877, we had the
following items of indebtedness:
| City Orders outstanding, s3,5191O
| Due on Judgments, 2,49l %
Engine Bonds, 1856. ~
Making total Of 1861
On the 18th of March, 1873, our
liabilities comprise the following
items:
Outstanding Orders SAIL SO
| Due on Engine Bonds, 74S. 80
Due on judgments, 578.79
! Total 5,43S As
| IN city treasury, a2o.Hs
Making present Indebtedness 5,011.4T
decrease of liabilities for the ear of 1855 "a
The county treasurer has the C +;
charged on delinquent county taxes.
the sum of $5,901.57. On the other
hand, the taxes on delinqu mt n's
represented in part by tax certif-
"ates. which are placed to the credit
of the city, have been returned to
him, amounting to about $4,000
les wing the county indebted to the
city, whenever these delinquencies
shall have been paid, in the sum of
over $4,000.
These figures are really encourag-
ing, and should serve to inspire us
with the determination to be just
as economical in all expenditures as
the interests of the city will permit.
No expense should be Incurred for
improvements that can be dispensed
with without material injury to the
interests of the city, SO that at the
end of our term of service it may be
entirely free from all Indebtedness
or at least from matured liabilities
THE CITY SCHOOLS.
Owing to lack of funds to main
tain them longer without mourning
additional indebtedness, the city
schools were closed on Yesterday.
the Board Of Education deeming it
prudent to take this step in order
to commence the next school year
without the incubus of debt to en-
barrass its operations. The district
| is now involved in the sum of 9J2..
81, besides a balance of sos for
school furniture, which falls due on
June 1st, 1879.
The liabilities of the district have
been reduced considerably during
the year. The loan from the State
has been diminished $1,000, and all
the old Indebtedness for building
the school house has baen cancelled.
The district has also paid, during
the same time, the sum of S1,611.9O
on the school house furniture, leav-
ing a balance, as before noted, of
only sos.
The total decrease of liabilities
of city proper and of the school
district, is nearly SG0CO.
Our predecessors levied a tax
sufficient to maintain the schools for
the term of nine months, but owing
to the fact that only fraction over
80 per cent. of the tax has been col,
lected, they are ordered closed for
the present school wear. 1t is bit
ter lesson to our people, that because
they have failed to pay taxes prompt
Iy their children must be turned in
to the street, to be contaminated
with the vices which idleness always
J begets. If the lesson SO harshly
taught shall result for the better in
the future, it will be a recompense
in small measure, at least.
PRINTING.
Your attention is called to Sec. 9
of Chapter 8, of the city charter, re-
lating to all printing authorized and
required; and now that the law pro-
hi5its me from being interested in
any contract whatever, ] can unset
fshly recommend the publication
of the official proceedings of your
doings, as 4 measure due alike to
yourselves and to every citizen. A
complete knowledge of all of your
acts will tend to disarm unjust crit
icism and to enlist our fellow -citi-
zens in all projects for the public
good. | would commend this sub
ject to your thoughtful considera-
ton.
CITY CLERK.
For some years past, the CITY
clerk S regular sa AIRY has been S125
per year, and additional pay for all
extra servicss-services not enumer-
ated in Sec. 4, Chap. 3, of the CITY
charter. These "extra services" are
universally regarded as burdensome
and oltentimss far-fetched, averag-
ing almost as much as the regular
salary itself. A new and compre-
hensive method for keeping tn. ex-
pense account and the account with
the county, city and school district
treasurers, has been instit ted during
the past year, and appropriate books