The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-24

drain age system and the condition of the
streets, he says:
There are two questions which will demand
our earnest and constant attentioE-public
schools and police. We have admirable
school sy stem and an able and jealous school
board, with an able corps of teachers. 1t will
be our duty to encourage the one and support
the OTHER. 1t is of paramount necessity that.
II we req aire t1ioient service on the part of
the teachers, they must be paid regularly and
promptly.
The police force WAS organized in 1877.
The system is, think, an I'll ;ent one. but, as
in the case of the school teachers, it's fiji ,iency
must be necessarily impaired if the men and
officers are not paid for the services endered by
them.
They pei f,sm their share Of the contract
the city Is bound to perform hers. In order to
d justice to these and other employees of the
city, and to pay its other current and peces
sary expenses, / am in favor of rigid oolleo.
tion CT the taxes. and opposed to the power of
gran ting stay cfprooeedipgs, after judgmeL t,
being placed in the hands of any one.
AS tle tff ,ienoy If the police depends in
very great metsnre upon it's discipline, do
not think that the law makes adequate pro-
vision for it's maintenance. Ia my Judgment
all promotions, from chief down waras, should
be made from the body of the force, and no
off ser OF ian shOu be oversl Au hed if he is
competent 10 III the vacancy.
The NJ. ssage concludes wish this strong re.
oommcrdation for the abolshment of the
| license tax, though His Honor fails to indicate
how the d. ficit Of from $500 900 to $3.50 600 per
annum that would be caused thereby, is to be
made up:
There is one species of tax alton which should,
in my Judgment, be abolished Every descrip
tion of property owned by the Citizen is levied
upon to swell the public revenues. His house,
his lots, his horses, COWS and calves, the watch
in his pocket the blankets which warm him,
the MAJ tress oA which he sleeps his stock,
notes and iueome are all taxed to meet the
Dub1jo ia difficnlE n
| article of property which is not taxed but
some inventive genius discovered that man.
kind might be utilized tt increase the revenues
OF the government, national, State and num-
cipal. and a tax was placed upon their BRAIN
their bone and muscle, their energy, their
terprise, their industry, and the license system
became crystalizsd into O law. l think you
will agree with me that it is al unj 81 burden.
which should be lifted from the shoulders of
an over-taxed community.
The reading of the Message having been
completed, Mr.. Houston, Administrator of In
provements, made a ten minutes speech,
wherein be said
If my investigation of the contract 81 ystem
now in vogue were to satisfy me that it was
beneficial to the best interests OF the commu-
nifty, shall prove it's ardent supporter. Bat
| if there be any troth in the assertions of the
press and the complaints of the community
that the system inaugurated by the late Ad-
ministration is productive of none but evil
results, then shall prove it's bitterest oppo-
| nent. In this connection will frankly admit
that am opposed to farming ont and trans
ferring to other hands the labors that We have
been elected to perform. 1 believe that we
can better protect the city's interests and pro-
mote it's general welfare than individna ais
having pecuniary considerations to influence
their conduct. At all events, whe ther am to
continue the administration of department
conn ected with contract system or undivided
in it's responsibilities. / shall erdeavor to
secure to the city full return for every dollar
expended, either for labor or material.
The Council then proceeded with regular
business, among the more important steps
taken being the adoption of resolutions direct
ing the City Attorney to discontinue the rules
taken to diss Dive the n anoti in the cases of
the City Insane Asylum aud the sale of the m ar
ket revenues for 1879. This action of the Coun-
Gil leaves the insane at the City ssylum under
charge of City officials as heretofore, and pre-
vents the sale Of the markets for next year
After confirming the appointments of Mr.. B.
NJ. Tarnb all, as chief clerk in the Department
of Water Works and of Messrs. Theodore Marks
and c. G. Fletcher in the Department of AS
sessments, the Council adjourned till next
Tuesday, when, no doubt, large number Of
changes in other Departments will be an
nounced.
4 RAILWAY TO THE DEAD SEA.