Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-04-18

: fore been conducted on the volunteer sys
TEN, and has always proved itself equal t
a full performance of its duty, has been re
Gently partially reOrg2nized on the pay sys
TEN. This will require an outlay Of sOmt
$500 for the pay of the men. One new res
eryoir of large capacity should be bull
each year. The buildings and engines anC
equipments are all in good order, and al
additional outlay OF say $500 for incident
ais ought to be sufficient to maintain the
efficiency of the department.
The cost of lighting the streets under the
present contract with the Gas Co. is about
5000 per annum. While dislike to seem
even to criticise the action of any of my
fellow citizens l cannot forbear saying that
the service rendered has been such as to be
open TO the grave suspicion that the pay
and not the accommodation of the public
is the main end sought. This expense
ought to be improved in value, or entirely
dispensed with.
The expense of our military organiza-
tiOns Is one that the law of the State makes
it the duty of the Council to provide for,
but the general feeling seems to be that the
benefits are not in any proportion to the
cost.
The building of sidewalks and putting
down of sewers are expenses falling under
the law upon the property benefited, and
should be ordered only upon full consent
of the parties most interested.
The board of health have in charge the
sanitary condition of the town, and to them
is given the duty and on them rests the re-
| spOnsibility of due and proper exercise of
the ample powers with which they are
clothed by the law.
For the past two years the public mind
has been agitated upon the subject of Har-
Dor nprovements-the widening, deepen
ing and straightning of the river channel
so as to increase the capacity Of our harbOr,
to attract and keep our increasing lake
commerce in ore and coal, to bring to it a
lumber and grain trade and to secure line
of propellors, and the establishment Of 9TH
| er branches of business at the harbor and
| up town. thus increasing our industries and
adding to our maternal wealth and re-
| sources.
think l am safe in saying that nine
| tenths of all our people regard this improve
ment as one that is much needed and need
ed now; that we suffer now and shall con-
tinue to suffer loss in our prosperity and
growth every day that it is deferred. The
only difference of opinion is as to the ways
and means by which the work shall be ac-
complished and the proper distribution of
the cost and expense.
Upon this point there have been and still
are honest differences of opinion. The
power Of the Council, within the limits of
taxation prescribed by law, to levy tax
and devote the avails to this work will not
think be questioned. Regarding this as
an improvement vital to the interests of
Ashtabula and to its future prosperity, and
seeing the diversity OF opinions and inter-
ests among our people, have been led to
ask if there are not items of expense which
might better be cut off or deferred and
the money thus saved be used to carry out
this much needed work. By reducing our
police force to the point previously named
we could save at least 81 200 or 81, 800. by
carefulreSs in expenditure we can reduce
our levy for street purposes as much more
and then have all that we need, and our
levy for Fire Dept can be materially les
sened for year or Two, and the lighting Of
our streets either dispensed with or lesSened
in cost. In short, by a system of rigid
economy and putting off of some works
that our pride or ambition might urge upon
rs. believe that the Council can while
confined the levy to the same amount as
levied last year devote means enough this
year to this work to do all that part where
no compensation is asked for lands cut off
leaving the settlement of that question and
the balance of the work to another year.
The time Is a favorable one. dredges are
now or soon will be here and before long
the work now being done by the R. R. Co.'S
will be finished and this work might
think be let at very low figures because they
are on the ground and there would be com
petition in the bidding. Had we not better
defer some other things that this perman-
ent work may be done now? Many of the |
other needed Improvements will follow all |
in due time.
With these suggestions, which I com
mend to you careful consideration, l sub |
NIT the whole responsibility to your hands. |
II. L. MORRISON, Mayor.
Ashtabula, April 10 1879.
His Honor then announced the following |
committees for the ensuing year:
COMMITTEES FOR 1879.
On StreetS-Seymour, Call and Israel
On SideUalk8 Haskell, Hitchcock and |
Call
On Fire and Water-H Hitchcock, Haskell
ind Call
On Finance Israel, Hitchcock and Man
ming.
On Gas and Lighting Streets Haskell,
Call and Hitchcock.
On Harbor and WHarfs-Israel, Manning
and Haskell
On Public Buildings Hitchcock, Man
ming and Israel.
On SeloerS and Drains-Seymour, Haskell
and Hitchcock.
On Police and Prisons Call, Seymour
and Haskell.
On MISUNDERSTANDING, Israel and sey-
mOur.
On Printing and P'sblishing-Manning
Israel and Seymour.
On PARKS and Cemeteries Seymour
and Manning.
The bend of Anthony Abeel, as Street
Commissioner, with Omar Gillette and
Geo. Russell as surities, and the bond of
T. E. Hoyt, as Solicitor, were presented
and approved.
A petition from Robert Fuller was read,
praying for an appointment on the police
force Referred to the Mayor.
"An ordinance to amend section one Of
an ordinance entitled, can ordinance for
the re organization and government Of the
Fire Department of the Incorporated Vii |
lage of Ashtabula, passed Nov. 1st, 1875
as amended Jan. II, 1877, to amend sec
tion three of said ordinance passed Nov. l,
1875, and to repeal sections four and eight
of said ordinance" was read and passed
upon the suspension of the rules.
On motion of Mr. Manning, the chair
appointed Messrs. Seymour, Haskell and
Call a special committee to meet COM
mittee of citizens interested IN the pro-
posed extension of Camp Street to Nathan
Street.
The Mayor re-appointed P. C. Ford
Chief Engineer of Fire Department, Geo.
Brake as Assistant chief. B. Fl. Richard
Captain of Neptune steamer and hose COM
panies, and c. L. Scoville engineer of
steamer No. 8, all of which appointments
were confirmed by the Council. Adjourn