The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-04-22
THE MUNICIPAL LEGISLATURE.
first A.sstiag Of the New City Council.
A Clear and Able Message From Mayor
Eastman.


Passage of the Ges OrdInanee-A ppoInt-
lnent OF City Omesrs. etc.
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, April 10, 1891.
Regular meeting OF the city council.
Present, mayor Eastman, Messrs. Fox,
Bay, Lewis. ireland, Whittlesey, Hal
leck, Watson, Theis-
Minutes of meetings held March "A,
81. SO. April Z, 9. and 8. read and APP
proved.
Mayor Eastman read the following
message:
GEHrLEMEN OF THE CoUNcL:
have thought il not out of place to
say few words in relation to some of
the yarious interests of the city at this,
our first meeting. We are all aware
that in order TO have The city prosper as
we hope to see il, as all believe it ought,
and as believe it will, we must give
our very best thought 10 the careful and
economical administration OF her affairs.
With bonded Indebtedness of $I03,-
COO, besides the manufacturing bonds;
with scrip issued and unpaid Of over
81, 600; with q yearly interest on indebt-
edness of over 5000, and running ex-
penses which can not be put down at
much less than $1,000, and county
state and bond tax OF between si- teen
and seventeen thousand dollars, the
closest economy in every department of
the city government seems to be of the
very first importance.
On the other hand with the sharp
rivalry of our sister towns and with the
commercial standing and importance of
no one of them, probably, outside of the
three first class cities, fixed, but depend
ing largely on a wise and liberal policy
towards every enterprise which Will add
to their material wealth, we must be
alive to our necessities and see TO it that
we do not, by narrow views and short
sighted economy, cripple the best inter
est of the city and SOP her present rap
id growth. Il my opinion the true way
TO encourage manufacturing and other
enterprises Is 10 gran. them as liberal
concessions as we can, and exemption
from taxation for .srm of years, rather
than by direct aid from the city and in
creased bonded or Other debt. / be .icve
one of tie first things which should en-
gage your attention is the rounding of
the present city Indebtedness so far as
this is practical. And here lei me make
my most earnest protest against the
idea that we are to refund and paw
only that portion of our debt
which as il is sometimes put, constitutes
legal liability aga nst the city If
our city wishes to damn herself for all
time TO come, the first step in that direc
ton, in my Judgment. is TO begin a
course of Reputation Of debts which We
have assumed, either 1y a direct vote of
the people or by our legal representa-
tiyes. have no more regard for the
managers of a CO porat.on who will re-
fuse to pay its debts through some legal
bubble than / have for the deid-beats
who go from place to place among our
business houses getting trusted foEall
they can and refusing TO pay because
the law cannot touch them. No CON-
munity of debt dodgers will ever prosper
have no love for bonds, never have yot-
ed for one of them since my residence in
the city but once, and then under protest
for the completion of our high school
building, but so far as am able TO help
IT every bond we have out shall be
paid and no more bonded Indebtedness
shall be added to our already too heavy
burdens. / believe ii to be possible
with careful management to refund our
debt with a 5 per cent. bond and to sell
the same at par.
Which is cheaper-for us to take up
our whole bonded debt as fast as pos
sible, and by so doing, So improve our
credit that we can sell 5 per cent. bond
at par, thus saving over three thousand
dollars year in interest, or by a repu-
diation of ten or fifteen thousand dollars
make our credit so low that we must
pay from 2 to 10 per cent. for a genera
lion? The old proverb is as true of
cities as individuals Honesty is the
best policy" saying nothing at all of
M orality.
Our present condition is substantially
-.