The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-01-05


bonds, will be sufficient for the cur.
rent year.
Our police force consists of chief
of police and two night watchmen
which ndnber at present l think i;
sufficient at least for the next tive
months; bat should the. state of af-
fairs demand it the council may ap.
point another puliceman on the rec.
ommendetiun of the committee on
health and police
1t shall be my duty to exercise a
careful supervision not only over the
police force but also over the general
state of municipal affairs and all other
subordinate officers. 1t shall be my
aim to have an efficient and well DIS
ciplined police force who will do theiI
duty well as a police force, who will
treat everyone alike, not being re-
ouired to lend their aid to influence
men in politics neither one way on the
other.
1 therefore do recommend and in.
struct the committee on health and
police, along with the city attorney, to
draft a suitable ordinance defining the
duties of the police force, and | espe
cially call their attention to section
l35, 4, which section heretofore has
been sadly neglected.
As there is an ordinance before. the
City Council. which ordinance has
passed the second reading, defining
the dnty of the Auditor and Clerk, and
fixing his salary, | hope the Council
will take the same under consideration
and pass it.
The streets in general are in as good
4 condition as could reasonably be ex.
pected. Water and Skemockawa
streets, after a long struggle, have at
last been repaired. The roadway lead.
ing to upper town made some repairs,
but as the property owners adjacent to
it are objecting to make those repairs,
the only thing left to the committee to
do, is to 60 strict according to the
charter and give the required notice
in the DAILY AsToRIAN for such i'm
provement. Other streets need some
minor repairs, such as Chenamus,
Concomly and Washington streets
The Street Superintendent will no
doubt look after this.
Heretofore the lamps were under
the immediate supervisio n of the COM
mittee on public property, which, in
some cases, worked hardship on to
them. | call tile Councils attention
to section "a Of the charter, which,
amongst other things, says: The
Street Superintendent shall keep HIM
self Informed of the condition of street
lamps. etc.
As there is hardly any more lots
available III the cry cemetery for in
ternelts | hope the committee on
public property will not delay the mat
ter any longer, but will take such
steps as to procure suitable place for
a city cemetery at their earliest con-
venience.
The city ordinance being in such a
state AS to make it utterly impossible,
not only for an outsider, but even for
the police force, and the City Council
not excepted, To tell what ordinance is
in force and which of them has been
repealed. therefore ask the COM
mittee on rules and regulation to try
and get the same in some shape, to
enable the Council to take some action
in regard to them
| cannot understand why this has
been neglected all along, the city
charter being very explicit in pointing
out the duty of the Council in regard
to having the city ordinance printed.
Section l59 says: 1.-The Council, as
soon rs practicable after act taking
effect (1S76) must provide by ordi-
nance for the codifying and publish
ing in book or pamphlet form OF all
ordinance or parts there of, then in
full force ard for the publishing in
like form annually thereafter the ci ty
ordinance for the currcHt year.
As all our road tax is now. by act
of the Legislature Of the State of Ore
gon on the petition of some citizens,
applied to the improvement of county
roads, and as We have no road leading
out of town, | think it would be ad-
visahle, and to he our duty, to use all
our influence to aid those living and
doing business along the line, to get a
road to and around Smiths Point.
The fire department of our city is in
a dourishing condition, both COM
panies having full membership, also
Hoook and Ladder company. The
boys deserve great credit for their
efficiency and prompt attention to
their duty. The trust and confidence
we placed in them as guardians not
only over our ire engines, but over all
our property, has not been misapplied.
1t Is with pride that l can state that
our city is and has been prosperous
this last year more so than i'll any
proceeding one; buildings going up on
all sides, many buildings being not
only useful but ornamental at the
same time. The coming year will see
many changes, if not more, at least one
brick building will be erected. which
ultimately will break the ice and Others
will follow