The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-03-03
CITY COUNCIL.
A Lengthy SessiOn--SI e assures of
Euterest-.Taxes Etc.

Wilkes. IIbbs, Solomon, Moore, McLd-
rem, Dunaica and McKesn. After the
adoption of the minutes the report OF
the city sexton was read md received
Deeths r white 3, colored 4. There
ports of the city marshal and recorder
approved by the finance committee,
were read and received. A petition
from the NJ. E. church, signed by Rev
q. Il. Glddings, asking permission
remove two frame buildings on Wash
lngton street, was read and unanimously
granted, after appropriate remarks by
( the mayor. From the finance commit
tee, Alderman Moore reported favorably
Z; on the petition OF the bakers to reduce
the occupation tax from $40 to SO.
| resolution corresponding with
the report of the commit
/ tee was unanimously adopted
Approved bills accounts and salaries,
J amounting in the aggregate TO S655,
/ were allowed and ordered paid. Alder
/ man DunnIca reported an ordinance
| amending the census ordinance, author
I2ng the appointment of 8n indef ite
/ number of census takers, and attaching
penalty to the refusal on the part OF
| any person or persons to answer ques-
tons prOpounded to them by the census
taker After objections by the mayor,
/ the ordinance, under d suspension Of
! the rules, passed unanlm usly. A dis
cusslon then rose as to the pro-
priety Of levying an additional tax
in the event that the net human
assets of the city amounted to ten thou
sand. DR.. Wilkes ironically T, marked
that he was III favor of an unparalleled
degree of conscience laxity on the part
of the census takeE, and would not OBJ
lect to the time of the census taking be-
ing fixed on the day of the appearance
IN the city of & circus. Mayor Sturgis
/ requested alderman Mckeen to act as
mayor pro TEN. for awhile, and taking
the floor, spoke at length in his usual
vigorous and eXtemporaneOus style in
, opposition to the effort to increase the
city taxes, taking the predicate that the
immigration TO Texas was absolutely due
TO the low rate of taXation-and that an
increased rate would place a damper OF
WacO'S commerce and drive capital
from the central city In the course of
his remarks he incidentally referred to
the bond tax, and said that citizens were
now complaining of the burden conse-
quent upon its colleotion-and that he
had voted for 1t; that there were several
men III the city who had voted against
the measure, and lie was III favor of an
appropriation for the immediate erection
ola monument to their memory, COM
memOratlng their glorious negative
achievement. That he was op-
posed to the idea of giving Waco
the prestige and importance of
a st. Louis or New York, and that the
city of Wa was in better condition
in respect to health aud the -treets than
other cities that are levying 3 or 4 per
cent. tax. He then alluded to "Waco's"
correspondence in the EXAMINER re-
fieeting on the board of aldermen, and
said that he doubted whether "Waco's"
head was big enough or contained
enough o. brains to enable him to ad-
vance a single idea that would tend 70
promote the temporal welfare OF financial
prosperity of tbs city. He made Il
touching appeal to the council IN be-
half of the poor of the city AID the
detrment TO them Of Increased taxation,
and III conclusion remar. ed that he
stood iiat-foOted on bis individual Opin-
ions, irrespective Of the views or intlu-
ence of others.
Alderman Solomon said that he
Thought the people were pretty
well taxed, and was in favor of an add
tionai One-quartcr per cent, that if the
camels back was already broken, the
additional feather would cnt but q small
figure in his downfall; that the money
nov appropriated for street work WAS
absolutely squandcred on account of its
meagreness, and that the amount raised
by an additional oue-fourth would one
rate greatly to enhance the utility of fine
amount now thrown away; that the city
had already expended the taxes for fhe
next SIX months, and was running in
debt eve day.
The mayor replying stated that if was
the province OF all corporations to incur
Indebtedness and Waco should adont
the course of others while her credit Is !
first class.
Alderman Wilkes, in response to re-
marks Of the mayor, stated that he
would never agree, even after II was
discovered that there were 10000 inhabi-
tants to levy more than l-3 of one per
cent tax
1t was here discovered by the mavor
that unless the ordinance Lowing tax
was passed at the present session there
could be no taxes collected for the fiscal
year 1882, and an ordinance lowing an
advalorem tax OF one-quarter of / per
cent was proposed, reported and
adopted. W
DIR. Wilkes asked to be excused and
the request was granted.
Alderman Dunnica reported an ordi-
nance regulating railroad train. and at
-aehIng penalty to speed in the
clty limits faster than four miles
Ri hour, and it was, after consi1-
9rable discussion passed and ordered
printed.
Alderman Dunnica presented an
ordinance contemplating and providino
.or the setting aside OF certain funds fo7.
certain purposes, and the consideratio,,
Of it was indefinitely postponed.
The ordinance referred at the Ios+
meeting to the ordinance COMMITTEE IN
regard to establishing a street fnnd onI ,
'Etting down the salaries of ofFici ;'iIs'
was adversely reported on on account TOO of
its unconstitutionallty. u
Aldermen Solomon sid he had hoo,
ing citizens that the Oh so, Lead
Of officials were too high and rconnnan lG9
81 an investigation looking to reduc- q
Ions III all quarters. He characterized
he time devoted to speechifying dnrinC,
he evening as foolishness, and was inn
nedlately called to order by the may 80. I
IS usmg language disrespetful to tLa
honorable body of which he had tbe e
distinguished privilege of being 'D q 3
member. t
The mayor then spoke with reference 3
- que Ieuucllon IN salaries of officials,
nd for some time entertained fba
oGncll with recitation of econom1 5
'al schemes advantage of wbinI,
lso stated that be had been mad, ."
ware that candidates for the various
IGces OF the city were already in tbo
cid, and action should be taken in tbe d
latter OF reduction before any of fbese -
Il Office. ''~'' p'41s
The petition of Col. TAYLOR. Of =
ring to donate five miles Of street 10 y
le city If they would pay the eynenses /,
the survey. about $50, was reporfej
ON the stree caMmittee adversely "
Major Tibbs, from the commit
e on public improvements, repn lrt-f ,
e completion of the pest house. ara -
al the same had cost 3lI5. The fire. ~.
'paTTtment committee reported n59 ~ i,