The Republican journal., 1882-03-23
Organization Of the City Government.

rooms on Monday at 10 A. NJ. for organization.
The full board was present. Each branch met sep
arately. W. p. Thompson, Esq, was elected pres
ident of the boael of aldermen. Charles w. Haney
was reelected president of the common council,
and Waldo B. Washburn was elected clerk
Both boards metn joint convention, the city clerk
administering the oath to Mayor johnson. The
same official swore in all the officials. Rev c. L.
Libby offered prayer Mayor johnson then de-
livered the following
ADDRESS.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL: Custom
requires to present to you such matters of bust
ness pertaining to the various departments of our
city, will be most likely to require attention
during the present municipal year, and to offer
such suggestions as may seem proper Such sug
gestons are not intended to be taken as rules for
your guidance, but merely as matters submitted for
your consideration. Should any of them meet with
your approval, undoubtedly you will give them all
the consideration they may require. Whatever
there may be i'll them of which you do not approve,
you will discard at once.
1t will be unnecessary for me to make any Sug-
gesens in relations to our schools as YOU will have
before you the full and complete report of the
experimenting School Committee for the past year,
wherein they make several recommendations to
which you Will OF course give due consideration.
during me past year vacancy mas occurred on
this committee which it will be necessary to fill at
this meeting, besides electing one member of the
board for the term OF three years.
No report has been fled by the Chief Engineer of
the past year, therefore information is nj hand
to the condition of fire department. our
duties pertaining to this department must not be
neglected. for the safety of our city depends in a
great measure upon prompt and efficient fire dc
partment. | can only hope that for the wear to
come, shall be as free from fires as we have
been for the year past. Doubtless you have all no
ticed, that, for the past few years, whenever
building has been destroyed by fire, it has not been
replaced, consequently we should use all reasonable
means in our power for the prevention of fires /
think that an efficient night watch has lone, and
q. hat
property is destroyed by fire, is much taken
from our valuation, and must necessarily increase
our taxation in the same proportions
Our highways, from the best information have
been able to obtain, are i'll good condition as
usual at this season of the year. l know of no
bridges which will require any extensive repairs
during the coming season.
During the past year the draw OF the town bridge
was rebuilt and all repairs deemed necessary were
then made, and If vessels use proper i'll pass
ing through the draw think the repairs except in
case of accident will be very light
Probably none except ordinary repairs will be
needed upon the upper bridge, 50 called, provided
the vessels in passing through The draw to this
bridge, use due
These two bridges receive more injury from the
careless management of vessels in passing through
them than from all other causes ComIincd And
the masters and owners of vessels passing through
these bridges should be held responsible for all
damages occasioned by their owners negligence
The good order and peace of our city depend
almost wholly upon the efficiency and Vigilance Of
our police force which will be directly under the
control of the City Marshal, therefore, doubt not
that IN making the selection Of the person for this
office, Won will choose who will he best qualified
for the position. He should he Il man W no W i'll not
only command the respect of all parties hut Will be
capable OF acting promptly and dec1Sitey whenever
occasion may require it. And is general rule if
we have capable man at the head of the force
Shall have no trouble from this departments and
think may say the same of all the other depart
ments of our city. 1t Is the duty of the City Mar
shal, with the Mayor and Aldermen, to nominate
all pohcrm"n, not CAcecding sixteen III number,
who shall be elected by the ctV council in ioint con-
| n
elected who are not qualified for the position, for it
will be far better to have six good and capable men
to constitute the force than sixteen who are not ca
pal lie.
find by the Treasurer's report that the entire
bonded debt Of the city is $3.50 200, 10000 of which
will become due in 1854, $3.50 in $50, and 5,
600 in lS'S; $4,000 being, presume what Is known
the loan the balance S614, 300 being the loan
created on account of the Belfast and Moo-t head
Lake Railroad, on this debt are paying annual-
ly, as interest, the sum of $42,096 which amount.
less S5,215 received from the railroad company as
interest on the city note, and the amount received
is dividends on the ciys preferred stock, must
necessarily be raised by taxation and iii season to
pay the coupons when they become due our debt
Is large, and our citizens are growing uneasy shd
restless under the heavy taNcs necessarily imposed
in order to pay the interest thereon promptly, and
If any just and reasonable way can be devised by
which they can he relieved of any portion OF this
burden. trust we shall not be slow in aNaiIing
ourselves of it, Many of the cities AMI towns in
l ms state have refunded large portion Of their
debt at Il lower rate Of interest. some preliminary
steps III this direction We're taken by prede.
S"rs but disagreement arose as to the manner of
securing the new bonds to he issued, and fol that
reason nothing was accomplished, some cnutcndiug
that they should be secured by coIlN eytnct ;I--
lutte in form, of our railroad stock. while others
conended t.iat, as the conveyance To bc IL Sc
curlty merely II Nloud be conditional On ny mort
gage in form, 20 that the conveyance And Tie re-
cords would show the real object and intention for
by the conveyance and lis record the city would be
bound in the future.
\ conveyance, absolute in form, would deprive
the city of any voice in the stockholders meetings
lt.tlt fbtl ,n,
issued were paid, whether due ornot, (Which would
nave been forty wears, as that the time for
which the contemplated bonds We're to rum while
under conveyance by mortgage, The holders Of the
new bonds would, i'll fact, have the same security.
and the city would stll retain its right To represent
tins stock in the stockholders meetings so long is
it continued to meet the payments on account of
these bonds as they became due. 1t is very seldom
mat we see or even hear of any municipal bonds
which are secured by any collateral convryancp,
either absolute in form, conditional. and have
yet to learn of a single Instance where they have
been secured 10y an absolute conveyance But ii is
expected that If any new bonds are issued in the
place OF those uutstandlng they and the coupons
thereto attached Will be paid promptly Is they be-
come due In order that the holders Of these bonds
may feel more secure than they would if their mo
ney was invested i'll the usual municipal bonds we
should DE willing to say to them that ii fail TO
meet those obligations as they become due, they
may 1oreclose TINS mortgage of our railroad stock
and become the absolute owners thereof. 1t seems
TO me that bonds thus secured will find more
ready sale in the money markets than ordinary
bonds. 1t may be that the rates OF Htcro~ It are -
l.. -
hlGh anu money III huch active demand that Moth
ing can be accomplished towards refun'!lhg our
oept AT present But let us be on the alert, amt if
an opportunity presents itself he ready proceed
AZ once, ana II We can succeed we shall not only rc
leNt our tltAells OF large portion OF Their taxes,
hut 4ulel an nlsapnrehthslonS either at home N
ahfWa'' al TO uie Nall'nty OF our bonds.
- tlE concluding, gentlemen, IN the language
OF 'ne II my predecessors, 81 wish to say Il few
words ABOUT our railroad. / say ouf railroad and
uesisheIly
Inc IaIfoNl Is me city : rallroad 1hr city
owns Inc commanding interest, Is the clnrt stock
hoIuef'
Inc Guy owns LNc thousand shares of the capital
STOCK Oh inc company beng nearly ilNe-5lNths Of the
Mhoe STOCK, Whlch cost So690tO giving to the CITY
inc COMFORTING power IN the stockholders meetings.
Such beng the tact. 1t Is the duty OF the city rpun
cll to see that the business of the company Is prop
cry conducted, ana The earnings of the company
properly distributed;
lhcre are Two KINDS OF stock, VIZ preferred ana
non-preiemed OF which, 1896 shares of the former
anu ooo4 or me atcr tall except 200 shares owned
ny The town of Brooks are owned by the city
Before any subscription for amy portion of this
stock was made 1t was agreed and Was one of the
Iohllllehs OF me subscriptions that no Worn should
De commenced on the road until the full amount
was secured ior Its completion, "thcrtby avoiding
me necessity OF any mortgage or incumbranCc be-
ing ever contracted by the company" Worh, how
ever, was commenced, and it was afterward found
that sufficient amount could not be collected OF
the SUBSCRIBERS for the stock TO complete the road