Weekly Phoenix herald., 1883-08-09
MAYOR PoRTEH's MESSAGE

III AlAA~e$tC bD H'iO OC~@A0-'5 | quarterly, general statement of the situation and coalition of the city ia relation to it's fuancrs and i'm provements, to rec ommend the sdop tion of such measures as he ma deem necessary for the good govern 1 meut, health, cleanliness and gene ral improvement of the city. ]
 In fulfilling the duty of making 1 the communication iu the section 1 referred to, would statei
 First, Tn regard to tho finan- ciui condition cf the city, that the present Council found as shown by tue report of the Treas surer, $3252l in the treasury. and s23S. IS on the delinquent tax fist
 That the Council found itself con> fronted with au epidemic of small pox, which required prompt and energetic action oa its part. Action was had, and competent Health Officer appointed, wIsh fail power 10 use the ordinary means employed i in the suppression and exiinguish- nlent of the disease. The exttaordin- ! ary expense accustomed thereby made it necessary for the Councfi,t 10 experd more money than was in the treasury or Ut their disposal, which was secured by thclr executing their joint and several notes for the same.
 From the report of the Health Officer, which is hereto attached, it | appeaTet that the disease was un- der control and tue remaining con> valescent cases were placed under the supervision of the Marshal, and at the present time there are but four cases. oil conva'escent, and witain short time there will doubt. less remain no vestisc of the disease within the bounds of the city.
 Exaggerated reports, inspired ei- ther by jealousy CT malice,in several Territorial papers has doubtless pros 1 duced an erroneous impression in regard to the prevalence of this di- sease in our city, but we believe that the disease whenever it appears, based upon the opinion of medical men, is of milder form, and that the quarantine regulating it has been the most thorough and stringent of any city in the Terri tory.
 iSecond, to provide revenue suf- ticient to meet .be expense eu;ailed by reason of the action of this 5' dy it's earnest endeavoc to tran,ple out the last germ of the disease in our midst,the Council found 1t n-ces sary to increase thc general tax . one mill on the dollar, and to also increase the speclal license tax 10 8 From Investigation we have been abie1b give the subject, the general and special taxation of the citizens of Phoenix for city purposes is much less than th@t of any other city in the Territory, 0S in soathern California.
 Third, the former artiRn of the 1 Council confirmed by tliS present Council, makes it the duty your Mayor 70 fake charge of t
 button ot the water in |. .e
 have always regarded
 growth and prosperity of
 Valley, as we'll as the prosperity of our city, dl
 on this element by mean4 lh industry makes our deser Pas rhe rose.
 The corporate limits of our city are one mile in extent from east to to west, not counting the ; Additicn, and one half mile in width Il con- ! tains over fifteen miles of st eets and nearly thirty miles oe ditches, through which it has beed our pur- pose to have The water foN continu> oessl.y.
 The mo0ih of the main &itch has been cleared ard most Of the prirci pal ditches in the city cieanc with in the last three m~.,tlis. A con> uectior has also been mao> Eith the Maricopa ditch distance ci louc aud one half mics from the citfy ditch, by means of whieh we h1bc to ha able to obtain wata. con} }inuously, either from Ae Maricopa or Salt River TallrgfoqnaI-
 ! I be.'eZ the water supply oi Pboenix Ss adequate under the pre- seut sYyslem lo supply every let in {. our/Sity. IL may bc somewi t pre- maiutc, but would recommend t1hat the Council t. ke action to se- i cure water right iu the Arizona . canal, which is now being construct ed, and from which if completed &C., cording to it's present way, water man be conducted into the city at a a pressure of one hundred and fifty \ feet. The construction of ditches kin our limits necssitatc the coastruc-
 ion of culverts and bridges Many ! the old ones have been repaired
 kew ones constructed according
 Dasof the ZanjSr0, which
 ASd, and I would re-