Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-29
THE LAST OF THE OLD.
ANNUAL SESSION or COUNCIL.
The Annual Reports-City Hall Bonds
Sold Addresses by Retiring Aid
ernen, Officers and Mayor.

Council vas held last evening, the Mayor
presiding. The joint annual report Of the
Mayor and City CLERK Was adopted without
reading, and ordered printed 1t showed
the outstanding Indebtedness of the city TO
be, exclusive OF school tonds, $40I 90; the
total assessments made for general and
special purposes, sss9. 1880
The Committee on Mays and Means. TO
whom was referred the matter of the eIani-
nation Of the City Treasurer annual report,
submitted the same reporting they had been
correctly kept. The report was adopted
without reading and ordered printed. 1t
showed the balance Oh hand IN the city
treasury, April -. 1886, to be Sl6s, ,2io.55.
The annual report of the Board of Health
was next submitted, and on motion was
adopted and ordered to be printed. The re-
port shows that the total number of nuis-
ances abated during the past year, under the
order of the Board were 1858; the number
of contagious diseases reported during the
year were 322, with - deaths. OF these
numbers there were 5S cases of diphtheria,
with III deaths; 81 cases of scarlet fever, with
deaths; 81 cases of typhoid fever, with IL
deaths, and Ia cases of measles, with one
death. There were thirty deaths from cholera
infantum. The total number of deaths dur
ing the year from all canses were 357. The
Board estimating the rate of increase of
population at the same rate as for the past
four years, shows the present population of
the city to be about 1900, and the death
ff.r rbeax hs.S - nra h.ar
sand, which is lower than that of any other city
of the same size of which the Board has any
knowledge. This rate is against that of
10 per thousand for year ending April, 1882;
III per thousand for year ending same time,
! 1888; 5 $500 per thousand for 1884.
The annual report of the Director of the
Poor was adopted without reading and
ordered printed. 1t shows that the amount
expended for the relief of the city poor for
the past year wa, 81, 1882; of this amount
S226.32 was refunded by townships and by
people who became able TO pay it back to
the city, leaving the net amount Sl2,71 The
total number of persons relieved is 2, ia In
I 52s different families. The number of peo-
! pie receiving aid is almost double that of last
! year and the amount expended is about %
per cent. greater than in the previous year.
There has also been more sickness among
| the poor this year than last, there being an
increase in the cost of medicine used of over
800. During the last year the City Physi-
clan has made over 2,0O0 visits to people
dependent upon the city for support.
The Committee on Ways and Means, to
whom was referred the bids received for the
balance of the City Hall loan ($l35,0OO) re-
| ported recommending the awarding of the
entire amount to Messrs: X. s. Day Il Co., of
Boston, Mass, at $lO5 3-lOO and accrued in
tersst, payable in installments from time to
time, as the money may be demanded by the
! Common Council. This bid would net a
premium of S6,925.50 to the city. The bids
of Messrs. Venner It Co., of Boston, were
several. All but two of them were below
the other bids received. The com
mittee considered these two as peculiar,
! being in the nature of an auction bid.
| They offer to give one-half of one per cent.
| premium more than any other bid up TO a
| specified sum. This would have given the
city an additional sum of $675 as premium,
but the committee did not consider the bid
a legitimate one, and so rejected it. The
committee also recommended that the par
ties to whom the bonds have been awarded
be required to deposit with the City Treas
urer $1,000 of the first issue of the same, to
be held as a continuous security that the
bonds will be taken and paid for according
| to the terms of the bid. Aid. Gilbert moved
the report be accepted and adopted, which
carried after several amendments and sub
stitutes had been offered and voted down, by
a vote of ii to 4. Aids. Killean, Nester,
Saunders and Whitney voted in the negative.
The Committee on Buildings reported
favorably upon the repairs, ice water and
stationery for Police Court. The report of
the Committee on Poor was read, showing
the total amount of supplies bought during
the past year, S1,l9s.A stock on hand,
S4s4.l3: total amount of supplies delivered,
S6,7l4O7. The report was adopted and
ordered printed. The Mayor appointed ss a
special committee Aids. Grady. Pierce and
Saunders, to investigate the matter of the
repairs being made to a building by A.
49,
report to the new Council.
The bonds of the city officers elect, which
were referred to the City Attorney and the
Committee Of Ways and Means, were re
ported correct in form and the suretie.
80. h, which was approved by the Coun
Gil.
The aldermen, who occupied their seats
for the last time, were called upon fo
speeches. Aid. More led of saying he hae
enjoyed his relations vith the Council, hss
endesvored 70 perform his whole duty, sns
left his chair with some regrets. Aid. Bren
neF, good old aoul, in resigning his chair
spoke of the many improvements he had al
! vsys favored and had seen pushed through
he recommended some iurther improve
maaas - the consideration Of IA
new Council Among them "a
the transforming Of the FIrs
( Ward market into bssutitnl PARK, with
, handsome pedestal n the center, suTmoUnte'
! with a statute Of the Goddess Of Love fsom
= Il. - -