Telegram-herald., 1886-04-28
DYE-DYE OLOCOUNCIL
Appropriate Ending or a Very
important Municipal Year.
Tx FINAL SESSION HELD LAST NIGHT
Masor Cortiss' VslsoictOrY President
Siiisan Address Spsechss %
Retiring Aicsfmsn-An AnRuai
Reports song of AID.
adY-Cigars.

6raor-Cigars.
The anal meeting IT tie Common Council
Of lss5 12s held lass night Rith Mayor
Curtis in the char. aad al Hlenoers present
sxcept Aid L41niere. Among the spectators
we're Niiier H. stevens. member ol the
BoaFd "a Psblic W8rks DifecLsC ~ tie
Poor h1ppreebt. Ii. \ Carau. Secretary of
the Beard u Health cts Physician Holden
M4yor-sleCt DlxsmAn and Aldermen eiect
Doyle aad HantleY The Mayor stated Ihat
The meeting Sas held f1r the purpose O.
hearing the annual reports u city or.cefs
4ad any re MARKS Or speeches thar retiring
officers saN "a O. make. He Invited Mayor
elsct DlkenAa % occupy a sFat beside hiu
and asssist him in his aaiuOus duties. Ar.
l1keman declined With thanks. saying he
preferred 10 remain among the spectators.
The report 0f The Mayor aud CLERK gave the
dnancal transactions flF the past year in
detail sh0siag the present indebtedness 0f
the city 10 be s70l 90 The report Of the
Gy Treasurer was presented aud ordered
printed. The report Of Director Of Poor
Rupprecht vas read. accepted and ordered
printed II showed that during tie past
sear four hundred and twelve families COM
prislnk one thousand, four hundred and
.ixiy-hge persons hal received aid 10 the
amour OF s. HO.5l The report of the
Boar, al Health was presented and ordered
prin .ed The Committee on Ways and
Means reported that compe-
tent accountant had been EN-
ploysd io examine the books
Of the city Treasurer and had found every
thing correct. The report cOmphmented
Mr Nash for the excellent manner in which
7 he had kept the Treasurer books. and Aid.
Gilbert said thar the accountant Was very
emphatic ia his commentator OF Mr. Nash ;
I work. The Committee on Fire Department
reported N favor Of allowing William Miller
7 90 continue the storing Of gasoline in a
metallic tank, underground in the rear of
7 his store on South IOnia-st. After lengthy
+ discussion the report was accepted and
\ placed on hle. Aid. Hayward, OF the
I Committee on Poor. reported that the past
year the committee had purchased
supplies as follows. Flour. 10. 800 pounds;
potatoes 5t5 bushels, tea, 2.l60 pounds.
7 rice 9l1 pounds, soap, 5000 pounds. pork
/ 1871 pounds rutabagas. 2D bushels, wood.
9l5 cords. beans 3, loo pounds; coffee, 3 80
hftAA4tA>t rAraAs ANf - bOAAAlA0s syrup GU
gallons. matches, l5 cases. salt, II barrels.
/ vinegar, ls7 gallons. The total cost Of the
/ supplies vas =, l67 -. The report closed
I by calling attention 10 the necessity for a
| city hospital. 10 was accepted and ordered
/ printed ExSupervisOr James y. Davis %
whom. as an expert was referred Aid
/ rhums resolution relative To the .Sttafs
/ Zeifungs Overcharging for public printing
reported that he had thoroughly examined
J.
been paid >6S57 more than it was legally
entitled 70. Accepted and placed on fle.
After the routine business was concluded
Aid GRADY moved mat the Council 20 into
committee OF the whole. tpr the purpose O
hearing the mayors 'eX-augural address
Carried The mayor said that il would, nc
dOuDt. be ifksOme 10 the Aldermen 70 lis
ten 20 his address, and before beginning ht
would order the Marshal TO bring in box
Of cigars The Marshal ooeyed the order
and after the members OF the Council liz
their cigars. the Mayor read as follows:
The municipal wear OF lSS4-5 closes TO
nigkt. and we pass the duties, burdens anC
responsibilities which We have assumed iu
the past year over 10 our successors. A re-
Prospect of what has been done by this cOun
ell during this year leaves no regretfu
thought in my mind. or lingering wish thai
better might have been done. You have
done we'll. Is Is generally considered a
delicate and often dangerous undertaking e
make comparisons But have no hesitan
cy ia saving that Grand Rapids has not
bad a more capable efficient and faithful
board OF aldermen IN many years, If ever
than that which | have had the honor o
presiding over
Most Of YOU have been regular in YOU
attendance upon sessions. Your c0mmitte,
work, judging by the careful report:
presented have been thOughtfully anC
faithfully done. There has been no evidenc,
Of neglec'. of duty or desire to shirk
responsibility. You have shown an interes
In the welfare Of the city that could no
well have been deepened had your Owl
individual affairs been under consideration
As a citizen and taxpayer ! seel that tn,
retirement of 80 many old members Of tn'
Council is positive loss 10 the ciry. anC
will add 20 the lab0rs OF those holding over
During the year death has invaded voul
r0nks and removed one Of your numbe ?
Attentive. faithful. conscientious anc
honest were qualities possessed by Aid
Patterson that commanded respect anC
esteem for the man. The number of i'm
prOvements inaugurated during the yea
are many. and Of a very important chardc
ter. Among the monuments that vii
stand for many years 90 mark the wOrs
done by YOU are two substantial iroT
bridges while the improvements clntem
plated and now in progress involve a very
large expenditure Of money. they sre of
substantial character and will not require
replacing OF renewing for many years q
come There - nj ways an aversion felt 20
ward bonded bebt aud 10 Is well that IL /
So bat there = nothing in the citvs pres
ent financial conditian % cause slarm uT
this account find that in lsso
when the citys population was 32Goo ii
{ round numbers the bonded debt was $40
oOo or about slf - per capita. Now W
have a population oi - GO with a b0nde,
debt of s70i 90 OF sbeut $3.50 per cspiu
a decrease of 81 % per capita which il
/ much less than thar of most cities of liS
sizs and importance in this country Th'
+ healthy condition Of the city and the vsrl
lox death ate rate during the year are ia
deed gratifying results of the faithful
attention 20 the enforcement Of sanitar'
measures given BY your efficient Board o
Health it - customary 20 credit the sue
cess of municipal administration 60 thl
mayor when I think iI rightfully belongs q
the Council II wise measures haze nee
adopted and the business If the city con
iusted upon careful and economical prin
cipies al honor honestly belongs 90 thos
who have directed the affairs which con
summsted that end. also we're che advers
the ease. the criticism should fail upoi
those who are responsible for the iniudi
cious and unwise legislation. Therefore