Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-10
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.
His ,HonOr's Annual Address to the
Common Council.
A Lengthy Document Read Before the
Inst Regular session and Made n
Part OF the OnlciaI Proceedings.

Following is the message of Mayo
Banding, read before last Monday even
ing's council meeting and made part o
the official proceedings upon the mayor
recommendation;
Gentlemen OF the City Council;l
The annual communication required o
the mayor to be made to the council, az
fords an opportunity to briefly pass il
review the municipal proceedings of thu
past year, and to make such suggestions
and recommendations at the beginning o.
the present year as may seem needfu
and important.
The several reports Of the city clerk
city treasurer. bridge tender, weigh
master. city marshal. superintendent OF
waterworks, health commissioner, street
commissioner, chief of fire department.
and that of the finance committee as
auditing board of the city accounts have
already been submitted for your infor-
nation; for detailed statements and spec
life items of receipts and expenditures
you are respectfully referred to these
various documents.
In addition to the amount expended
for the yearly work of cleaning streets
and alleys. repairing streets. and keeping
the waterworks in working condition,
there was expended on Rock river bridges
and the Milan roadway, as nearly as may
be stated, the sum of $1,000; opening
Eleventh avenue between Second and
Eleventh streets the sum of 81 200; on
Seventh avenue between Twenty ~sixth
and Forty second streets, the sum of
$1,000; curbing and cutters on Thirtieth
street between Fifth and Seventh avenues
and on Second avenue between Sixteenth
and Twentieth streets, the sum of ST.
100; construction of Fourth avenue sewer
from Twenty-third street to and along
Twenty seventh street, and for extension
of Fifth avenue sewer, the sum of &c.,
140; for new boilers and furnace front,
masonry for support of boilers. and ads
jacent tool and oil house, the sum of
So ,564 for extension of water mains and
for pipe for ncompleted extensions, the
sum of So. 767; for payment of interest
on bonded Indebtedness, the sum OF 3d.
O70; interest on time orders" issued
prior to the beginning of the past fiscal
year, the sum of 81 ,428; foI payment of
the principal of said outstanding time
orders" during the past year the sum of
$1,000; to which may be added the pay
ment of the further sums of $15, 600 of
principal and 1928 60 of interest of these
same outstanding thine orders" since the
close of the past fiscal year. thus leaving
unpaid at this time of the so called TEN
porary loan" or outstanding time
orders" only the sum of 1924 and &c.
crued interest thereon. Your attention
is also called to the further fact that al
OF bo Of nf
the previous administration there was
cash balance in the treasury of $25, 1885, 80
the issue of time orders which made
this balance possible, and from which the
money had just been derived, amounted
to $27, 724. an excess of time orders"
over cash balance of 80, 5s5 SO, while at
the same time there were "other bills
outstanding" to the amount of 81 $50,
showing that the balance in the treasury
was borrowed money, and without it
there would have been a deficit of 81.
670. GO. Tho Temporary lUuu Ia suDsLan-
TALLY paid and during the past year no
new loan has been required or made.
Under the former contract for lighting
streets and public grounds by electric
light, the aggregate cost to the city for
tower and mast lights was about the sum
made during the past year, to continue
for three years. the city has now twenty
two tower lights at $40 per light per an
nun and ffty-four mast or low down
lights at $74 per light per annum, maxi
ing the aggregate cost per annum for
the present number of lights the sum of
$5,646. Delays occurred in furnishing
the full number of lights at the outset
but now that the new plant is fairly in
operation there is every reason to believe
that the present mode of lighting and the
amount of light furnished will prove sat-
isfactory to the citizens generally. The
number of lights has been materially ins
creased. the distribution is more uniform,
and the aggregate cost to the city will be
90 TO 80 per cent per aunum less than
under the former contract.
The taxes levied upon the taxpayers of
the city the past year per assessment
valuation of 800, were as follows:
~ I'M -