Arizona weekly citizen., 1888-01-21
MAYOR STEVENS,
His Stirring Address 10 the City Council Urgent Reasons for Improving and
 Beautifying the City.
GENr1EMES OF THE COUNCIL;

fulIy study the lee5OnS tbuBut " Poos and guided by these and our best judgment, lay our plans for the coming year.
 Our city is passing through an era such that has been the experience of every prosperous and wealthy city of this great country. The tide of pros perity has it's inevitable ebb and flow with individuals, cities, states and ns- tious and we have been for the past few years undergoing those unpleasant and conditions which are un- avoidsble in the life of all. But we have now passed the narrow, rocky strsights of diversity and are at the rivers mouth entering the great sea of wealth and prosperity.
 Since my advent into this council I have ever used my best endeavors for the protection and welfare of this my adopted home. and while the limited resources at our command has kept us from doing all that would have been desired, yet We have accomplished some good and made some improve ments which, trust, are 8 credit to our past endeavOrs and illustrate the ed- visibility of continuing the work of inn prOvement.
 In this age of progress it is better to act than to JheoriZe, hence l will con fine myself to few points which con- sidsr worthy of your special attention, and prompt action thereon.
 There IS no subject of more import sDce to 8 city than its streets. There IS nothing to which we can more profitably turn our attention than the grading, cleaning, lightning and besutifying of our streets. Their present condition can be so changed that strangers who come within our gates will receive a pleasant and attractive impression and the comfort and pleasure of our own people will be much increased.
 The culture of trees and grasses along our pubic ways will change our appear snce more for the better than anything We can do with a like expenditure, and l would recommend you to encourage and assist this improvement 10 every way possible.
 The grading of Congress street be- tweed Stone avenue and Sixth street, the improvement on Stone avenue and Pennington streets the adjacent proper ties many times the expense incurred and has changed dirty and dissgreeable drives into clean, creditable streets
 which strangers and cItIzens alike 3D. preoiste and enjoy and hope your hon. Orable body will continue this good work and place all of ourlprincipal streets in proper condition.
 wish also to call your attention and the attention of property owners 10 the limited capacity of our principal busi- ness centers. To you will say that if We would invite capitalists to build sub stantlsl and desirable buildings we must provide good broad streets where they can reasonably expect business to re- main and prosper; so our property own CTS is given the choice of widening the present narrow streets or submitting to the inevitable desertion of the same and the removal of the principal trade to higher and broader avenues. I would recommend the opening of Congress street east to Fifth avenue.
 The extension of Congress stIeet west across the valley would be of inestimable value to thls whole commonly and If arrangements can be made to secure a good broad avenue across the valley of the Santa Cruz 1t will be a source of great profit, pride and pleasure to our citizens and an attraction to sojourners.
 The appointment of an intelligent and energetic man ss street commission CT, who could also be ex-officIo pound msster, provided with team and a limit ed number of assistants, whose duty 1t would be to keep our streets alleys and open lots thoroughly well cleaned, and make such improvements in their con- dItlon ss the meaus st his disposal will admit.
 The city has been expendIng about S5O0 dollars annually for killing and taking away dogs, with little or no de- crease in the number. As this IS sn ex- pensive nuisance suggest the above change with sufficient additional power snd authority given to the commissioner to enable him to collect the tax on all dogs kept within the city limits.
 The question of street sprinkling is 6 very important one. Nothing is So calculated tO favorably impress the visitor or cOnduce to the comfort and health of the citizen, Rs we'll sprinkled streets, and l hope provision will be- made to have the principal streets well 5prinkled during the summer months,
 The question of sewerage in the city is one that can only be provided for ip the future issuing of bonds as our limit sd financial resources will not justify this expenditure at present. Action should be taken to provide for this necessity st the earliest perIod possible.
 The people residing in the southern part of the city have been much annoyed n the past by the large body of rain water coming from the mesa lands to he southwest of the city and greatly damaging the streets snd private prop ,rty and endangesing life ir some locsli- l 'ies. To prevent this. levee or ditch l vas thrown up from the round house of he Southern Pacific Railroad to the 'Outh end ot Stone avenue to conduct 'his water around snd to the south of | 't the city, but to thoroughly make this svee effective 1t needs to be extended | nto the big srroys south of it's present terminus.
 Our smaller plazas should be i'm proved with trees and grass, without | ielay, and be properly cared for.
 The lighting of at least the prinoinal | treets should not be delayed another | and l earnestly trust your hoI- 'rsble body will make the necessary to this end.
 Our police force has teen somewhat hanged during the year past, much to be satisfaction of tsxpa and all 'ood citizens. The number IS at it's minimum but should not be increased 'hile the circumscribed state of our nances continues.
 Our ire depsrtment we can we'll be roud of, ss it is composed of sn excep- lonslly fine body of men. well equip ed, With all necessary modern appar- tus and considering our almost perfect lass of fire proof buildings, we have ut httle to fear from that dire raysRer.
 The supply of water should be greatly increased for fire and domestic pur- oses, The impure quality of the water as many times been a just cause of omplaint during the past season, and The present water company cannot arnish better water and in sufficient usntltly, steps should be taken by the .ouncll to provide other means of get lngit An abundance of pure, whole Ome water at reasonable ratas is amono