Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-19
CITY RULERS.
Organization Of Augustus New
Municipal Government.
An Able Inaugural Delivered by Mayor
Lane.
Officers Elected for the Ensuing Year.

ioiio~ing business was transacted;
On motion of Alderman Johnson the pet
a ton of the oyerseers of the poor for an il
t crease of salaries was referred TO the ne,
5 city council.
!: T1e following orders were passed
Ordered, That the city clerk be instruct
ed - furnish stationery 10 members of tn
city council only.
Ordered, That the thanks of this board b
heartily extended to our city clerk. for III
courteous and able manner in which he ha
q discharged the duties of his office.
Ordered, That Z. II. Hilton be and i
hereby granted permission TO erect hitch
ing post in front of his residence on kendal
f street for the better protection of the side
walk.
Ordered, That the thanks of this boar,
are iue TO his Honor George f. MacoInber
, for The able and impartial manner in whicl
he has presided over its deliberations Tn,
members of this board are deeply grateful
for the uniform courtesy with which he ha,
treated them AMI now at the end OF
their present official relations tender to him
their warmesi friendship.
In the common council vote of thank.
was extended to President James A. Jone.
and Clerk T. A, Brennan for the efficient
manner in which they had performed the
duties of their respective offices during the
past year.
The board then adjourned withou. day.
| A. 10 A. NJ. the new city council was
called to order in the rooms of the common
council by the city clerk. The members
with one exception were all yresent and
were duly sworn.
The aldermen then retired to their room
and organized by the election of W. II.
Williams as president. message was re-
ceived from the common council stating that
that body had organized by the choice of
l.. A. Dyer and T A Brennan as clerk.
Thereupon the two boards met in joint con-
venton, and qualified Mayor elect Lane
for the duties of his Office
On motion of Alderman Williams, Mayor
Macomber appointed ..Alderman Williams
and Johnson and Councilman owen COM
mittee TO await upon the Mayor elect. inform
him that the aldermen of council have duly
organized and were then in joint convention
for the purpose of listening to any address
he might please to make, and elcctng city
officers. Soon after the committee appeared
with the Mayor elect, and informed the con-
vention that he was ready to receive the
oath of Office which was duly administered
by the city clerk. Prayer was offered by
Rev. &. X, Palmer, after which Mayor Lane
delivered the following able inaugural
The MAYORS ADDRESS
Gentlemen If The City Council.
Having taken the oath of office we have
accepted trust involving large interests.
For coed or Ill the welfare of rsing ten
thousand people, estates valced at nearly
five millions, and large expenditures of pub
lie funds have been entrusted to our care.
Let us endeavor to execute the trust as
though TIL entire responsibility rested upon
each alone.
The city charter makes 1t my duty from
time to time to communicate to YOU such in
formation and recommend such measures
as the business inter, Sis of the city may re-
qure.
A large majority of You have served in
the preceding councils of the city and are
familiar with the condition ami requirements
of the various departments,
The reports of the several city officers
will shortly be laid before YOU. Their
careful examination will be beneficial in
enabling you TO adopt ami carry forward those
measures that have been wise, and to avoid
the errors, if errors e1is.. As these reports
with one exception, that of the school commit
tee, have not been prepared in season for my
examination / can make no recommendations
based upon them, but suggest that The public
printers be requested to print them at the
earliest possible day, and that they be re-
ferred to appropriate Committees, with in
structons TO report their accommodations 10
the City Council. recommend that the re-
port of Mayor Macomber " Oh paving, sub
mitted to the last City Council, and such
other information relating thereto as may be
of interest in carrying forward the work, be
published with the City Reports.
AT this time am ahle only to invite your
attention to the Sc matters without special men
ton of the various suhjects. This is proba-
by as sell The public will judge US by
vnat we do, not by whit We may now say
To resolve to 10 is an easy thng-to execute
and execute wisely is very different and Il
difficult thing
The financial affairs Will be reported By
the City Auditor. do not deem it nece,-
sary to anticipate his report, bu, will call your
attention to the city debt, proper, which con
sis.s of
six per cent bond. G. $50. ssI con %
| -Four pr rent bonds OF lse7, 1898 HoO
Coupons now due, about "a 7Wi
| Temporary loans, 2U"to
Amounting to slo-.9l7 20
| To this sum must be added the usual
heritage of outstanding bills which have al
ways been handed over from one admiuistra-
ton to another, resulting in the plea on the
| part of city officers, that the current sp-
| preparations have been exhausted or ma
| terally impaired by the pay ment of last
years bills, and therefore the appropriation
/ must be overdrawn. and the same condition
thus continued ind5 fnitely.
A. remedy, suggest a deficiency ap-
preparation to cover all outstanding bills
this being done. careful estimate for cur
rent expenditures for every department
should be made; the public should be no
tilted that all petitions for sidewalks, new
streets. street lights, sewers. paving. or other
! improvements, not in the nature of ordinary
repairs, or the results of unforeseen ener-
zency, prese nted after certain day. will be
referred to the next city council. Consider
well such petitions in making your sppropris-
tons, but when made, say to your officers in
charge beyond thus i,ntt fhou shalt not 60
In considering expenditures for the cur
rent year, you have to deal directly with the
taxpayers Every dollar of expenditure
you may direct must he drawn from them
You are to consider what il necessary to be-
: done; what is wise; What is economy. and
! direct it fearlessly, not considering the efec
upon the next election, but the efec. up9r
; the business, the growth and prosperity OF
, the city. The taxpayers are not niggard J
of their mt ans they require only that tn,
public funds be Ir5perly applied, and thii
they should at all times deusad
, The available resources of the city srt
cash ia the Treasury, the sums due from th,
State and county amounting TO less thar
, S90o.0O together with a portion ot the uu
; PAID taxes. Experience teaches that Of til,
uncollectsd taxes at the end Of on,
year, not over forty or forty FIVE pc
cent becomes available during th.
NEXT, ard as like amount Of ,hi. year'a as
sessmeut will 90 over to next year, Will,
from year to year the absgemen.s and worth
: less taxes azgrega'e large amount Of O
entirely absorb the remainder any reli.ne
upon these rssouTces IS practically out o
4 tue question. To illustrate, two items i0 tn
Auditors for r'hcomrg report Of resource
viii serve a. examples. Among the re
sources are stated: