The record-union., 1894-02-17
RECOMMENDATIONS By THE MAYOR.
Fourth of July Celebrations and Sum-
mer Evening Concerts.
The Tax Levy Should Provide for
Them-Trustees Consider the
City Lighting Contract.

The City Board of Trustees held an ad-
journed meeting last night, the main
questions for consideration being the tax
levy and the lighting contract.
The bond of William Hays as police
man was approved, as was that of George
". Ficks as Superintendent of Cemete-
ries.
The Ong family of Chinese merchants,
through their attorney, W. A. Anderson,
asked the privilege of playing their Chi
nese music from P. NJ till midnight on
Sunday, saying that they did not wish to
shoot frecrackers, but simply TO make
music %, as has been allowed heretofore
TO their countrymen.
The request was granted.
THE TAX LEVY.
w. II. Devlin, the Mayors Clerk, ap-
peared before the board and read the fol-
lowing communication:
$40 the Board of Trustees: Understand
ing that at your session this evening you
will take up for consideration the Ques-
ton of the tax levy for the present fiscal
year. / desire to make the following sug-
gestions and recommendations in refer
ence to the same:
For some years past it has been the
custom of this city to have open-air con-
certs during the summer evenings. This
not only gave pleasure TO our own resi-
dents, but attracted others from distant
towns and gave to our city ali lndlVldu-
alitv in this respect. These concerts were
sustained by cOntr buttons collected from
the business men of our city and also
from collections made among the men in
the railroad shops. L believe these con-
certs are public benefit and are pleas
ure to the whole people of Sacramento,
and should be sustained by the city as a
public affair.
II am also of the opinion that the city
should provide for the Fourth of July
celebration and also for proper observ-
ance Of Decoration Day. 1t would take
about g 600 for proper celebration of
our independence day, and about $1,000
for open-air concerts, and about $500 for
Decoration Day, making total OF "A, 30O
s."I therefore recommend to your hon
orable body, in liking the rate.of taxation,
that per cent. be added TO the general
fund tor the purpose of providing suffi-
cient funds for the above purposes.
'In reference to this matter l desire to
call the attention of your honorable body
to the fact that on October 3, 1893, the
Board OF Trustees of this city made rec
ommendation that future boards should
provide in the tax levy for the payment
1.-The record of this meeting will be
found in book L. page $50, of the rec
ords of the Board of Trustees. Yours re-
spectfully, b. U. STEINMAN, Mayor"
Trustee Devne said he should certainly
oppose levying any tax to support free
concerts. Those who wanted them could
pay for them.
CITY LIGHTING CONTRACT.
City Attorney Brown said he had re-
1 70
portant questions. He received the no.
tIce on Tuesday and had no time to write
all opinion for this evening, but if the
board wished, would give the result of his
investigation so far, reServing the right to
file written opinion later. One of these
questions was on the tax levy and the
other the lighting contract. He was ready
to make a report on the latter.
1t is very important matter. Under
the present charter the city has no power
to make a contract with the gas company
as long as the Mayor is President and a
stockholder in the company. The con-
tract, II made under present cIrcum-
stances, if a contract be made, would not
only be null and void, but the Mayor
would forfeit his office. Tho company
could not, under the circumstances, re-
cover or collect pay for the lights fur
nished by 1t, and the city could not force
the gas company TO furnish lights as
agreed. The contract would be binding
on neither side.
President Lawton asked what position
the Trustees would be in if they made
the contract. Would they be responsible
for the lighting?
Mr.. Brown said that in his opinion
they would. If the company could re-
cover from anybody, they could recover
from the Trustees. He had not been
asked for his opinion on this subject and
had not given it any thought.
In answer to a question from President
Lawton as to whether nothing could be
done, Mr.. Brown said that as long as the
Mayor is connected with the gas COM
pany, the city can make no contract with
it.
'But," said Mr.. Lawton, "the city
must have light-it is an absolute neceS-
sity-we cannot do without it, What are
we to do?''
Trustee Devine asked if the city could
not be lighted under the old contract,
and Mr.. Brown stated that he did not
know what the old contract provided.
J. c. PierSon stated that the old con-
tract ran till new one was formed. In
reference to the refusal to put in new
lights. he said the Board of Directors had
not passed upon the request for the lights
He had himself refused the request on
account of the expense, and the fact that
the contract had almost expired. The
company had never refused any reason
II
had inserted provision in the new con-
tract to cover the point, SO that the COM
pany should not have TO furnish new
lights during the last four months of the
contract.
Trustee Tozer said that at one time in
the past the city was lighted by gasoline
lamps at a cost of 81 a month each. 1t
could be done now at cost of 81, 200 for
400 lamps.
President Lawton asked Mr.. Pierson if
the gas company was willing to do as the
new specifications called for, and Mr..
Pierson answered that it would. The
specifications were only introduced for
its protection.
Trustee Leonard moved that the matter
layover till next Monday night, and it
was so ordered.
MIR. Pierson asked that the company's
check be returned if the contract was not
to be signed, and it was so ordered.
WANT THEIR PAY.
r.. T. Devlin appeared on behalf of the
Street Improvement Company and stated
that they had put down the street in
front of the Government building. The
Government would not pay for the I'M
provement and expected the city TO do so.
Most of the bill had been paid, but the
intersections and curbing were not. He
read letters from Washington stating
n