Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1894-04-06
THE MAYORS MEssHGE
Mayor Staples Makes Some
Recommendations to the
Council.
Will Reduce Expenaes-No
Water or Light Extensions.
The Council Hcta on HE Sua.
! gestlons as to the Police
Force.

Ine Council Act0 on HE SuQ-
gestions az to the Police
Force. zss
At meeting OF the city council last
night Mayor Staples delivered the
following which is an outline of the
policy which he means to enforce:
TO the Honorable City Council OF the
City of Little Falls, greeting:
We, as a city and officers and
citizens of that city,, should be
pleased upon the whole with the
outcome of our late election. as the
actual working of our municipality
will not in the coming year be in
extricably involved with a party
system. We, as officers. have been
elected regardless of party lines and
have but to do the bidding of our
own minds and consciences.
We wish a good clean city govern
ment and this we can get by acting
together. There are no political lines
to divide us at the start and at the
end Of our year of Office, in review
ing our record, I trust the two real
practical tests of our efficiency may
shine forth and rebound to our
credit. They are what we shall have
provided for the people, and what
has it cost the people.
The amounts required thelast year
for the payment of our running
expenses, appropriations, and
interest ON our bonded Indebtedness,
have been enormous. And it de-
wolves upon me as the head of the
city government, to not only rec
ommend the general reduction of
expenses and the cutting off of
appropriations, Excepting those we
are under legal obligations to
make). but to take the initiative
step by making the following rec
concentrations:
FIRST: That the police force be
reduced to three men, consisting of
a chief and two assistants.
That their salaries be reduced each
$500 per month from April LIST to
December lst, further reduction of
$500 per month from December LIST
to the following April. This alone
makes a saving to the city of
$84O.O 90 per year, or about one third
the actual cost of the police force.
SECOND. That there ne no ex-
tension of water mains. That the
city is lnow generally we'll lighted
and it will not be advisable in the
present financial state of the city to
make extensions in the lighting
system.
THIRD: In looking over the ex-
penditures of the last year, it will be
found that the street work has cost
the city a great deal. In this
particular it is recommended
that we keep up only the work
OuI
are in fairly good shape.
FOURTH: Chapter 1872. laws of 1883,
section 4, provides for a Board of
Health and says that said board
shall consist of not less than three
members and that one of these must
be a physician and that such ply
sician shall be the health officer OF
the board, and it is for him to per-
form such duties as the board may
require, and to make once each year,
in the month of May, and oftener, if
necessary, thorough sanitary
inspection of the city.
l would recommend that the
council cut out some OF the expense
connected with the board. The
whole board travelling around in a
body to do the work of the health
officer, each drawing salary, and
all having a livery rig at the en-
pense of the city, their work collect
lively but the prescribed work of one
man, is not necessary,
The sanitary condition OF our city
should be considered one of the
highest Importance. While the air
and water of the city should be pure,
and sink holes, cesspools, garbage
and manure heaps should be cleaned
up, and all refuse of either animal or
vegetable origin should be removed
before it's decomposition, it is not
necessary to go to the expense we
have had the last yearin order to do
it.
I would recommend that in your
appointments as to positions on the
Board of Health, you appoint men
who have the cleanliness and health
fulness of the city at heart. There
are plenty of such men who will be
glad to serve the city in that
for $1.00 per year.
In this connection it is also rec
commended that you make arrange
ments for a dumping ground the
year.
| do no deem it advisable to
purchase land as there are plenty of
places where the dumpings can be
put without expense to the city or
the making of the refuse an eyesore
to the public.
Your attention is also called to the
between Maple island and
the main land This should be kept
open and can be at very little ex-
pense by putting in culvert. Last
year water stood in this channel all
summer and BECAME foul to the ex-
IRENE.
FIFTH: 1t is further recommended
that you take up the the sewer ques-
ton, together with their flushing,
and tax in proportion to the benefit
and privileges derived by the abut-
ting property. /
! 1t is just that the city assume and
pay certain proportion of the ex-
pense of putting in and keeping up
the sewers, but not to exceed one
third, and that the parties with
property abuttinS she.ud pay the
other twO-thir(1s IF is unt,1st tha