Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-05-09
Old Coundl Completes Its Work-Mayor
Bricker's Inaugural-Increase I'm
Salaries.

My friends having shown their confidence In
. me py their votes in electing me as Mayor OF
! our city, i deem IL but just and proper that In
taking my seat as Mayor should express my
thanks to the voters OF this city, and especially
am proud Of the votes 1 received from the
factory boys. l shall try to merit their conf.
dence by working for the interest of the whole
people and hope my administration will prove
! as satisfactory as my predecessor, Mayor Spen-
|, Ger. now deem IL my duty To this council, and
the citizens Of this CITY, TO express my views for
the management of the city government
| FIRST, wish TO Impress on the minds of this
council that we have been elected by the people
not as partisans but as servants TO work for the
interests OF our city With this fact so plainly
evident, would recommend that all appoint.
ments be given to men best fitted to fill the
offices.
| CITY MARSHAL
The Office of City Marshal and Street Com
missioner has been filled so satisfactorily to all
by Mr. w. w. Mitchell that the members of
this new council all recommend his reappoint
meht heartily concur IN their judgment.
| NIGHT WATCH.
The most important office to be filed is that
OF Nlght Watch. man for this position
| should be man that can be trusted with the
saIety of our lives and our property. man
| that viii preserve good order on our streets and
can at all hours be found on duty. | would
recommend that time clock be purchased 10y
the city and II be carried by Night Watch.
CITY SURVEYOR
l would recommend that no salary be fixed
Tor this office. Work be paid for by the day.
POOR COMMISSIONERS.
This oaice has been filled the past year by the
CITY Marshal and very satisfactorily Some.
times too much work for one man does not give
MIN the tlme 70 look up all applications for
help as they should be and i'm good many
cases money Is paid out for charity where want
aoes es not exist. The man that you may elect TO
MI this position should be one that will look
atter " properly, see that none are allowed TO
suiier Tor the want OF proper care or the neces.
sarles OF life, II they are deserving of charity.
Under no circumstances should undesergi1d
JFdudS be Kept at the city's expense.
CITY PHYSICIAN AND HEALTH OFFICER.
Last year the offices of City Physician and
Health Onicer were combined and let out to the |
lowest bidder. am not in favor OF that plan |
believe that q fair salary should be fixed and |
"A man be elected by the council on his merits |
Elect a man for Health Oncer that viii look |
alter the back allies, privy vaults cess pools |
ana all other nuisances that may ieopardize the |
nves OF our people. man that viii use que |
precautlon TO stamp out all dread scourges |
from our midst and guard against their gaining
an entrance TO our city.
cI4Y ATTORNEY
Whoever is elected to fill the office of CITY Al.
torney, should contract to do all the city work
coming under the head of City Attorneys busi
ness Tor the stipulated price named in salary
No counsel should be employed at city expense
without instructions from the city council
Elect man whose advise on ali matters IL
i SOUND ana avoid plunging the city into ex.
penslVe litigation.
CITY FUNDS
In dividing the funds of the city into the sey.
placed TO the credit of the Fire fund 1t has
been demonstrated many times over that our |
emclent fire department earn their wages and
should be fairly paid for their services while on
active duty. liberal amount should be placed
In this fund To maintain the department. and
purenase ral all necessary equipments, and would
recommend that the department be furnished
with az leastthreechemicalh hand fire extinguish-
ers Many times small fires could be extin.
gulshed before water could be used Our fire
alarm system will soon be extended over the
greater part of the city, and for the small out
lay deem II money well expended.
CITY EMPLOYEES
Where tax payers make application for work
on our streets, preference should be shown
them, especially where they are not able to paw
thelr taxes any other way. Fair wages should
De paid Where labor is well paid good results
ORDINANCES
When the city council shall pass an ordinance
II should be the duty OF the law abiding citizens
10 lve up TO the ordinances; and the duty of Z
our CITY Marshal to see that they are enforced |
III the ordinance should be obnoxious TO the
people, II IS their privilege TO petition the CITY
councll TO have the ordinance abolished. If our
own cltZens do notliye up to the city laws we | 1,
cannot expect Others TO. / refer in particular
TO the fast driving bicycles, and disturbing the
peace ordinances. A citizen should not expect
, M helghDor TO live up To one ordinance while
ne breaks another. ,
STREET FUND
Before appropriatng money for street fund /
wocld recommend that the city be divided into ,
fn- .
posing one OF said districts. liberal amount |
should be placed to the credit OF tho street fund
and this fund should be divided into four equal
parts. One fourth to be used as a contingent
Iund, TO be used after all other street funds are
Exhausted, in any part of the city where needed
TO be eoag he balance three
irict or ward. This think, will divide the
work up better throught the city, and will have ,
4 tendency 10 create no strife as to which ward I
VIII nave the best streets. would further rec :
that our streets reaching out into the
country be first placed in hrst-cass condition I
MUNICIPAL EXPENDITURES y
1t is time for municipal well as personal T
economy. Money should only be expended for L
hose things that are needed. Any violation OF |
MS rule ~ unwarranted extravagance In |
ew new @ o tne TACT that the city now owns and has
ma nearly all equipments for fire department.
'crapers and all necessary tools for street work 7
'ur bridge tax all paid, with strict economy i'm |
very branch believe that the expenditures q
II this city for the ensuing year, need not ex. =.
eed over u OF per cent. and / recommend to q
evied. .
HARMONY &
In conclusion hope this council may be ahle =
Q Work In harmony through the year, for the
'est interests of the city and citizens Work O
or the city's improvement. No opportunity :,
houid be lost TO induce new industries to 10 /
ate In our city New industries means en- | q
loyment and employment means money and :
money means happy prosperous homes for our l
itiZens.
Messrs. Edwin Hunt and Chas. Har-
oun are the new members (E. w.
ersey being re-elected) and after get :,
ing little acquainted with the work :
will drop into the business like old !
lands.
The work done during the past year :
y Geo. S. Roosevelt as city attorney,
nd w. w Mitchell as marshal, street
commissioner, and poor commissioner, a
Gas so satisfactory that both were ii
reelected, the latter also n
citing his salary raised to 5000 an "
dvauce OF s25. o.
There were a number OF candidates a
Or the position OF fnightwatchman from Ii