The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-01-04


tho people direct. The majority Of the
people c0ln,aded wesb this latter view
and II bcb00yes tss 10 conform 70 the pop
nlar VIII. fvr ne who docs not gracefully
sulanst % the peoples Will h dangerous
citizen ari unit to hold public Office.
The 1ate Honorable IMagnus G. Crosby,
amer one year Of cttizen rule IN 1890, saio
IN his mena9s Upon taking charge OF
IN cltys affairs. We found the treasury
depleted. Incomplete contracts we're san.
died on tho new administration and fur.
thsr contracts OF nssEiy 10000 had been
made: matters were in a chs0ac state.
Notwithstanding this situation. everyone
has during the past year faithfully done
his part"
The people we're satisfied and another
ctlzen'H administration succeeded the
nrBt und IN hs inaugural mesmge. Mayor
Af-ed Kinney said; II am glad 20 Dc able
90 say that ths AdfninisuatIon or our
city afrniis has In later days been grow,
| Ink better"
Thr reformation iullcd the people into
security mi fo-gctfulrsea. and they we're
persuaded % again rry political govern
mont and judging By their votes. sucn
parilHan government proved unsa lsfacto.
ry IIct u therefore lay aside all per.
| sonal and political bias and work on
broad t3n-partsan basis. treating every
ritizcn OF whatever party. creed or occai-
patton with exact justice and equal fair.
] ncss ard courtesy
| The gcpIrts Of The auditor and city
tfcnrurer wili acquniat you With the
Standing of tho city IN dettii. therefor. /
doom e supcrfiuois TO dwell on every item,
| but VIII merely sugees, mat lt w1lI re.
qulfe great care and wntchfulness 10
/ tighten the burdens of indebtedness rOw
Weighing heavily upoH tho people Pro.
gre-s aid improvements are commend.
stie. but prudence should guard every
appropriation
| Il may be claimed that the tax levy OF
lrst year WAS loS. bu, gentlemen. low
levy Is no Indication OF economy wnen
cur indebtedness increases
In the year u 1895 the receipts from
| nncs and forfeiturcg amounted to gel.
During the year just past the receipts
from the same sources fell TO sltsO50. This
loss Is one OF the fruits OF partisan gov.
eminent mimonisii you, therefor. gen.
tomen. 10 work In unison with the police
department OF the city government. The
people VIII never overlook our own short
comIngs even though In our opinion. the
fault Hes with the other fellow.
An parts OF the city machinery must
work In harmony. otherwise there Is fric.
tion and the toxrayer Is the greatest sur
/ fcrer thereby.
Tn expense for the maintenance OF the
I'ollce department was In 1896 s5S1i.5p. In
1877 this expense was reduced to NiS7. Dut
this Vas falsc economy. In my private
busln'ss always found that reasonably
w"ll paid employees were alwass the
most efficient and that good treatment
resulted In good service
RefeyVfng to the fire department. I hnd
that It, expenditures during the year i@.
Nerc sSS96S. Then the city had the bes,
| volunteer department on the Pacific coast :
bnt non-partisan volunteer department
seemed no longer sufficient Therefore a
paid fire department OF many machines
and but few men was substituted az an
apparent slight reduction. although. II
You take into consideration the free wafer
service. the expense OF running tho paIu
fN department was just as high: ana
where would the city have been with tn,s
crippled department had not the guardian
angels saved us from serious conflagra.
lionsF After years Of faithful service.
this body of volunteer firemen was dis
banded without ceremony and without
thanks 1t should therefore be our al,n
to show these brave volunteers every con.
sideration, so, that should THE tap OF the
bell ever sound the warning, they will
respond and assist in saving the peoples
property as OF yore.
The water commission have labored ear,
nestly for the interests OF the city. and
heartily approve of the reductions they
nave made IN the water rates for the con.
sumer.
In letting the contracts for city worR
and supplies preference must always be
given to the lowest responsible bidder; no
faNoritIsm nor party obligations must be
permitted in the city's Contracts, We
must be aus careful in spending the city's
money as our own. Taxes are easily lie.
WED but very hard to pay.
In letting contracts precaution should
De taken also THAT no litigation follows
loosely drawn agreements. The expenses
of lawsuits from this source have been
considerable in the past both in court
fe,s and unpaid assessments which fin.
ally had TO be borne by the patient tax.
payer
The general health Of the people of As.
toria is good, An all-wise providence has
blessed us with tho best climate on earth
so that disease finds no lodgment in our
midst. Ours is a natural health resort.
Every member should give the closest
attention to committee work and no bill
should be ordered paid until each com.
mitee has carefully examined every item
and found 1t reasonable and correct.
Permit me also to suggest that the ex.
penss Of taking care Of CHAT political
graveyard our new and beautiful Ocear
View Cemetery. at Cla.tsop, is in excess o.
the receipts and steps should be taken tC
make arransements so the sexton woul(
receive no more than the receipts justify
y From this dreary subject, I will nov
e rcfc' to the live question Of Astoria's ad
vancement Our city n on the eve OF
h new era. Enterprises of great magnitud
are now In progress and many others ar
G about to blossom into life We are at tn
gateway Of the KIondike gold fields an,
I