The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-04-28
PETTIT'S INAUGURAL
THE NEW MAYOR DISCUSSES THE
CITY AFFAIRS.
THAT FAKE" $4,000 BALANCE.
The Condition of Municipal Finances is
Plainly Stated-The Comstock
Electric Railway Franchise
Under fire
HAT cake" $4,000 BALANCE.
Kenosha, Wis, April %, 1898.

chief executive of this city, and | wish
to express my deep appreciation of
this honor, to acknowledge my graft
tude to my friends who have for the
fourth time by their ballots reposed
their confidence in me, and to assure
them, together with all of our people,
that in accepting the obligations &C
companying it, do so with full and
steadfast determination to adhere
strictly to the right, to guard your in
terests and to he able to say at the
close Of my term of Office that have
served you honestly ana to the best OF
my ability.
Believing that you will accept the
faith with which | thus pledge myself,
ask the hearty, sincere and frank CO
operation in the duty that lies before
us, of the several gentlemen with
whom | am nOnored to sit for the en-
suing year.
Let us work together with the end in
mind of serving our constituents fairly,
impartially, honestly, economically,
using their money as judiciously as we
would our own, and render just &C.
count of all that has been entrusted to
our care at the conclusion of our stew
ardship.
1t is not my purpose to take more of
your time than may be necessary TO
present for your consideration such
matters and things as greatly interest
every citizen of Kenosha at the present
moment, and [ will touch upon each in
turn as briefly as the facts warrant.
To begin-we have been asked to
believe that on April 1st, 1913, the city
of Kenosha had to it's credit in the
banks here the munifc3n ont sum OF
SOC, 350.8 5-and for one believe that
in truth that was fact. If have $40
i'll my pocket and owe my neighbor $40,
when | have discharged that obligation
| am penniless.
Let us go farther, investigate the
facts in the case and see where we will
land, and whether or not we are in
possession of funds sufficient to warrant
our plunging recklessly into unlimited
expenditures of public money without
being brought mp with sharp turn
before We get through.
1t was my privilege not longer ago
than on the evening of April 9Th to say
to many of my friends. who assembled
in front of my residence that believed
that the April LIST balance was fcti-
tious, and if elected, proposed to find
Out for my own satisfaction whether or
not it was true, as you and were
asked to believe it,
[ have found out;-and now | am
going to tell the voters of the city of
Kenosha a story similar to one | told
them seven years ago, although not
quite so bad, and then Il will say,
J" Voters, just think"
" Voters, just Think did any of'you
gentlemen ever see those words in
print9 / have, and as one voter did
think, and we'll, I guess great many
other voters thought just as L did.
To repeat will say that honestly
believe, that technically, there was a
balance in the banks in Kenosha to the
city's credit of $5O,35085 on April lst,
j98-but had matured accounts been
paid, as they should have been, there
would not have been any dodgers dis
tributed promiscuously about this city
about three weeks ago, with some
words thereon printed in display type,
saying, Voters just think"
A little matter of the city school
fund, amounting to only $l7,095, had,
inadvertently, not been taken out O.
this balance aud turned over to the
Board of Education, where it belonged.
City orders drawn at times preceding
April LIST, 1913, outstanding, but prop
erly chargeable to this balance, that
mad not been presented at the banks
for payment. amounting to 81, 392.2l,
had not been taken out of this balance.
Paving and sewer bond coupons due,
and amounting to not less than $4,000,
had not been taken out of this balance
before it was thought necessary to ad
wise the people OF Ren0sha by street
dodgers that there was balance in
the banks to the credit of the City of
Kenosha of 500, 350.85.
Had all these several items, together
with an insignificant matter of tower
cash" due the City Treasurer amount
ing to only 1927, and an amount col
lected from the tax payers on Prairie
avenue for gas connections and due the
Gas company, been taken out of this
magnificent balance, the balance prop
er on April lst, 1898 would have been
nearer $22,604 Don't ask me why
this was not done, yet while in my own
mind have sort of suspicion why it
was not done, | ask you to PROFOUND
this question to some one who ought to
tell you that it was dore from sinister
motives, contemplate election trick
to deceive the honest voter of Kenosha
but it didn't work.