The Lamar register., 1899-04-12
MAYORS MESSAGE.
Compliments City Council on Work
of Past Year and Makes Some
Valuable Suggestions

iaSfL Oll tue tApttltuCts anu ODstE-
vations are to be expected from your
executive officer for the information
and assistance of the incoming ad-
ministratiou. With that end in view
this annual review is submitted.
Before entering into details few
words OF credit to the present council
are due, ard if they are not given
here it is safe to say they will never
be recorded, for the person who un
dertakes to serve his community on
this board occupies as trying a posi-.
tion as the referee of dog fight or
the umpire of ball game, and it is
well known that both the officials
named are objects of general and
spontaneous execration and abuse
from the moment they assume au
tboutY until they again Join the ranks
of private citizens. Hence it affords
all the more pleasure to be able to
toss few well merited boquets to
the gentlemen comprising this board.
You have attended to your work well,
often at considerable sacrifice of your
private and business interests. The
chairmen and members of the various
committees have given much time to
the duties devolving upon them, and
have left no unfinished business for
their successors.
The financial condition of the city
on April /, as compared with that of
a year ago, is yer, satisfactory. The
outstanding warrant indebtedness
was reduced during the year S23S5 70,
SHELLS of this being against the
water and water works fund Had it
not been for the heavy expenses rem.
dered necessary in enforcing law and
order in the first half OF the admins
tration when there was large and
turbulent transient class to keep in
check, the showing in this respect
would have been still better. With
careful management and no extraya-
giant expenditures the floating indebt-
edness should be entirely wiped out
during the coming term.
The $4,000 of water works bonds
draw interest at the rate of 6 per
cent aud the $1,000 of town hall
bonds draw per cent. The ordi
nance for refunding these bonds has
already been passed and it certainly
would be wisdom for the council to
take immediate steps to secure
lower Interest rate such as is war
ranted by the high standing in finan-
cial circles Of the city, which has
never in its history delayed for even
a day the payment of its interest OBJ
legations.
A matter that should be given seri
Gus consideration by the council in
this connection is whether an addi
tional bond issue for the enlargement
OF the water system is advisable at
this time The rapid growth of La
mar in population and the increase in
dwelling houses and lawns has Sc
verely taxed the capacity of our pres
ent water works There is every in
dication that this growth will con
tinue for number of years to come,
and some provisions must be made
to meet the new demands. An i'm
mediate need is about 2000 feet of
mains for extension purposes and to
give thorough circulation by doing
away with the SO. called dead ends"
In view of the number of new water
users it will be necessary to at once
divide the town into two or more
water districts and rotate the water
for sprinkling purposes in the differ
ent districts, keeping sharp watch
at all times for water hogs, a new
species that is very fond of running
sprinklers in forbidden hours.
A number OF plans for enlarging
the water supply have been suggested
by various councilmen. 1t has been
proposed that the town acquire land
for a reservoir site on the high
grounds southwest of Lamar and have
number of artesian wells sunk. If
the wells flowed fairly it would give
us good supply and the water
could be piped to Lamar on the gray
ity system. Another suggestion is
the location of reservoir north of
the river. and tho purchase of two or
L