The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-08-05

as follows:
Walla Walla, Wash, Aug4, 1903. T..
To the honorable Council of the City
| of Walla Walla:
| Gentlemen: In this, my second
| message, | wish to congratulate you
| on the splendid condition in which
you find the city's finances. At the
! beginning Of the fiscal year, July LIST,
1902, there was outstanding in war
| rants the sum of s55,04S.10. At the
beginning of the present fiscal year,
| July LIST, 1903, there was outstanding
| the sum of s42,4S0.94, showong a re
duction Of $12,576.16 in warrant in
debtedness.
The rate Of interest on warrants
has been reduced from six per cent
and they find ready market.
All bills for current expenses to date
have been paid.
In the water Departments 100000
| Of bonds have been paid, and extern
| sions and improvements to the extent
of thousands of dollars have been
made.
While our income has increased
| over former years, our current eX-
| penSes, owing 10 our rapid growth,
| have had a corresponding Increase.
| We have added a great number of
| street lights; our police force is some
| larger, and We have passed from a
| mixed volunteer and paid fire depart
| ment to one fully paid.
| We have made advances toward
setting the necessary appliances for
| making streets that will be a credit
to any city. A city, like a mans bus
mess, never stands still; it is either
| progressing or receding.
Stop public improvements, stoI
| building, discourage private enter
| prlses by making obnoxious restric
tons and your city will not grow. The
| hrst to feel the effects of the policy
| will be the laborer and the mechanic
| They will be compelled to seek other
| fields. Soon vacant stores will ap-
pear and all business will feel the eff
| fects Of stagnation; the wheels OF
! commerce will lag and finally stop.
Therefore, l recommend the wise
| and judicious expenditure of the pub
| lie funds set apart for public i'm
| prOvements. We should be conserya-
|
| live within our income, pay out less
than We receive, and within a very
| few years the warrant indebtness
that now stares us in the face will be
a thing Of the past
| judiciary.
| We need a new charter. We have
| Outgrown the old territorial charter
under which We are working and in
| order to get it in a satisfactory form
10 meet the approval of our citizens
we should take plenty of time in
which to frame it. If left till next
year there will hardly be time to get
it in shape for the next state legisla-
ture.
| Our boundaries should be extended,
| thereby increasing the population of
| the city several thousand and giving
these people the benefits Of city gov
! eminent. Give the mayor more auth
| GRITTY, place more responsibility on
| his shoulders, give him the appoint
ing of the principal paid city offic-
| IalS, do away with an expensive annual
election by having it once in two
| years.
| Our street Improvements should be
| more under the direct supervision of
the council.
Streets and Public improvements.
A stranger is attracted to a city by
good streets and fine walks. Walla
Walla can have the finest streets and
walks of any city in the northwest
with the least expense. but as the mat
ter stands our streets are abominable.
and our sidewalks, with a few excep-
tons, a disgrace to a city of the size
| and Importance of Walla WalIa.
recommend that you give this matter
| your earnest and careful considera-
| ton.
| With the facilities we have the
streets can be graded and rolled at a
small expense. Encourage the use of
| crushed rock on all important
| streets. An example of this kind of
street can be seen on Boyer avenue.
which was. treated to a layer of this
material and rolled by private enter
prise.
| Encourage the paving of Main and
Alder streets, and intersecting streets,
if the property owners can be made
to see the great benefit this will be
! to their property. There should not
be much objection to having this
work done at an early date.
Encourage the laying Of a better
class Of sidewalks, either cement or
asphalt; a wooden walk is of short
duration and always unsatisfactory.
The improving of our streets gives
work to the laboring man, and a pro-
gressive city always looks out for the
| best interests of the laboring class.
so money spent in civic improvements
is not wasted but is divided among
all classes.
| Water
This problem is far from being set
| tied. The addition of pumping
| plant at the Isaacs mill site has saved
| us from a grave situation this sum.
mer. ThiS is a very dry season