The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1904-04-07
REPORTS OF OFFICERS
The Annual Summing up of Local
Municipal Affairs.


As red 4 by law hereby make
to you my annual report for the year
ending April the 4th, 1904:
Convictions.
There have been seventy-seven con-
Yicti0ns under the state law during
Mear before me acting as a
the Peace. Under the or
of the city there have been
red convictions.
Collections.
S,ollected for licenses during
year the sum of six hundred,
E-two and ninety one-hun-
rs dollars, and in fines and costs
hundred eleven and thirty-fye
undredths dollars. Making a
collection of ten hundred eighty
and twenty-five one-hundredths
Ars, for which hold receipt q
City Treasurer.
Paving.
We nave done twenty-five blocks
having within the year, at total
sc to property owners Of thirty
Rusand dollars, and at cost to the
~ of about fifty-five hundred dol
5. We also curbed East Second
enue at cost to property owners
eight hundred and eighty-four dol
b, and to the city of two hundred
thirty-eignt dollars.
Sewers. g -.a..sts
pne of the most important meas
es taken by the Council was the
Z Eoption of the uniform sewer and
storm system at cost of nine hun
Bdred dollars to the city. Hereafter
there will be no excuse for the i'm
proper laying and construction of
sewers. Under the new system We
have already started a main sewer
for the south end of town and it is to
be hoped that it will be completed
this year. We have expended on
sewers this year the sum of twenty
one hundred dollars. 1s
Public Library.
During the last year the Public Ii
brary structure was completed. A
building which is credit to our city,
and which will be ample forN all the
needs of Public Library for great
many years. to come. The interest
in the library is increasing, and there
are now over eighteen hundred vol
umes of books, eight hundred OF
which are boys and girls and, am
inform Sd, the childrens reading room
very much in use. Over six thou
sand volumes have been taken out
since the building was completed
last August.
,''' Street Sweepines.
The Council has completed the con-
rEaet with the Baugh Bros. for the
senipg and clssalpging, of paVed
stree, Dffor the cveuing three years.
, Tsonally, am opposed, as a rule,
tor contract work for the city, espe-
cialry where unskilled work only is
required, and was opposed to this
eoatract. l believed then, and believe
yet, that the city should have en-
ployed a set of men solely to do that
werk, and it would have given steady
employment during the season to men
who are needing the work, without in
nag judgment costing the city any
mere money. / believe that it is for
tbe best interests of the city that as
nanny worFnen should be employed
as possible teeping in view, however,
the conditi' h of our finances. How
ever, am satisfied that the work will
be web done under the present con-
tract, and that the paved streets will
be kept in a reasonably clean condi-
tioa. The city is protected by a
bond,
Indebtedness.
| regret to report that there has not
keen such a reduction of the indebt-
edMess during the last year as had
heped for. The reason for it, how
ever, is very clear. This year we
did the paving of two years. And by
reason of such the Indebtedness OF
the improvement fund was increased
fro1n s7,139.O0 to $9,764.00. The light
aexf Use helped to increase the
amount of the Indebtedness. With
eur present light contract the ex.
PeAse" to the city is nearly fifteen
hundred dollars more year than II
was under the McNeill contract, and
the light levy not being sufficient, we
arc compelled to go into the general
fund to make up the difference.
congratulate the Council, however
en- the fact that the Indebtedness OF
the general fund, that is the warrants
that have been floating for many
years, has been reduced $4,25e.0o
md, if. it had not been for the in
reased light expense it would have
cen, reduced nearly six thousand
dollars Il The general fund is nov
$1o,250.00 in debt and by careful man
agement it should be wiped out IL
the next two years. The condition
Of the general fund has been a dis
grace to this city for many years
bat after this indebtedness has beer
wiped out there is no reason VIII!