Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1905-03-30
A SCRAP, Of CITY HISTORY.

0VusV nVVVSSVOSbVHO VI s1Ol WY .
Proceedings Ia the Sewer and
Water Contracts. Delayed Work.
Those who are interested In the
real welfare Of jamestown have no de-
sire to unfairly or unnecessarily crit
isize Or disparage the council or the
mayor, as all rejecting persons know
that those Offices in town Of this
size are usually thankless positions.
Most men who consent to become
candidates for such places do SO from
a sense Of duty more than any other
reason, and well know that there is
lot of work and time required to at
tend to the .city's business that pays
no return in many ways, and much
less financially. After a man with
this idea has served his time as coun-
Gilman he usually is glad to let his
fellow resident take his turn and
the duty is oftener shirked than ac-
cepted. But II the affairs of the
town are going to be handled SO as to
induce people to come in and help
build up the city, and save those
already here unnecessary burdens of
taxation each citizen: must take an
interest in the city's business affairs
and scrutinize che work OF those who
are intrusted to look after the city's
interests.
The greatest item of expense
to taxpayers incurred in the
last few years was the putting in last
year of the water and sewer mains,
along certain streets.
Any reference to the cost OF the
water and sewer extension which
amounted to a large sum more than
the taxpayers had been told it would,
is confronted with the remark that
"you cannot eat your pie and save it
to.' 1t is Lot the question of eating
the pie, but how much you pay for 1t?
It is true that citizens living along
certain streets signed petitions for a
sewer and water extension and it is
also true that these improvements
are right and proper and of benefit to
the city. The one question, involved
in any review of this expense to the
city is as to whether these improve
ments wee put in at reasonable
cost, and whether the council acted
with good Judgment and ordinary
business discretion in letting the
contract and in seeing that it's provl-
sions were carried out according to
contract. -s5
The council acts as an agent for
the tax payers Of jamestown. The
council are not the whole thing, as
sometimes some councils seem to
believe they are. The city's interest
is of more Importance than that OF
any individual or any small collection
Of individuals. IN
It may be well to refresh the minds
of jamestown people as to the letting
OF the contracts for the sewer and
water extension that we put in last
summer, and let the taxpayer draw
his own inferences in the matter.
It will be remembered that peGi-
tions were circulated to get property
owners to consent to the additional
expenses Of putting in the sewer and
water as was done, and the contract
was agreed to BY the city council in
October, 1908. Just before the setting
in Of winter. The contract was made
with James Kennedy Of Fargo, but
was not signed till January 20, 1904,
for the sewerage. to the amount Of
4,l2O. 60 to be built according to
plans and specifications fled With the
city auditor on the 18th Of September.
The sewerage was co be built within
or before sixty days after the execu-
tion of the contract. and the contrac.
tor was bound to pay tho city ten
dollars per day for each days work
rema ming Incomplete and unfinished
after the sixty days from signing the
contract.
In the case Of the water works the
contract vas made with G. b. Por
#rett, Of Fargo, an associate Of Mr..
Kennedy, and signed Januray 4.
1904. The amount was Oh. $50. 50.
The work was to be done according
to plans fled September 18th the
work was to be completed within
ninet; days, and the penalty Of 90
per day was provided for each day
after that agreed to 10 the contract.
sAssingular thing about this letting
.of the contract for sewerzandS water
was that there was inA reality only
one bid for. each kind Of work. Ken
tnee,dy bid higher On the water IA every
particular and PorF Fett bid higher on
the sewer iIs every part cular. Eaoh
bid fitted into the other-w with glove
like smoo othness. d and city engineer