Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-04

the people, anu tIluI lilS SolHDiASN Sl0
forts of all would be for u betterment
of Marshalltown and its people. Mayor
Ingledue then read his message as
follows:
Gentlemen of the City Council: My
first duty is to return to the people OF
Marshalltown my profound thanks for
the honor they have conferred upon
me. /, therefore, gratefully accept the
office to which l have been elected,
fully purposing to use whatever pow
ers belong to 1t, and whatever ability
l may possess, with a single view TO
the welfare and credit OF the city.
1 hope to apply the same business
principles and devote the same inter-
est and energy to the administration
of municipal affairs which | would to
matters of greatest private interest.
If We as city officials, can apply in the
transaction of public business the
same principles and the same caution
which we use in matters of vital in
terest to ourselves, l believe we can
make this administration q financial
and moral success. TO do this must
have the cooperation and the help OF
the council. l can suggest, | can exc
cute as far as possible, but l cannot
enact your ordinances.
I'm assuming the office 1t is proper to
outline somewhat the plans which /
hope with your help to be able to car
ry out and to caution you as to some
matters which 1 think we should seek
to avoid.
First, desire to caution the coun-
Gil against any extravagant eXpendi-
lures of the public money. While you
have the authority to use and appro-
pirate the public revenues, such ex-
penditures should be made with as
much or more scrutiny than you would
give If you were expanding your own
money. Give the people just as much
for their money us they can honestly
get. In the street and alley depart
ment the last year the expenditures
We're approximately $4,000. J. believe
very material saving can be made IN
this department; in fact, that 1T can
almost be cut in half, and still give
adequate service to the city. This
department should not be used to pay
political obligations, and every man
connected with it should be expected
to give value received for the part he
received of the Public funds.
"'rhe city has for years, under the
law, levied mill tax for the sup
port of the water works fund. This
has heretofore been justified because
of the necessity for the money and
also because the tax reached some peo-
pie who did not use city water, but
who were benefited by fire protection.
In some years this money has been
transferred from the water works fund
when, by reason Of the tax and the In
come from water rents, 1t became more
than sufficient for that fund, to the
account of other funds. / believe this
policy Of levying' a larger revenue for
one purpose than necessary, and then
transferring part of 1t to some other
fund, is wrong and should be stopped.
We receive now approximately net
income of some $4,000 from the wa
ter rents. believe the time has come
when we should no longer levy the adj
ditional mill tax for the water works
fund, and that this levy should be en-
tirely eliminated. Then use the In
come from the water rents in improve
ments of the system, and in extending
the water mains so that every one who
desires may use city water and also
that fire protection may be extended.
Use the income from the water works
in this way, ard in no other. If, In
your wisdom, a sufficient revenue for
such improvements can be raised with
a lower water rate, then lower the
rate rather than transfer the funds
but first do away with the mills levy.
In this connection 1 would urge the
extension of the meter system. Where
meters are used they afford a great
saving to the consumer, in some in
stances as much as SO per cent, and
a saving to the city in the expense of
pumping. The use Of meters should
be extended until ultimately all con-
sumers use them.
II would urge upon the water works
committee the necessity of more street
lights There are more than twenty
requests from different localities ask
ing for them, and the capacity of the
plant is now overtaxed. J. believes it
best to improve the present lighting
plant, SO that more lights may be had,
if it can be done without extravagant
expenditure. Along the same line l
would urge upon the council in consid-
ering such Improvements the feasible
ity of SO improving our present light
ing plant, as soon as we can afford it.,
so that we may have sufficient power
to furnish commercial lighting for the
people generally, and I would request
the water works committee to investi-
gate the matter fully, and report to
the council as soon as practicable the
probable necessary expense of so add
ing sufficient capacity to our present
lighting plant to furnish light to the
citizens generally. Our water works
system is financial success and rates
are reasonable, and believe general
lighting system with reasonable rates
fixed by ordinance would also be a
success. 1t seems to me that there
is almost a public demand for such a
general lighting plant, owned and run
by the city. as soon as we can afford
it without burdensome taxation.
zone of the most important matters
for the consideration Of the council is
that of sewerag e. While do not believe
in forming improvement districts, and
forcing the cost of constructing sew
ers upon the property affected, yet I
do believe the system should be
extended just as fast as our revenues
will permit.
I'm regard to our paving. 1t seems
to me that we now have more than
almost any other city of the same size
around US. Generally speaking think
we have enough at present. 1t might be
we'll to pave few intersecting streets,
and such streets as a majority of the
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