The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-02
A BANQUET GIVEN /
Mayor Osborn Celebrates
His Retirement.
He Gives a Report Of His Stewardship
and 1t is a Remarkable Indus
trial Showing For Green's
b0rO.
Especial TO News and Discovery


Greensboro. n. c. May L.
In keeping with his whole-souled
reputation and hospitable interests,
Mayor w. III. Osborn gave a notable
banquet i'm the Guilford hotel dining
rooms here tonight in celebration of his
retirement in the next few days from
the office of mayor of Greensboro.
which he has held for four years. His
guests consisted of every member of
the city government official force and
heads of the various departments and
commissions. the entire police force
and representatives of the press OF
every publication in the city II was
a fine assortment of officials and cltl-
zens. numbering fifty appreciative
gentlemen The menu was all that
such caterers as Messrs. Cobb d Fry
could devise in the way of sensible
viands and fluids which cheered but
did not inebriate. The supper was
the more enjoyable for the absence
of the usual monopolizing of speaking
at the expense of eating. the occasion
being delightfully."- informal. the re-
Spouse to the few toasts drunk being
unprecedented, impromptu, short
and sweet
The event of the evening was the
response of Mayor Osborn to repeated
calls for a speech, which he made in
ship for the past four years, and of
the official acts of the retiring board
of aldermen for the past two years.
His review was q remarkable showing
of how the city government has en-
deavored to keep mace with the Wond-
erful progressiveness of the citizens of
the city. In private and quaSi-public
affairs and investments the city faSs-
ers certainly had a task to do this, for
since Mayor Osborn took hold, street
cars. insurance companies, building
and loan associations. sky-scraping
buildings. etc. have come. and his
showing tonight was more in the ma
ture of an effort to present the diff
Guilty of officially keeping up with pri-
vate progress than for any booming
of the accomplishments of the officials.
il being thereby a reflex compliment
TO the citizens than to himself or his
board of aldermen.
n Condensed Summary.
a condensed summary of this report
shows the following practical results
of a general nature: In the past two
years the employment of an expert
accountant annually to make inveSi-
cation of the city auditing
department and prepare
statement of the exact status
of financial affairs to date was inaugu-
rated floating debt reduced from $21,-
600 to it's present amount of $4,000.
Twenty-Five miles of sewer pipe and
three septic tanks have been put in
at cost of 100000 Sixty-five thou
sand square yards of street macaddm
have been laid at cost of $4,000,
work still progressing Five and a
half miles of additional cenlented side
walks have been laid by citizens upon
the new graded and new curbed
streets. The city hall building has
been equipped with fire escapes and
modern steam, heat, electric equip
ment and sanitary improvements, all
planned before the Iroquois, Chicago,
holocaust. The city fire department
has been greatly enlarged and i'm
proved by water supply, the addition
of a new modern fire engine, chemi-
cal engine with paid expert firemen to
operate it, a laroe and new fire de-
partment building in the western sec
ton of city. Bond issues amounting
to $250,000 have been voted for inn
provement of water system and extern
sion of sewerage. and a new water
stand pipe with immense capacity has
been built. Work has begun on new
city water supply from Reedy Fork,
furnishing city water enough for
10000 population. The last city
bonds sold on basis equal to Is for
5 per cent bonds. cash, realized being
$108.35
Among reforms in tax department be- |
sides the new system of listing was in
vestigation at cost of 500 of a number
of tax dodgers whereby 800 names
were found, representing that number |
of polls and over 100000 worth of |
real estate unlisted for many years, |
Bringing i'm as immediate additional |
revenue for one year alone to the city, |
and indirectly to the county and |
State of $2,760.
Mayor Osborns report in many |
showing, touching on the city's aid |
to the library already established, its /
making it possible to secure the $780, |
600 Carnegie library now in course of !
erection, the establishment of 4 |
commission of sewer inspectors |
a plumbing INSPECTOR and an electric |
inspection commission and experts |
improvements in fire protection by ex-
tending fire building limits etc. and
the creation of a board of civic i'm
provement with official authority
This necessarily incomplete, and great
Iy condensed sketch of his report or
speech at this banquet, is furnished
by this correspondent hastily because
it is conceived to be not only news of
an interesting nature, but between the |
lines can be read valua BILE suggestions |
for other cities whose officials may not |
yet have adopted some of the valuable |
tried experiments here recorded by a |
model mayor at a model supper
Before taking cooking lessons its |
up to a woman 10 get her husbands |
IIfN iDS1frad