The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1906-04-18
CITY COUNCIL,

bond sinking fund the sum of $3I.
ooo.23, leaving net indebtedness o
$I4o, ,6I6.o6, a reduction in ten year.
Y OF $IoI,2or.oo, thus making a sayins
4 OF interest alone of between $f2,ooc
and $4,000 per annum.
Il The outstanding bonds are as fol
/ lows, issued and assumed at the ptir.
chase OF the Waterworks, water work.
bonds due January Ist, 1911, SCOOP
drawing z per cent interest.
j Water works bonds due NoyembeI
i Ist, 1917, $4,000 drawing 6 per cent
| Water and sewer bonds due Novern-
Der IS, 1915, $4,000 drawing pc,
Ieent 81. Ill =
] Refunding bonds due Dec. 1, 1919
i $2S, 900 drawing E per cent
i Refunding bonds due June /, Io24
10000 drawing S per cent.
i 7 Iota. $I24,oo .5
i THE WATER WORKS. ,g
f The semi annual statement OF the
teity auditor shows that the water
works are in prosperous condition,
as the city increases in population
/ they will become more important and
become more of revenue producer.
| The city has, in round figures. S2so.-
Eooo invested in this enterprise. i
| have noted the Indebtedness standing
| against the water works, the revenue
IS pledged to the redemption OF both
interest and principal and the obliga-
tlons will be taken up as soon as they
tall due and before if the city finds
that It. can take them up and save any
interest. %t.5
| note in the appropriation for zoos.
10 that $4,000 was diverted from the
| water works fund and used in the
construction of city hall. The city
needed the hall, but it is questionable
whether it was justified in taking a
pledged fund and using it for the pur-
pose, 1T was. In case the revenues
Eot the. water works will not replace
! 1t in time the amount will have to be
| raised by direct taxation. 1t might
fhave been better to have levied the
| taxes at once. .ns.5 K 1 .: @~*%.
[ have tried to find out something
about the SO called Settling basin. y
have been told that the partition
wall built with porous brick will not
Ilet sufficient amount Of water
through and that the gates, or doors
have had to be opened, thus permit
| ting the water to be pumped into the
water mains in about the same con
ldtlon that it is in the river. have
/. tried to ascertain the cost of the
basin and am told it cannot be given,
but that 1t exceeds $1,000. 1t seems
that the only good the basin is for is
to prevent so much of the slush and
anchor ice interfering with the intake
pipe. If that is all it is, it is GER
Itainlys poor piece Of management,
lone which / trust the city viii not
have to repeat. "A well that would
have kept out the ice could have been
constructed that would have answered
the same purpose for very much less
money.
THE ISLAND PARK TRUNK SEWER.
The intercepting sewer constructed
across Island Park, intended to re-
lieye the west part OF the Third ward
and the entire Fourth ward has caus-
ed q great deal Of complaint, on what
is claimed ito be the unequal assess
nlents by the tax commission, for,
benefits, some claiming that property
assessed can never be benefited BY
the sewer, others claiming that the as.
Sessments amount to confiscation. The
sewer was constructed and assessments
made, as / understand it, under the.
act Of the last legislature. AS to-
whether the tax commission made an
error as some claim Il cannot say, but
from conversations have had with
people who say they have good cause.
to complain, 4 am satisfied that unless
they can be shown that no error was
made the matter will be taken into the
courts. That would be indeed unfor-
tunate and i trust that some plan can
be devised SO that no one can have any
serious cause for complaint. real
ize that 1T has cost iii round figures ST.
600 for the assessment and publications.
but even the loss Of that sum might
not be the worst evil.
STREET LIGHTING.
At some time within the next sixty.
days I trust that i may be able to lay
before You plaf whereby the cost
lot street lighting will not be SO heavy
Eas it is at this time. i believe that
the Union fight, Heat & Power Coz,
will lend their assistance wherever
possible in this matter. / shall work
with that end IN view and ask your
CO.. operation nm
Respectfully submitted,
A Johnson, Mayor.
3 The message was ordered filed.
STANDING COMMITTEES,
The following standing committees
were announced:
Finance Aldermen Stern, Elliott
Lewis.
Fire and Water Aldermen Marsh,
Clapp, Amerland, Stewart, Van Horn.
Streets and Bridges Aldermen
Early, Stern, Emery, Mills, Amerland.
Lights Aldermen Emery, Graham,
Van Horn.
Sewers Aldermen McKeller, Clapp,
Graham.
Police Aldermen Cummings, Mills
Nc Keller.
Printing Aldermen Mills. Stewart,
Early.
Emery.
Salaries Aldermen Anerland, Ell