Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-03-28
THE CITY ELECTION.

OCCull l. GU VA1O lulu y" lily 11ACS.
eve hope that no-license will
carry, and the administration tc
follow will be such that this will
remain the settled policy of the
village in the future. After a few
years of such regime, the vii
lage would not only as whole be
more prosperous, morally purer,
and it's citizens happier, but We
venture the prediction that even
| the village finances would be in
such condition that no one would
dare, justly or unjustly, to, make
an affidavit that the village is
'hopelessly insolvent. ,"
#
Yes, in 1898 the most promi
nent attorney in town took his
oath that the village was ''hope
lessly bankrupt and unable tc
pay it's bills.'' This in order tt
compel the city to continue tc
furnish light at half price to q
favored building association
And this after the village had
been drawing license money from
the saloons for twenty~se
years with one exception.
#
Well, in 1893 the village did &C
'dry" and has remained so every
year since that time except 1901
How has the prediction of 1896
been realized? We believe any
fairminded citizen will admit that
it has come true. Study the city
clerks statement in this issue OF
the TRIBUNE.
After paying all current bills
there is over $11, 900 in the city
treasury chargeable to the differ.
ent funds. The substantial i'm
provements made and paid for
during, the year are gratifying tc
all. These include a new outfit
in the city electric plant, a large
size engine and dynamo, which
provides needed capacity for
present and future needs. Street
improvements have been made
on a scale equal to anything at
tempted in former years. Nc
less than 1900 SO. yards Of stone
walk equal to 80 blocks of ordi
nary residence walk) have been
laid in the city. A number OF
permanent stone crossings have
been laid and others are ready tc
be put in where the traffic is
heavy. The city fathers have
reason to feel proud over the rec.
ord they have made, and the fact
that there is no opposition to the
reelection of any of the former
aldermen can be taken as an in
dication that our people are per-
fectly satisfied with their work.
The TRIBUNE has shown in it's
columns by all fair tests that the
material prosperity of the city
has kept pace with the increase
in population. Postoffce receipts
are double what they were in
1898. Money in the banks has
more than doubled in that time.
The volume Of business has grown
with the city.
#
The taxes are no higher than
may be expected in a rapidly
growing city. All expenses are
being paid and provision for the
reduction Of the bonded debt is
being made each year. $4,000 is
now levied for a new schoolhouse
each year. Therefore it is abso.
lutely certain that taxes can be
reduced in the near future, and
will be if the men are kept in
Office who take pride in havin g
their city managed so that there
will be no excuse for coveti ing
license money. Willmar''s tax
rate compares favorably with
those of all other rapidly grow.
ing communities where license
money is accepted, in most cases
the rate being lower at Willmar
than in those saloon towns.
At no time since the fight fol-
a clean city began has the bug-a:
boo of blind pigs been so well dis:
posed of as at the present time
at Willmar: The citizen who is
not satisfied that the law can be
reasonably well enforced does
not want to be convinced. Itwas
the no-license policy and the effort
to effectively enforce the law that
placed Peter Bonde in the posi-
ton Of chief of police, and what
this alone has been worth to our
city cannot be over estimated.
Peter is chief Of police more from
a sense If dutv than for anv pain5