Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1908-04-24
MAYORS MESSAGE To
THE COMMON COUNCIL
Presented at the Initial Meeting Held Last Even
ing-Nany Good Suggestions in Admin
istration of Municipal Affairs.

lowest and he is biggest factor in
! local government. The city has been
lucky in finding within the medical
profession of this city spirit of
sacrifice and pride as SHOWN by the
records of the pubic service. Much
effective work has been done during
the last tenure. A great scourge
threatened the health of the people.
A fight against the spread of smallpox
had ended yictoriously after the ex-
penditure of more time, work and
worry than the citizen guages or
appreciates. Here is a mention of
his efforts and words of appreciation
for his sacrifices.
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
The trainers of the charter. as
specialists, foresaw the great good a
board of public works could accomplish
and they have given to it latitude
of powers End zone of duties.
They foresaw the need of a body
which would give It's entire attention
and systematical work for a scheme
of progress. In this city, it has made
for progress. While this cIty's board
is not wholly composed of members
who have no other exacting or special
lied duties, still, in proportion to the
OUT of place to advocate board of
salaried men, whose sole duties would
be to act as members of the board of
public works. 1t is our aim to some
day obtain board, if the law and
incums allow, and then there will be
no calling upon the clerk to leave his
records, upon the attorney to fors AXE
his briefs. These specialists will not
have to follow up some work or neg
lect upon far away street. During
the coming season the board faces
multiplied work, IN the way of clean
ing, repairing and sweeping miles of
streets and roads of tbs city and the
supervisions of the building of much
street pavement. The control of the
streets is the boards special work.
There is great work for it to do in the
way of the comfort and safety OF the
users thereof. The comfort of all
inhabitants is only attended to when
the roadbeds are relieved instantly
from It's mud and when the dust is
promptly overcome, debris swept and
carried away often and snow removed
from walks and crosswalks shortly
after the fall. This work is not a
matter of d day; it is at most a
question of few hours. The hoes,
shuvels and broonns must be in full
use long before the morning. business
is fairly opened. The quiet of the
night must be used by the board to
undo the ork of the elements and in
seasonable time give solid comfort.
When this is done, too late, the work
is useless and the city may as well
have it's old time clay bottom roads
which are dry and dusty in summer
and muddy in spring. 1t is within
the trial of this buard to win for US
the name Of "spotless town" To
help in this great work the city is
now building a shelter IN which some
uf these useful city tools will be re-
paired and ready for immediate use.
The public health demands that there
should be no such repetition of condi-
ton that allow Independent transfers
to force the city to wait with patience
until private patrons have first been
served. Reflect upon the humiliation
of rhe might of the city's power to
suffer streets to remain unswept. with
heaps of street sweepings to tester In
the summers heat. to be blown and
scattered about by the wind and kicked
and strewn about by the hurses' hoofs,
Just because the city, the supreme
agency, Is absolutely dependence upon
some one who wishes to finish some
body else's job Of teaming and who
knows that the city simply must wait.
Where is the blame for this condition
The private teamster may have regular
work, but in the preservation of our
common health, and according to
tn. demand for tidy city and IN the
name of its might we should have
our own tools ready and waiting fol
i. the boards bidding whether it be al
, night or whether during the day, il
stress OF work or in monotony of idle
: ness, to cart away the nauseGuS
: disease-ladened offal from downtown
, streets. Further would you allow g
: day to pass, because somebody
: sprinkling wagons are in the pain
t shops or at the other times, SONS
i ones horses are teaming this OF
trucking that and the public is hind
4 cred and disconnected and the boarC
! members are blamed and stand help
lessly by. Between their willingness
9 to do and speedy results an Independent
! contractor usually has interviewed
You may threaten, you may watch
' you may telephone, still the independ
r ent contractor sub-cuntractors hav,
' their rights and the clouds of dus
from the street will blow about
s sickening, soillng, running and distres
Y ing in their free play. Then. dust
also blows about before or after
y contract has begun or epxirec.
s In such crises. the city will alon