The Ward County independent., 1909-04-22
NEW COUNCIL MEETS
.A4avor Delivers Important Messa9e---Committees
Named--Spath President and Emerson VICE
..-~ pres. OF Council---lnterestine Batch
Of Business II

ditions and problems which confront
us at this time. The apparent dis
satisfaction of the tax payers OF this
city over the expenditures for improv-
ements during the past two or three
wears is something that should not
20 unheeded ;,4Ir believe that one OF
the first duties of this council IS to
these expenditures ana
show the people whether there has
been a fair and honest expenditure
of city funds. The financial statement
Just rendered by the City Treasurer
covers certain portion of the ground,
but this council should go farther. l
would recommend that without delay
the services of a bonded expert &C
countant be secured to audit the al
fairs of this city and make complete
and detailed public report. There IS
great cry of dissatisfaction on the
part of the people with regard to the
heavy grading tax that has been as
sessed against their property. To my
mind the people should be shown
and it is up to us. to show them. In
the first place 1 believe that the work
OF the city engineers Office should
be thoroughly investigated by COM
petent person. This grading proposit-
ion is simple; in the first place l Will
call ;your attention to the fact that
the outgoing council has not let a
| single grading contract that has not
been petitioned for by majority OF
the property owners living on the par
ticular street included in the district.
It was. their duty to do this. Will
further call your attention to the
fact that not one protest has been
fled with the city auditor in connect
ion with the letting of these contracts
which have in every instance been
] nroperay advertised and due notice
! given to the tax payers. The propo-
ls1tion then resolves itself into this:
If the city engineers estimates Of the
oest of.this work have been fair, and
II the amount of Dirt moved and the
axrent Of the fills have been correctly
set forth in the engineers estimates;
if IS much dirt has been moved as the
people have paid for and If the price
Of this work is fair, taking into eon-
siaeration the cost Of labor and ms
lterial at the time the work was done
then the tax payers can have nc
lcomplaint. The investigation Is daaty
that we owe the people and I ask you
| gentlemen ,of the council, to give me
J authority to appoint a committee
from among your nnmber who Will nj
once secure "a competent person to
check up the affairs of the City Eng
lineer and who will thoroughly inves-
ltieate and. show the taxpayers wheth-
ler or rot the tax arising fro'n this
work has been fair and just. i would
make 1t the duty Of this committee TO
work With the nne in charge 'of this
investigation SO that there can 'be no
question rs to the thorOAghAess ana
l,faiEness OF lit.
Gentlemen, i want to make 1t plain
that / am for investigation OF the al
fairs of this city in every department; !;
II there has been anything in this ad-
iristration that ia. not right, want
the people to kno wit. You may count
on any and every aid that I may he
able to give you.
a.periutendent of Water Works Csa-
struction..
/ recently urged upon the old coun-
Gil the necessity of procuring super
tntendent Of construction to oversee
the work of Installing the new water
works system. The council passed
resolution instructing the auditor to
correspond with competent parties
with a view to securing the services
Of such a person. trust that this Will
be carried out by you, gentlemen, and
that a superintendent will be secures
who will see that this plant Is con-
structed and that the materials ana
equipment used are strictly In ac-i
cordance with the plans and specinca-
tions under which this contract was
let.
The Servants Of the Administrator.
I have no desire or inclination 70
hamper the work Of this new council
with any of the sins OF omission or
commission Of the retiring board. The
decisive vote OF the people at the re-
cent: election shows me that they have
confidence In their respective repre-
santatives. I am going TO place the
Same conAAeaes. q you- WINE 4 Z Aays Z! =.
isasca . bsuess thas tAs ~ g ~