The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-04-15
MAYOR GROFFMAN'S INAUGURAL.

council Monday evening. The address
is impressive not only for timeliness OF
theme and forcefulness Of expression,
but because of it's freshness of statement.
1t is good answer to the soap bubbles,
sometimes dirty and tending to soil lin
en-, and sometimes froth, evaporating on
the empty air, blown out by the Social
lists before the election:
In assuming the duties of Mayor for
this term, | cannot refrain from ex'
pressing my thanks to healdermen who
have been associated with me in the con-
duct of the city affairs during the two
years just passed. Our relations have
been exceedingly pleasant; the business
to be transacted has always been attend
ed to promptly and carefully. On some
things there have been naturally differ.
ences of opinion, but the questions at
issue have generally been discussed on
their merits and our meetings have been
remarkably free from personal antagon.
ism, all of which has made it pleasure
to preside ut your meetings and | hope
that we shall be able to do as we'll in
the two years upon whfeh we just enter
and that our relations may be mutually
pleasant and that the business to be per-
formed may be done in manner most
advantageous to the people of this city.
There are only two new members in
this Board. The people expressed their
confidence and trust that we shall be
able to discharge our duties 80 AZ to be
worthy of the confidence shown. l urge
upon you the necessity of economy in
the various departments of the city
government, but economy is not to be
placed ahead of efficiency.
There ale number of permanent i'm.
provements that ought to be made in
this city. The property in the city in
the main is we'll kept. Our streets are
in good condition and the people of the
city do take wholesome pride in main
tanning their homes in neat and orderly
manner, all of which are pleasure to
ourselves and give good impression to
visitors to the city. Our streets are
generally in good condition and | dare
say, the city of Manitowoc has better
streets than any other city of its size in
the state. There are some streets, how
ever, in the city that ought to be paved
and l would urge that efforts be made to
secure, as soon as possible, tfc paving of
Washington Street from Eighth Street
to Thirteenth Street, Jay Street from
Eighth Street to Ninth Street and Ninth
Street from Jay to Washington Street,
and Commercial Street from Eighth
Street to Tenth Street. These parts of
these streets ought to be paved. and
movements ought to be started to induce
the property owners upon these streets
to consent to the laying of these pave
ments.
A city system of sprinkling streets
should be insugurated as early as possi-
BILE. The sprinkling of streets is neces-
sity, from the viewpoint of both health
and comfort. The streets upon which
the most traffic of the city is being done
ought to be sprinkled and under a city
system of street sprinkling this could be
done at a great saving to the property
owners upon these streets The city
ought to own its own sprinklers and
should do its own sprinkling, charging
the actual cost to the property abutting
upon the streets that are sprinkled.
As soon as the legislature enacts into
law Bill No. 26S A., relating to city
school systems, the question of the a.
doption of city system of schools
should be submitted to the vote of the
electors OF the different school districts
and city system of schools ought to be
established as soon as it can be done. !
believe that under city system OF
schools we would have better schools,
lower school taxes and uniformity in
oar school requirements, all of which is
very desirable.
On the subject of the public utilities
within our city there is not much use
making any recommendations, rs the
control of these utilities has been taken
from the city and placed in the hands Of
the Railroad Commission. The Com
mission has not yet made a finding upon
the valuation Of the Water Works plant.
When the Commission announces its
valuation the question will then arise
whether or not the city desires to pur-
chase the plant at the price fixed by the
Commission. The question whether or
not the city should buy at that price will
be governed by the valuation announced.
The Water Works plant is now in good
condition. 1t has during the last year
installed new boiler and built large
storage tank and the Water Works Com
pany now is about TO dig another we'll
upon its premises When this well is
completed it is expected that the city
will have practically an inexhaustible
supply of good water and that the dan.
ger of ever being compelled to use the
river intake in any emergency will be
removed.
| wish to urge that the council CO.
operate with the Board of Park Com.
missioners to secure for the city desirable
grounds for park purposes. The city of