The Cairo bulletin., 1909-05-05
Also to Restrict oSa'oons--Would Have Streets
Kept Clean, City Hall Built, Public I'm
provements Continued--Re-
appointment of
Officers

ion to these demands at an early
date.
In addition to all the vast pubic
improvements that have been pro
1ected, large private enterprises have
/ been spreading out, and new in lus-
! tries have located here Several
| large wood manufacturers have 10.
Gated in the city proper and il the
! Cairo Drainage District, which dis
trict incirdes part of the city, tut
probably the greatest benefit to Cairo
VIII come from the transfer of the
property of the Cairo Electric and
Traction company and the Cairo Cay
Gas company from the former owners
Of these properties to what is con-
monty known as the Mckinley inter
csts. The con liticns leading up 10
this transfer. and the subsequent
prompt action CT the city authorities
in granting franchises to the aro
Electric and Traction COMPANY and
pany, are familiar to every one, aud
need no comment from me at this
time, exc pt to call your attention to
what has been done during the past
few months Us a result Of this trans
fer, aud to what is going to be done
In the very near future. The result
OF the rebuilding of the old gas plant
by the new owners has been made
mcst apparent to every one who
uses gas, both in tne reduction of the
price of gas aud the quality of light
that Is furnished fCm the newly
constructed plant, the new owners
of the Cairo Electric and Traction
company are constructing an expen-
the upper part of the city which will
furnish power to run, not only the
cars of the street car system now in
actual service, but the cars Of the
Cairo & st Louis Railway company.
which will ultimately extend t0 81 |
Louis, and will also furnish light and |
power for both public aud private scr
vice in the city and country. It is |
difficult, if not imposs BILE to esti- |
mate at this time the value to Cairo |
of such a gigantic enterprise. and all |
of this is being done without calling |
upon the people of Cairo for one dol |
lar of its cost
While all of this grea Improvement |
work, which requires most careful at |
tentiOn, is i'm progress i'm aud around |
the city, ii will be my purpose TO |
continue the correction of evils and |
vices existing in Cairo. the condition |
of which has already been materially |
improved during the past four years. |
Finances.
with all of these. improvements
going on, as outlined above It is not |
at all surprising that the city's treas
1ry should be severely taxed. but the
condition is not as hopeless
Or serious as some people have felt
disposed to indicate thar it is Thirty
two years ago the bonded indebted
ness of the city was in the neighbor
hood of three quarters of million
dollars, while today it is less than
sixty five thousand dollars, with a
floating debt of about the same
so that it is not difficult 10
appreciate the favorable condition of
he citys finances as compared with
former years. Ten years or more ago
the revenue laws of the sta were
so changed as to reduce the amount
Of general taxes tnat could he col
ected: and as a result the city has
been falling behind gradually i'm its
revenue ever since that time. while
he demands of the people for up-to-
late improvements have been greater
hat ever before in the history of
Cairo This last statement is empha-
'ized by the fact that the city coun-
I'll has been unanimous in all of its
Efforts to provide for improvements
" special assessments aud the coun-
y court has given judgment for every
assessment so far made without hav-
ng filed with It single objection
mi ! will take this opportunity toll
iay that such result has been OBJ
aimed after very careful examina- |
ion by the attorne.s OF corporations
md individuals. both local and for
ign, of all the proceedings and rec +,
Concluded on Sixth Pagel |.