River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-04-01
"CONCERNING THE CITY'S
BUSINESS"

CONCERNING The CITY .
BUSINESS"
"The general work of the city has
not been curtailed in the least. We
have built a ST., 250.00 bridge, with
its attendant cost of grading, etc !,
installed a rock crushing plant and
laid several blocks of stone street
(the first ever laid; have spent
So, 243 50 for cement walk and built
nearly the same amount of cross
walksas last year, while in some other
lines extra expenditures have been
made over and above what were
made last year. All of this, except
the contract price of the bridge,
has been paid for out of this
years taxes. We have lost the
$4,000 saloon revenue and yet the tax
rate this year was but $2.47 or the
$500, as against $2.42 last year-an
increase not at all commensurate
with the loss of revenue and the
added improvements. Besides, the
treasurer will close the fiscal year
with about $4,000 more on hand than
he began the year with. "
This article is misleading in
several respects, whether Intention
ally or not, leave it to the reader
to judge. l call your attention to
such errors:
First. The pamphlet says, In
stalled a stone-crusher plant and
laid several blocks of stone street
(the first ever laid)."
The Town of River Falls pur-
chased the rock-crusher twenty
eight years ago and under the su-
pervision of Judge Weld laid more
miles of stone road than has ever
since been laid down in one year.
After the city's organization the
city purchased the rock-crusher of
the town. In about 1898 or 1899
the city Council installed such
rock crusher at the foot of the
Walker quarry in the city, advant-
ageously situated, in location to the
streets of the city, and under the
supervision of Mr.. Cyrus Glass
thoroughly and deeply covered the
two principal blocks on Main street
with crushed rock. Since that time
scarcely year has passed without
more or less crushed rock being
placed on the streets. A few
years ago the City Council
covered the street leading from
Mrs. Sarah Tozer's residence east
to the city limits with crushed rock,
three quarters of a mile in length,
exceeding the amount covered in
1908 by a very large percentage.
During all the period above COW
cred the rock-crushing plant had
been situated at the Walker quarry,
Before the close of the fiscal year of
1907-1908 and the retirement of the
old council, a contract was made
with the owners of the Walker
quarry extending over a period
OF five years for the continuance of
the location of the crusher at that
point and the obtaining Of rock from
such quarry.
So it looks to me that the In
stalling" meant by the writer above
quoted must have been the several
hundred dollars expended in the
removal of the rock-crushing plant
from it's leased site to a new site on
the E. H. Currier farm, as the city
already owned it's crusher, elevator
and dynamo, and was ready for bus
mess at the old stand.
Second. After statement of mon
les expended the writer states: "All
of this, except the contract price of
the bridge, has been paid for out of
this years taxes.
An examination of the records of
the City Council of Oct. p, 1908,
shows that at the meeting held on
that date the City Council levied a
tax for general purposes to the
amount of $4,000 and at the same
meeting passed a resolution author
ling a loan of S., 900 for the pur-
pose of paying the amount then due
and unpaid on the Cedar street
bridge, and that certificates of in
debtedness be issued therefor, pay
able out of the general fund. Such
loan was made. The city charter
provides that the Council cannot
borrow money or issue certificates
of Indebtedness until tax levy to
at least the amount of such loan
has been made, SO the payment of
the loan shall be provided for. 1t
is apparent to the mind of any un-
biased citizen that the expenditures
stated by the authors of the above
article to have been made from the
taxes of 1908 were not SO made, as
loan to the full amount of the levy
was made at the time of such levy,
and that necessarily the tax levy of