The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-05-11


trict includes part Of the city, but
probably the greatest benefit to Cairo
will come from the transfer of the
property of the Cairo Electric and
Traction company and the Cairo CITY
Gas company from the former owners
Of these properties to what Is com
monty known as the Mckinley inter
ests. The conditions leading up 10
this transfer, and the subsequent
prompt action of the city authorities
| in granting franchises to the Caro-
Electric and Traction company and
the Cairo & ST. Louis Railway COM
pany, are familiar to every one, and
need no comment from me at this
time, except to call your attention to
what has been done during the past
few months as a result of this trans
fer. and 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
most apparent to every one VINO
uses gas, both in tne reduction OF the
price of gas and the quality of light
that is furnished from the newly
constructed plant, in addition to
their improved lighting plant the
new owners of the Cairo Electric and
Traction company are constructing
an expensive, eXtepsive and mp
to.date power plant in the upper
part of the city which viii
furnish power to run, not only the
ears of the street car system now in
actual service, but the cars of the
Cairo & st. Louis Railway company,
which will ultimately extend to ST..
Louis. and will also furnish light and
power for both public and private SGT
vice in the city and country, 1t is
difcult. if not impossible 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 in progress in and around
the city, it 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
ury should be severely taxed, but the
financial condition Is not as hopeless
or serious as some people have fe't
disposed to indicate thai it is. Thirty
Eve years ago the bonded indebted
ness of the city was in the neighbor-
hood of three quarters of million
/ dollars while today ii is less than
Isixty-five thousand dollars, with a
floating debt of about the same
amount, so that it is not difficult to
appreciate the favorable condition OF
! the city's finances as compared with
fUGnrvt- saodi.... To- p,e.arS nr moro ago
the revenue laws of the state were
so changed as to reduce the amount
of general taxes that could be col
loctcd; and as a result the city has
been falling behind gradually in its
revenue ever since that time, while
the demands of the people for up-to-
date improvements have been greater
that ever before in the history OF
| Cairo This last statement is empha-
| sized by the fact that the city coun-
ell has been unanimous in all Of its
efforts to provide for improvements
| by special assessments and the coun-
| ty court has given Judgment for every
| assessment so far made without hav-
| ing filed with it single objection
and ! will take this opportunity TO
say that such result has been OBJ
| tanned after very careful cXamina.
| ton by the attorneys of corporations
| and individuals, both local and for
eign, of all the proceedings and rec
orls connected with this great work.
| These improvements, as is known,
have been made and the cost of the
same provided for by special assess
ment but there are many expenses
that have to be borne out of the
| general funds of the city, such as
| tho salaries of engineers, attorneys,
| commissioners, inspectors and court
costs The demand for more revenue
! in the city to meet these increased
| expenses has been discussed during
| tho past winter very freely and valu-
able suggestions have been offered
for obtaining the necessary additional
| revenue for the maintenance of the
city government. ! had hoped that the
state legislature would adopt before
this time some revenue or bond bills
which would be of benefit to Cairo,
but so far / do not understand that
any action has been taken by that
body that will assist the city ma
terially, and therefore, I prefer to
withhold any extended recommended
ions for the relief of our financial
situation, until it is determined what
action the state legislature is going
to take. have had prepared, how
nvor or,pnlo1 galon,, Baapr, Zr.lf