The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-06-23
a Hannx Result.


A Happy Result.
La Crosse (Wis.) Leader-Press. ne
city of Keokuk. Iowa, began TO Operate
under the commission plan OF govern
ment on April 10th last and at the
end Of two months has made goou
deal of progress toward economy Oh
administration and municipal soivency.
1t appears by a recent report OF the
commissioners that when they TOOK
mold of the business affairs OF the Guy
there was in the treasury s5s3-2o. mat
was on April 18th. During the remain
der of that month the receipts were
sS,371.20 and during the month OF May
| the receipts were s1S,530.26. The com
mission therefore had total cash assets
! of s2T,S4S71 up to the end OF May
and it had used this sum In the fol-
! lowing way: 1t had paid current ex-
penses amounting to s4,961.69 and old
debts which it had inherited from the
! former system of government amount
ing to S16,1139S. That left balance
of s6,40904 in the treasury, with re-
ceipts still exceeding expenditures by
a comfortable margin
& These figures do not tell the wnose
s story, because Keokuk las a system
of issuing what are called city war
rants for it's obligations and of these
it had issued up to June 10th IN pay
: ment of old debts s3,6S7.39 and in pay
ment of current expenses SS,905.50.
But within the same period it had paid
{ or redeemed warrants amounting TO
/ s6,31419 and on June 18th there was
Z still in the treasury s7,125.39. The
; Gate City further explains the situa-
2 ton by saying that these figures show,
) in brief, that the floating deb. OF ap-
! proximately $4,000 contracted by the
previous administration has been paid
3 off and that there is more than enough
money in the city treasury to meet all
: outstanding warrants issued to meet
$ current expenses. This has been ac-
complished at a time of year when tax
/ receipts are comparatively light, most
persons waiting until fall before pay
: ing their city taxes Mayor Elder and
e his councilmanic associates did well to
s rescue the municipality from the
r slough of financial despond in which
they found it, before addressing
" themselves to other duties. The city
d is now on solid ground financially and
e will be kept there by keeping expendi
It lures within receipts This is transact
ing the public business as it should
b be transacted. There is no good rea
e. son why the principles that govern III
"a private business transactions SHOULD
y not be applied with equal success II
1t the conduct of the financial affairs O.
y community The new council Is tt
be commended for recognizing tie fac
Dr. and proceeding accordingly 1t onl.
Or remains to add that no bills have beer
n held up in order to make a showing
O. of good financiering. Warrants wer
d issued for all bills as they became due
10 The above exhibit therefore, repre-
sents the actual condition of cit
h- finances at the close of business Of
ce Wednesday evening last
ev The showing is one which strongl
ne commends the commission system be
=, cause it can be relied upon as an az
hit curata sta+emon+ ~ tho f.cte Il ,
i i
y the best we have seen from any {
III the cities adopting the commissio
cd form of government within the pas
year and it furnishes an example {
IN economy and prudent administratio
es which cannot fail to attract after
IN ton. The wonder is, of course, the
we such statements of the results of go
eminent by commission do not excit
nv the interest of municipal administer
ret lions of the general existing sort an
ice influence the emulation of the met
iv- DDS which make them possible.
ng was quite within the power of the TO
nd mer Keokuk administration, for e
In ample. to achieve the results whic
Sc are noted above to the credit of IL
we commission The latter body worke
no miracle and pretended to wo,
none. 1t merely applied bushes
principles to a business propositic
ing with the happy result indicated by Il
on, figures which we have quoted. All
common council anywhere might If
ter would, do most of the things whic
be the commission does to reduce NUM-,
elf. pal expenses and improve revenue
ldi. Why isn't the experiment tried som
on where? 1t looks like bright idea.
ion
ma, . o o o . . o q
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