Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-04-22

most weighty question in the welfare
of thia city.
There is also left, unsettled, the
question of the large item of accruing
interest on city bonds. At least one
! Wisconsin city, namely. Superior, has
now discontinued the issuance Of bonds
and gone back to the cash ba=is after
duly considering the reply ''let future
generations pay The big item Of
interest alone would purchase many
city improvements when instead the
money now simply pays fol the use of
principal. The special and mortgage
bonds to the amount OF $40, 900 issued
for waterworks have been retired and
exchanged for general city bonds at
lower rate of interest. as WAS pre-
viously determined by ordinance.
The balance is all city funds in the
goodIy sum of 77.171.84 and not q
single fund is now overdrawD.
The March report of the City Trea-
eurer alone shows the interesting fact
that az compared with that of March,
1906, there ia favorable balance of
cash amounts to about $27. 900, but
from this should be deducted the
amount of cash in the bond fund after
which there is still q gain of rev veral
thousands.
The general fund balance also shows
that there is q gain in the balances of
about 5000. even after your body
whitfield down the usual lev,es for
this fund for the purpose of throwing
financial help to the buard Of educa-
tion, and this help from said fund was
cheerfulIy and literally given during
the past two years. The economic
growth Of the city and your readjust-
ment of the city finance has contrib
uted to this success. which has per-
mitted you never the less tO fulfilling
the wants of q progressive city and
also to satisfy the most exacting public
unbegrudging economy.
PLAY GROUNDS AND PARKS.
The city is now we'll started in the
matter of play grounds, walks,
swimming pools and like places of
recreation and bonn to the public
health asd civic we'll being Concrete
results have followed quickly and it
was but two years ago that I as
mayor, spoke at length to YOU con-
cerning our peerless river basin and
bends in this city should furnish re-
creation in plenty to our people. The
idea was but recital on my part !;
because for wears others have had
such a dream and no native failed to
hear as many outlines of schemes as
he hear "dreamers: those dreams
are about to be made g reality. The
vote by your body has been. and the
voice of many has been raised for it's
installation.
The children's Fairgrounds in the
First Ward has grandly answered its
noble call in the kingdom of your b.
The attendance has far exceeded the
hopes of its many well-wlshers.
There were children who walked in
the intense heat of summer days for
an almost incredible distances were it
net for the fact that they were OBJ
served SO to do by careful watchers.
CITY's BRIDGES.
Owing TO the extreme bends of the
river, this city maintains of necessity
many bridges snd with advance of the
price of lumber, the matter Of their
repairs has become big yearly item.
Theplank rosdways are most costly and
last but couple Of years. 1t is q
public economy to place permanent
roadways thereon at large principal
sum in order to save the frequency ot
repair. Two bridge structures which
contain no lumber have been recently
built. Substantial repairs in struc-
turaI parts of bridges were made last
year, embankments of concrete were
built and the bridges were painted.
STREET LIGHTING.
A we'll lighted city is we'll worth
the striving for. The police are now
required to tabu,ate the details of the
service furnished under this contract
and a daily card record of the short
comlngs and of the outage is now alsr
had and filed. There has besn much
trouble of late or rather during the
time of the reconstruction of the
electric lighting system and accord.
ingly the service has been interrupted