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

from ONCE and snOuio De reao pE
every taxpayer in ths city:
To the Honorable Common Council:
To the affairs of the
world there IS an end ss we'll as
beginning. This meeting of your
body is a marking of On end-un-
important at best. The END of the
administration by few chosen ones
of the affairs uf the many. Though
such an event is only reckon.d with
in the theory of government; the
practical side of the same must be
managed with the concept that a
city's very existence-its law and
order. jointly, audits expenditures are
without end and for the welfare of
generations. This change now about
to take place among us-the retire
ment of a few of us from the trust
which has been so confidingly given
US by the electorate of the past, is
no more significance than that of
passing notice ordained by custom.
The affairs of the city will not miss
any group or particular person at any
time.
Retirement also has its merits be-
cause into vacancies, the electorate
has peacefully swung others fresh
from the wells of enthusiasm and
directly from the non official and
sovereign body-the people. True
democracy finds itself readily where
offices are most widely distributed
among the many. Once, an offics
holder. then you will always have
pride in the city's welfare.
A short look backwards into the
city's activities is, indeed, a soothing
cue to the collective ambition of the
people. No person can, however,
take unto his lonesome self the
credit for the goud that he may find
therein. We are not "selt made"
at least in public life, because we
are therein surely a social product
or made in great measure ty others.
This happy review. let US not for
get, IL the harvest of the present
time-the "hey day" of the city's
progress. The ripeness Of things
stayed with US. Leadership can be
ut best the only personal and then
questionable boast.
What has been done, we hope has
been we'll done and with sense of
perpetuity-overlapping the allotted
time Of several generations. 1t is
true that many policies of state
which need for fulhllment, decades
or generations time have been start
ed on tteir way and some are still
feeble or dependent in their evolu-
tions and they. Of necessity, beg for
more time. A mere business year
wherein yearly trial balances and
monetary dividends are struck and de-
clared in public affairs, would he
gross miscalcuiatIons there surely, q
generation or st least decade must
be the basic unit of it's arithmetic or
else policies and work shaped other
wise are shortsighted and money is
wasted in striving for more make
shifts. Therefore, judgment cannot
be called for until the lapse of time
be first run.
PUBLIC WORK.
We do not wish to lumber the
record with a mere vain-glorious
rehearsal of dry stuff. but do this in
order to emphasize policies or work
that may span beyond this admins
tration and which can with all pro-
priety be dropped or revised by
success sors in our high trusteeship
just as the people will it.
Perhaps of the most economic
import and something that has been
done for the purpose of stopping
waste-one may note the readiust.
ment of the city's public works, mostly
street work - embracing repairs,
sprinkling, flushing and sweeping.
We strove for the concentration OF
the crews of laborers, the concentra-
tim of the management and attention
on the part of the officers-the con
centratiun Of the power Of the city s
money causing it to have greater
purchasing power and Tor the instruc-
tion and use of modern tools,
machinery. wagons, sprinkling and
flushing carts. In this line also may
be mentioned system of keeping time
of employees by use Of daily reports
Il