Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-01-05
COMMITTEE
REVIEWS THE
COUNCILS WORK
POINTS or TIE CONDITIONS
WHEN REIIRISG COUNCIL TOOK
CHARGE AND IHE SPLENDID
W0Pk DONE DURISG us TERN

TO Tie Mayor and Common Council Of
ne City o. salem:
we. your committee OF streets, s1b-
nit q report =hich Is il the nature
Of q reyieE OF Eha- has been zcnoa =
plishe5 during The term Of the pres
e1t 1-;-going administration, which
AL. stand in Salens history as the
Geo. T. Rodgers administration. and
even member % the council vhO
has vorksd for the ends accom-
plished. can Justly share With par
oonzbls pride, il the crsdi: tue Mr.
Rodgers for the past four years york.
January Isl, 1871. this zdninistra-
ton vent into power with q prOyi-
sion Of q A mill tan, vith a total
estimated revenue Of 1880 with a
s5.11l dehcigney, ard an unsettled
i contract for the famous North Com
mercizl Concrete bridge and MI,
Thich cost the council Of that year
about $4,000 20 complete. 50 far the
. 6rst year but little could be done as
there we're no funds available.
For 1905 a . mill tax vas levied
with an estimated revenue Of S55,slT,
7 a. the beginning Of this year the real
work OF bstterment Of the then exist
( ing conditions vas begun, and the
great work accomplished these past
three years will always stand as q
/ monument Of great achievements By
this administration no, alone fo-
what II has accomplished. but wha,
lit has accomplished With the funds
available.
For 1903 mill levy vas made,
estimated total revenue vas s71-227.
For 1910 a 81 mill levy vas made,
estimated total revenue ss5,5S0, While
for 1911 the incoming administration
has an mill levy for general pur-
[ poses, estimated revenue from all
1 sources. S105.000. which is S571Ol
greater than for 1907, and sls,42
greater than 1910. besides z one mill
for a sinking fund for outstanding
warrants. and one mill for the ap-
preparation for the armory.
At the beginning Of 1908 the city
had in its street department one gray
horse. two carts and one road scrap.
er. today We turn over to the new
administration a spIendidly equipped
street department. city barn largt
enough 10 meet the wants Of a city
double our size, four horses, dunn
carts and dump wagons. three sprink
ling carts steam road roller ant
I street sweeper with a full outfit Il
make and renew the brooms at frs
cost; also full set Of molds Il
make the concrete tling from si1
inches to 80 inches in size, Of thes.
the city has made and laid thousands
Of feet the past three years.
AT the beginning Of 1893 the city
was confronted With a bridge prob.
lem, one that was not easy to solve
but it was solved and solved right
as you will see By consulting the re
port OF the bridge committee and III,
report Of the city engineer.
;, Tvo-thirds Of all the larger bridge.
have been rebuilt, not narrow bridges
but full width. all more substantial
and many all concrete, while other,
have full width concrete abutment.
sufficiently strong to carry stee
Igirders for some future finished WORT
when the city is better able 10 com.
pleie the plans and almost all Ii,
smaller bridges have been replacet
Hith the "a or 30-inch tiles. almost
all where they could be known to b,
Iof a permanent nature.
January, 1905, the city had but ON,
IRE station and one paid department
practically no reserve protection an,
the conditions were alarming. Under
the able management Of the chair
manshrip OF Mr.. Walt Lew. plan,
we're made fer this much needed pro
lection, and gradually q new deusr,
ment vas built Up. which is nov ful
ly equipped and is fully as stronl
aad able 10 combat a fire as our cen
tral sedOn, and Salem should hsv
the beEeht in reduced rates On som
OF our property interests. Up to tou
years ago there had never been a,
adequate system OF Grades, in FAC
such system Of grades was estab
hshed was developed in piece neal
and very conflicting: under thss
conditions many permanent cur5s an
sidewalks were put down 50 tAs
when the present engineering dsps-t
ment 9as developed ana hard seryic
streets put down, these condition
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