Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-12
THE NEXT COUNCIL.

.,
at the solicitation of number or ms
friends, to become candidate 1or Tue
nomination for mayor on the repup-
lican ticket at the spring primaries,
and nomination papers in MS penali
are being circulated. captain Eal-
per's candidacy, II nominated VIII pe
given support by citizens OF an pom
tical beliefs. He has been n1eions
resident of Ottumwa and Wapelo
county and has been one OF our lead
ing citizens. He has been success
served from 1901 to 1907 In the state
in business life and in public life. re
senate md brought distinction TO wa
pello county by his service in the legls-
iature. He was presid entiaI elector
from the sixth district IN 1901, mas
served as commander OF the depart
ment Of Iowa of the G. A. r., mas
served as member of the school board
and has filled other positions OF trust
IN the community. What OttumWa
needs now more than anything else is
. business administration of its city
AFFAIRS, and Captain Harper is
neculiarly fitted to be the head OF the
city administration. For years he mas
heen the head Of one Of the biggest
/ wholesale hardware houses IN the
state. and he ranks among loWas
leading business men.
The citizens Of Ottumwa have
serious Job confronting them, and 1t
must he attended to in the very near
future. It is the selection Of a city
council that has sufficient business
ability and business experience to keep
the city's expenditures within its
receipts.
n 1897 the city issued $4,000 in
bonds to- get money to pay its debts
which had been incurred in excess Of
the amount raised by taxation 1t is
supposed that the issue took up prac-
ideally all outstanding current obliga-
lions.
BY 1908 the city had again accu-
mulated debt that was supposed to
amount to 100000. The council again
authorized bond issue to meet this
accumulated deficit, The officers state
that the bond company that took the
bonds asked for statement OF the
city's finances covering period three
years back. This statement showed
floating debt Of 100000. The deal
was then contaminated and the bond
company furnished 100000, for which
It took the bonds Of the city. BY that
time, however, the interest on the out
standing warrants had amounted to
nearly $1,000, so the $4,000 only re-
tired little more than $53 5000 of the
city's debts.
Shortly after the 1908 bond issue re-
ferred to, 1t developed that there was
$4,000 Indebtedness that dated back
Of the three years Investigation asked
by the bond company. This further
added to the known" obligations of
the city. Parts of this history are
rather vague, but, as near as we seem
able to arrive at the matter, there
was on September 1, 1910, an indebted
ness exceeding $125,O00, which had
been incurred since 1897. above the
city's receipts during that time. This
makes an average of almost $4,000 a
year for thirteen years.
The committee appointed. during the
waterworks campaign reported that
the city was running behind $4,000 a
year
This is the condition we call to the
attention Of the people. If it is al
lowed to continue, it will bankrupt the
city. Ottumwa must have council
with enough business ability and bust
ness experience, to devise plans to
keep the city's expenses within it's re-.
ceipts. It is the duty of the people to
nominate and elect to the city council
men with business experience and,
ability-men who have a knowledge of
business affairs; men who realize the
Importance of business methods in the
conduct of the city's government. No
man without business experience
should be candidate for the office of
alderman or mayor. He should not try