The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-12

we SlISn6JhthVu IhV N"ih eN
raised it seven feet. We did this
by contract. There were three bids,
as follows
Erichsen ...........$S. $S.327.65
r. p. Poland. $S,5l2.1O
Healy Const. Co.........$7,231.Oo
The Healy Construction Company
was $1,000 lower than anyone else.
Healy is an old-time railroad con-
tractor ana he had a gang that had
just finished piece of railroad
grading He brought most OF his
teams, scrapers and men, the great
er number of them being negroes.
Some malicious story-teller circulated
the report that state convicts and
teams were being used. BrodnaX,
who was formerly an Ardmore man,
and who had at one time held a po-
sition at the penitentiary, was a
member of the Healy Construction
Company, and because he was con
nected with it that fact was accepted
as proof positive of the truth OF
the statement.
Fortunately, someone sent for Mr..
Daugherty, state labor commissioner
and after he investigated the matter
he came out in the local papers in
a signed statement showing that
there were no state teams or con-
victs either and branded the report
as false.
The fact that Healy had most of
his teams and tools and an organ
lied gang of men permitted him to
so far underbid the other contract
ors. The dam was sodded with
Bermuda grass and IS in excellent
condition.
How Park Bond Money Was Spent.
The money received from the sale
of the park bonds has been partially
expended by the park board. which is
composed of w. +. Wilmington, Kirk
Dyer and f. B. McElroy. Under the
law they have exclusive control over
the parks and boulevards of the city
and all funds belonging TO the park
fund. The board of commissioners
order a warrant drawn when pre-
sented with voucher signed by the
chairman and secretary of the park
board. They have improved the
e Wilmington Park and Stanley Boule
ward and have purchased the Lee
block, now called Central Park, and
are improving that. They have ST.,
S4S35 left of the park bond money.
In speaking of what became OF
the water bond money, | neglected to
state that Mn. Dawson purchased
$4,000 worth of meters, three horses
and buggies and fitted up shop for
the water department.
So much for the bonds and what
we did with the money.
Other Things Done by City-lnter
est TdIu.
AS | said in the beginning, the in
terest on our city bonds had been
defaulted We paid this up the first
thing.
| City Books Audited.
We employed an auditing company
to check up the books and let us
know the exact condition Of our
city's finances w e employed a
bookkeeper and installed system.
By so doing We were enabled to tell
just how each fund stood. We had
new warrants printed and upon the
face of each warrant the condition
of the fund at the time the warrant
is drawn is shown.
City on Cash Basis.
By this method We were enabled
to put the city on a cash basis. If
we didn't have the money we sim
ply didn't buy anything.
Surplus at End Of First Fiscal Year.
Taxes Reduced.
At the end of the first fiscal year,
instead of having deficit of $780,
600 we had balance of that amount;
and, although our bonded indebted
ness has been increased. $4,000 we
were enabled this ias, year to re-
duce the assessment between 20 and
% per cent and the levy mills
making a net reduction of city taxes
of $4,000, or $1,000 less than was
ever collected by the city before.
This clearly shows that by giving
time and attention to the city's af-
fairs and by using business-like
methods, that great reduction of eX-
penses can be made without impair
ing the results. All the salaries are
higher than they have ever been.
We have done more work with the
money expended, but We have got
ten value received in nearly every
instance.
By adopting a system We have
] oil oil lN,ar,- ,Dl