The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-12-22
PUBLIC OPINION
) . . q . o . q o . . . o 90 . (

Street Cleaning and City Funds.
TO the Editor of The Gate City:
The washing Of brick or stone
paved street with fire hose leading
from a hydrant will destroy a street
in a short time for the reason that
the pressure is too great and the
sand is washed from the inters.ices.
The sand working up from the bottom
between the bricks in short time,
removes the foundation from under
the bricks, and the street becomes I'M
even Gas 1t was before resurfacing in
many places) Most cities prohibit
this system of street cleaning. Occa- I
sionally it is tolerated under condi- I
| tons.
The question is asked how can the I
main thoroughfare be kept clean from
dirt. Without going into detail all
merchants should unite In keeping
the street clean to begin with. Per-
sons making excavations on lots and
hauling dirt should have properly
constructed wagon beds and be made
to clean up after the excavation has
been made If the citizens doing
business will pool their money ex-
pended for street sprinkling and hire
streets with brooms and shovels and
the customary barrel, gathering daily
!. the filth, dirt droppings and waste
paper, the street can be kept clean.
So clean that sprinkling will be alb
solutely Unnecessary. AS it is now
! many hundreds of dollars are spent
for sprinkling and wetting down the
9 dirt and filth on the street and as
9 soon as the sun dries the mud, the
a dirt and dust is blown all over the
t street and lodged in some other place
n and unless wetted down there, moves
S again when the wind blows. Many up
n to date and wide awake citizens In
l. many cities who have heretofore ex-
r pended money for sprinkling have
p, adopted the new modern idea of get
A, ting rid of the dirt in the beginning
" Sprinkling only muddies up the street
s. and makes II disagreeable in every
way. Will the new Keokuk take hole
Of the new way of cleaning MAR
street? If the present contractor fol
N street sprinkling refuses to make
IN such a contract here is chance fo
We some one of the many improvement
st committees under the different organ
ir- izations for the up building of Keo
ed kuk, sanitation, Keokuk planning, etc
d. to get busy. =.
az The Retailers Association shnl
1g be the proper committee to handl
,e- this problem.
IS Regarding the right of city official
to expend funds in excess OF tn
he amount credited to the particula
vs. fund: Any city official who expend
he money in excess of the funds PROVE
ets ed by law or issues warrants or ce
nv tificates against future leyies
is taxes or pays money out of futui
levies for work done in the past yea
is liable to be removed from Office f
misconduct. Any citizen can brin
a,s proceedings against him and h
nv bondsmen and recover the none
ba thus paid out In other words tt
Ill. city commissioners school board {
.ha county commissioner cannot MOI
- gage the future taxes and pay out
,ae the 1913 levy one cent expended
1912. otherwise they could spel
~ all monies for two, five or ten year
~ You can't mortgage the future. Al
"a there is great official and person
Nv liability, danger and objection to
- doing. 1t is the duty of the attornt
general Of the state to take hold
- the matter if it is done.
- In East st. Louis when there w
~ ~. a lack of funds, part Of the firemt
ny , were laid off. They will be reinst
= : ted when the new taxes come in.
y - it is i'll advised to ask city comm
sioners. school board or county CO..
% missioners to violate the tax Law
u,e And such policy should be condem
ave ed rather than approved of.
III JUSTICIA.
my Keokuk. Iowa, Dec 81, 1912.
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