The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-04-18
New Council Takes Hold.

After the old council had cleaned up
the odds and ends Monday evening,
Mayor Clark thanked the council and
all who had helped him during the
year and turned the gayel over to
Mayor. elect John II. BRANDED who
thanked the members and others in ad.
vance for help he wished them to rem.
der in making his work of value to the
people of the city. The mayor an.
nounced his committees which will be
found in another column. Mayor Bran.
.deps inaugural was as follows:
Gentlemen the Common Council:
Many subjects of public interest
Will be presented to you for solution
during the coming year and l am go
Ing to assume that you are as anx-
ious that they be properly consider
ed and solved as l am. Any differ
ence in political faith should make
no difference in our efforts expend-
ed where the public good is at stake.
Mucl of which l shall bring to
your attention has been considered
heretofore in public way and no
doubt by many of you in your indi-
vidual capacity. i hope that no one
will take amiss my suggestions at
this time. They are offered only be-
cause they seem to me to be press
ing needs and merit consideration.
l shall welcome at all times sugges-
tions by you to me OF any and all
matters that you deem of importance
so that we may all work together for
the common good.
Our streets have always been a
problem and probably always will be
but this is all the more reason why
time should be given to a better So
luton of their ills if this is possible.
l would like at this time to recon-
mend that hereafter when any ma
cadamizing or paving is done, it be
done on our main travelled streets
rather than on streets little used.
believe that South Lansing street
from Main to the Michigan Central
depot should be paved and would
recommend that this have immediate
consideration. The asphalt on our
center business streets must have i'm
mediate attention. If something is
not done in the near future, the
foundation will be ruined and then
extra expense will be entailed in tae
repaving. l would offer as a sugges-
ti0n that a part of the damaged pave
ment be repaired and the remainder
paved with brick this year and this
plan continued till all is repaved. My
thought in this is to spread tle cost
over several years rather than to
have the entire cost of repaving come
at one time.
Some time ago, I suggested that
thought it would be good idea to
have a coal shed erected and as l am
that this be done. l am quite sure
that all the coal is not consumed at
the pump house.
The garbage question must be set
tied. 1t is an old one and hard to
solve, but we owe it to our city to
make an extra effort to arrive at
some more satisfactory arrangement
than we now have.
The salary of the city assessor
should be increased, if necessary that
we may have a more complete and
intelligent assessment. 1t is just
barely possible that the increase OF
salary is not what is needed. In any
event the assessment is of sufficient
Importance to merit q careful con-
sideration, that we may be fully ad-
vised as to just what is needed.
Something should be done and al
once with the conduct of the office
of the Sealer OF Weights and Meas
ures. If the salary is not sufficient
then it should be increased. In any
event, we want good service.
would like to nave the lighting
committee take up the matter of the
placing of all telephone and tele
graph wires either in conduits or II
the alleys and thus remove the fores
Of unsightly poles from our business
streets, at least. This will be es
pecially necessary in order that W.
mey get benefit from our lightins
system. There is some talk of in
stalling what is known as the boule
ward or cluster system of lighting
This meets with the approval o
many of our business men and
would recommend that this be givel
consideration by the committee.
Many other things will come up a
we work along through the year, t
which / shall call your attention, NJ
doubt, and it is my hope that m,
suggestions will be received by yol
in the same spirit that they are offer
ed by me. l wish to extend to tn
citizens of Owosso an invitation t,
meet with us in formulating the cit
budget for the ensuing year. A lacI
of interst has heretofore been plain
ly manifested. This Is usually fol
lowed by complaints which, no doubt
could to a certain extent be avoided
We all want efficient government TO
our city and ] hope and am sure tha
you will cooperate with me as
shall endeavor to do with you tina
such a result may be Forthcoming
We are working for the citizens o
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