The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-15
What keokuk Should Do
Mayor E Elder Gives Some Timely Suggestions Municipal
for Future Administration to Cary Out.

Tut. /
best authorities in the United States,
comprehensive plan for the future
development Of the city of Keokuk.
This plan should be accepted by the
city council and the citizens as a /
guide for them in the future develop.
ment of Keokuk. The plan outlined |
by Mr.. Nolen, will cover in the devel-
opment of our town for period Of |
at least fifty years.
Elders Suggestions.
offer the following suggestions Of
what ought to be done during the
next five years in Keokuk along the
line of its development:
Sewer system for West Keokuk and
the extension of the present system
OF sewers in other parts of the city
to the limits of the plated area. Be
yond this further extensions Of the
sewer system should be paid for by
the additions to the city that require
them.
Additional sanitary sewers as need
ed, and insist or demand should be
made that property abutting on sani-
tary sewers shall connect with them.
A fair amount Of new cutters, new
sidewalks and paved alley improve
ment each year.
The paving of Main street from
Fourteenth to Ninteenth streets.
The paving of Fifth street to the
railroad crossing south of Taber's
! mill.
| The improvement of all thorough
fares leading to town.
Earnest effort and cooperation
with the county authorities in i'm
proving the main highways in this
vicinity outside the city limits.
Permanent pavement along two OF
three additional thoroughfares across
the city, and the establishment of one
or two thoroughfares on either side
Of Main street the entire length OF
the present plated area.
4 The building of city hall and the
establishment OF an additional fire
/ station.
The extension of the present street
car system along two Or more lines
reaching further away from town.
The improvement of our levee
front and additional school buildings
as needed, with reasonable develop
ment of our parks and play grounds.
This can be done without adding TO
the tax burden of the city if our citi-
zens will earnestly cooperate to the
end that the work be done economi.
cally and no more rapidly than labor
conditions of the city will warrant.
Public Safety Department.
The management of the public safe.
ty department of the city of Keokuk
is In the hands of Commissioner Thos.
i P. Gray. This department includes the
police and fire.
Under the old form of government
1t was hard to bring the department
up to the greatest efficiency because
politics brought about frequent
changes In the working force in the
police and fire divisions. Now the men
are under civil service regulations,
and Commissioner Gray has been able
to put into service well trained crews.
Speaking of the department, Commits
sioner Gray said:
1T is often said that an empty Jail
means capable police force. An
ounce of preventative is worth pound
of cure. If this is any criterion to go
by I think the police force is all
right, for the jail has been empty
much of the time during the past few
months, nor has there been any crime
to speak of during the past year.
THE fire department under Chief
John Anderson has been making a
great record during the last couple Of
years, and stands first in the state of
Iowa for fire losses on percentage of
hazardous property"
Commissioner Gray is very anxious
to see the fire fund levy increased In
order that the department can buy a
motor truck with all fire equipment
complete. Such truck costs about
$4,000 and combine the steamer, chem
! ical engine and ladder apparatus, and
in addition is capable of carving 1000
i feet of hose.
/ Spending Money on improvements.
1t is estimated that more than $780,
600 has been spent in Keokuk during
oct So