The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-06-06
DISCUSS PROBLEMS WHICH
ARE CONFRONTING CITY

uuN
made necessary by a state law. He
suggested a new rule whereby the
cost OF intersections be assessed to
benefited property. The cost OF sew,
ers comes out OF the sewer fund and
suggested that after the confines Of
the old city Is reached the entire cost
should be assessed to property bene-
fitted.
Mayor Elder further stated that in
all improvements the city pays more
than the amount assessed to abutting
property.
General Policy.
Speaking OF the desire OF the Stone
and Webster interests to extend their
car and gas lines and expand the city
the mayor said: "Shall we work in
harmony with the greatest force we
have in Keokuk today? / refer to
the Stone and Webster interests, own
crs OIL our puDuc uCllllleS.
They want to extend their car lines
and the funds on hand will not per-
NIT the city developing with them. II
they wish to run the car lines to the
Industrial tract the city ought to go
with them
THE only remedy" he continued,
is the authority OF the citizens to
raise money by bond issues for this
extension He pointed to the bond
issues of other Iowa cities to be ex-
tremely low.
Policy Of Stone and Webster.
A. D. Ayers, manager Of the Keo
kuk Electric company, was called up
on to state the position of the Stone
and Webster interests with regard &c
the extension of public utilities.
THE question OF extending our car
lines came up week ago, !" said Mr.
Ayers, "and the people to whom re
port want to extend the car lines ant
expand the city" Here Mr.. Ayers ex
planned that the cost OF extending the
car lines is from twenty to twenty
FIVE thousand dollars a mile.
1--WE want to work with the city,
he continued. I'VE do not wish te
say arbitrarily where we will put oul
car lines, but when the city gets ready
to AK up its streets and extend then
we will go with them. In West Keo
kuk our line can not go farther unit
the city grade is fixed up"
Mr.. Ayers said the company ex
poets to make money by going in deb
In extending its lines and thinks tn,
city can make money doing the same
Judge Logan Speaks.
Judge Logan was the first of tn,
speakers who were limited to tire,
minutes to give everybody a chance
to discuss matters The sewer ques
ton is especially important" sale
Judge Logan, "and there is only ont
way to settle it. That way is for thu
city to tax itself. The matter of thu
public health is the most importan
thing to the city. The grading prop
osition is serious. For either the cit.
must issue bonds or raise the money
/ by tax.
1T is not for the present generation
to pay the debts of the future. There
| fore l am in favor of the bond rule
lit is the universal rule in grea
many cities I have visited. When W.
build streets we should build then
right regardless of cost,--an an
not blaming the city administration
particularly for our bad streets. Thi
city can net do business on $4,000
/ a year. If the county could spent
100000 on roads it would make nj
better investment and If the cit.
could spend. 100000 on streets /
would be the best investment 1t coul'
make. Give the administration enougl
money to build streets and then Sc
that they build them right,
THE sewer question is the mos
1 VITAL" continued Judge Logan, IAN
CONTINUED from page 81