The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-11-20

money than any city In Iowa Of its
size. But it is a good investment at
that. Keokuk has many large
buildings, erected during the boom
DAYS. and must always maintain an
efficient service.
For policemen, Keokuk spends $1S.-
993: Ottumwa only spends $7,19S;
Muscatine, 1920; Fort Dodge. $13.-
$40; Marshalltown pays out only So
75o, the other towns down to the Fort
Madison class, about $5,517. The
Keokuk police department should be
efficient. for its percapita, like hre,
is more than any Of the cities its size,
and it is money we'll expended.
For public Libraries. Keokuk IS
credited with spending $6,5S4, being
as much as Muscatine and Fort
Dodge. and only $1,000 less than OF
tumwa which is six thousand larger.
In settling damage suits, keokuK
pays out more than its nearest cities
in population. The sum is about 81
6S1. Or ninth in expenditure for this
expense.
In assessed valuation Of property
for taxation. Keokuk is assessed at
eleven and one-half million Fort
Dodge ten million and Muscatine nine
million, while Marshalltown is only
seven millions. AS previously stated
on account OF Keokuk having an In
debteGness Of over million, one hun
dred and seventy-seven thousand dol
lars. its percentage of Indebtedness to
the actual value OF property is 1O.22
percent and other cities being one, two
and three percent, but the indebted
ness is wrong.
Keokuk's area in square miles Is
seven, Fort Dodge four, Muscatine
seven, Marshalltown seven. Fort Mad
ison eight. Des Moines has forty-four,
Sioux city forty-two, while Davenport
has only thirteen and Dubuque as
large as Sioux City has only eight
square miles OF area. Iowa City has
only two and half square miles, Grin
nell two and Webster City has twelve.
Or four more than Keokuk, with one
third the population.
The statistics and figures are inter-
esting. The more compact a city the
more beautiful it can be made. For
it is costly for paving, sewerage,
street cleaning, cross walks, fire n.y.
drants. electric lights, and repairing
and policing and for fire protection
over large area. Many improvements
have been made in Keokuk for its bet
torment in every way the first two
years of commission government In
Keokuk, and during the past summer.
Keokuk Is destined to always be a
show place by reason of its water
power, the Mississippi river, its fine
new hotel, the splendid parks, drives,
and magnificent views. While New
York has the Hudson river, Iowa has
the Mississippi river and Keokuk from
whose banks and high bluffs views I'M
surpassed in the world are to be had.
There is municipal jealousy as well
as social jealousy. The Blair Steam
boat company never ceases knocking
on Keokuk and Captain Blair
and his excursion steamers have
done more business and made
more money, and hauls more
passengers and had fine stage
of water and run their boats at less
expense within a radius of sixty miles
of Keokuk than any time since steam
boating began on the Mississippi riy-
er. And it is time for Keokuk to re-
sent the insults heaped on KeokuS
and Senator Cummins, Keokuk's
staunch friend in the United States
senate. Notwithstanding Captain
Blair knocks on the senator and Keo-
kuk and its water power and its
bridge. !,
Keokuk is all right. It's the people
who unjustly find fault and suggest
no remedy or better way out.
MUNICIPAL NEWS"
Keokuk, Nov. IT, 1914.
P. 8. Since writing the above / am
in receipt of letter from the auditor
Of state that Keokuk's indebtedness is
not s1,177,110, but s22s,s01, and noti-
fcatton slips will be sent to all reel
pients Of his report so Keokuk will
stand in the right light in the munich
pal and commercial world. NJ N.