The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-05-06

taking the initiative as far as possible,
in whatever is for the betterment of
the commonwealth in anyway whatso-
ever, and secondly they must also
remember that they are placed in
their present positions as custodians
of the peoples rights. That because
Of our location, Of the institutions
that we have within our boundaries
and because of the different municipal
plants we have great responsibilities
resting upon us, and for these reasons
we must be careful and more or less
conservative in our acts and in our
expenditures. We, of course, as GUS
todians must always remember that
we are bound by certain city and state
laws to which we must conform, even
though our private judgments should
approve of some other mode of pro-
cedure.
Some things at present seem to be
of paramount interest. For example
the electric light plant must be en-
larged or rebuilt and steps should be
taken at once towards the same so
that when fall comes and with it the
use of more heat and electricity that
we will be prepared to furnish it. The
telephone switchboard is overloaded
and again the rights of the users of
city commodities must not be over
looked. In both these cases reason
able haste must be made if adequate
service is to be given.
While considerable of the money
now in the treasury will be used for
the foregoing improvements, and pos
s'Dly some warrants will have to be
drawn, if no bonds are sold, still the
matter of taking put certificates of de-
post or a rate percent on the daily
balances in the treasury should be in
vestigated by the finance committee
and a report made to the city council
soon.
Whether to move the power house
to a position nearer the railway right
Of way, with the attendant increase
in cost over rebuilding on the present
location, the increased cost Of extend
ing our electric lines and our heating
mains and the increased loss by radia-
ton in III heating system is a matter
to be considered carefully by our light
and heat committee and reported to
the council as soon as convenient.
We believe that certain ordinances
should be modified. repealed or en-
forced. For example, W. understand
there is a question as to whether we
have a bicycle ordinance. The origin
al ordinance. which by the way was re-
Gently quoted by a local paper, was
superseded by a later ordinance in
which the right to use the walks was
conferred upon certain people under
certain conditions. Some people,
whom we would consider authority,
hold this to be class legislation, and
therefore unconstitutional. This is at
least ordinance upon which there
should be a clear understanding and
we hope the judiciary committee in
connection with the city attorney will
take the matter up and give us an or
dinance, if we do not have one, that
will be just and the constitutionality
Of which cannot be questioned.
Again, we believe that the mayor
should have a fund up to some speci-
fed amount, or agreement with the
city council that he could use up to a
certain specified amount (this amount
to be fixed by the mayor and city
council) which he could use for the
enforcing of the law and for obtain
ing evidence against law breakers. We
have a clean city and we must en-.
deavor to keep 1T 30. With such a
fund, 30 that proper assistance could
be secured, some of the evils that
have a tendency to mar the good name
of our city could be materially abated.
In the matter Of council committees
and other city appointees. the mayor
will not make radical changes, SO that
there will be no break in carrying on
the affairs Of the city, what ne will do
CONTINUED on Pare Ski