The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-04-04

Gdle lily puDllsneQ part Oh the report
dealing with the use of lie general
fund and certain measures of econ
omy instituted. This part is omitted
from the report as given below.
Report of J. A. M. Collins.
To the Honorable Mayor and Council
of the City of Keokuk, Iowa:
Gentlemen
We have the honor to submit here
with our report as superintendent of
the department of finance. For a
more detailed report of receipts and
disbursements you are referred to the
one furnished by the city clerk.
At this time We wish to re-state a
fact which we made prominent in our
last annual report, to-wit: That this
department upon entering Office was
forced to take official notice at the
condition of the city finances which
included all liabilities of whatever
nature due and unpaid April i, 1914,
and of uncompleted contracts to be
paid out of the taxes of 1914. This
inventory of liabilities was taken as
q precautionary measure just as any
business man would do who was call
ed upon to assume charge of a bust
ness for which he was expected to
give an account at some future date.
Notwithstanding any statements to
the contrary, on the date above
named, the gross amount of over
drafts, bills due and unpaid, was $780,,
595.12, to which must be added ST.
441.00, making total of S52,036.12,
assumed by this council since April
1915, with more to follow. This does
not include any payment on any one
of the twelve new contracts entered
inf hv nd eff
this council to complete. While this
report is not as favorable as we had
hoped 1t would be, except in the four
departments under the immediate
control of the writer hereof, the rea-
son for not making more favorable
one at this time is that any two years
is far too short a time for any three
inexperienced men to assume the bur
dens of this Office and debt which
this council did and do more than
hold its own by carrying the old debt,
and put the city finances in order for
the adoption OF we'll thought out
plan for future action. We ask you
TO remember that the previous coun-
Gil issued bonds to the amount of
$4,000, and recommended one as
they retired from office of $4,000
more, all in four years. This last
amount was refused by vote of the
people, but the burden which the
$4,000 bond issue was intended to
carry was dumped to a large extent
on the council in addition to the
above large floating debt. The people
will not see that ii takes just as long
20 make financial manager for the
city of Keokuk as it does to make
one for the lrwin-Phillips Dry Goods
Co., for the cereal plant or for any
one of our well managed wholesale
grocery establishments. Business men
know this is true while the ordinary
voter does not believe one word of
it to be true, hence city government
as now conducted, is and will con-
tinue to be a monum entail failure I'M
til the man at the head of affairs Is
especially educated for the position
he seeks to fill.
For the information of the public
we submit the following comments on
few OF the funds that uney may
know how they have been handled
and the difficulties which our success
sors in office will have in meeting
The demands upon the general and
light funds.
Question Of Lights.
In our previous annual report we
stated that the large and increasing
deficit in the light fund can only be
met by cutting out part of the Main
street light system or by increased
taxation. The levy of five mills IN
this fund is the limit fixed by law.
This has not furnished sufhclent
funds TO meet the contracts N force
April 1, 1914, which the previous
council were forced to make at the
demand of the public. We are now
pleased to announce that we have
nearly overcome this increasing def
cit" and that for the year ending
March 81 1a16 il will show but little