Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-17
Integrity, Efficiency and Econ
Ot1ly Motto of Mayor H. M.
Wheeler, His N essdge Says
To the Honorable Members of the
City Council of Grand Forks. n. D.

To the Honorable Members of the
City Council of ,GrandsForks. N. D.
Gentlemen:
In conformity with the provisions
OF u charter 1 gladly avail myself
of h present opportunity to address
you briefly upon what I conceive to
be some OF the prese ms needs OF the
city and to indicate what 1 consider
a desirable policy to De pursued. sub
ject to your approval and final &C
ton.
The city must remain one hundred
per cent American. Every demand
made By our government or ITS ac-
credited officials must be met freely
and whole-heartedly.
Our motto should be Integrity. Fiji
cheney and a wise but not parsimoni-
u Economy.
When our city accepted az a gift
from the state the great University of
North Dakota we assumed a solemn
sending theii>sons and daughters to
that institution have a right to de-
mand of us a city physically n NOR
Good health is the mot valuable
asset of the individual citizen. Safe
drinking water is a first p%erquis'te Of
!. Health. am happy to state that with
""A '" up~tS0NuLC tidut ouN 49,
valuable assistance rendered by the
public health laboratory OF our state
university we seem certain of secur-
ing u goal in this matter. there only
being a slight mechanical defect to
overcome.
! 1t hes been amply demonstrated
that fifth is the greatest harb0ring
its greatest dissen,inator.
We therefore should see that all
ordinances relating to waste and filth
be rigidly enforced without fear or
favor.
The financial report for the year is
satisfactory in that the expenditures
have been kent within the limits of
the appropriation made for that
period.
No Tax Reductions in Sight.
1t is idle to promise any great re-
Guction in taxation for some time to
come for several reasons. The levy
made by the state is entirely beyond
our controh The splendid civic inn
provementS which we are having the
use of and enjoying and which have
placed our city in the very front rank
of those Of its size and class all call
for an annual fixed toll toward pay
ing off the Indebtedness their install
lation has incurred.
lie dIuytllVuS, anu 6pleUulN Uuil"~
ing program entered upon by our
hoard of education will calr for a
large expenditure for years to ome
1t is axiomatic that as municipalities
grow their annual expenditures in
crease. You. / think. will all concur
in the statement that the present is NO
time to consider a reduction IN salar-
les OF officials or e~rno'oyes. With the
completed electriTcation Of our
pumping station with it's double safe
~ line. we may be able to reduce the
SIZE of the force needed and by judi
tciors appointments and possibly some
1ransference Of duties. we hope to &C
complish similar results in some tn
err 6enartn1en ts. the gain, while not so
very large. is something worth while.
We must therefore insist upon
, equitable assessments and meet the
, tax imposed.
t The building Of a new bridge has
been n,an times suggested.
In my judgment this carno beAac-
complished without county or state
3 aid. The city is now bonded so close
r to the limit fixed hy Iaw. nothing car
: he done in that direction. To built
by a direct tax to be levied in an,
ione year is quite impossible.
-Agreea bile to a law becoming efec
: t've-i in 1908. all of u city bonds is
. sued since that date are of what j
known as the seri>.l variety in which
: provision is made for the automati