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Show I Mayor Talks of Light Plant Favors Raising Price of Lights; Wants I Sewer System, Etc. City Council. 1 The city council In session Wednes-: Wednes-: day nlghl waded through ma ttcrs that requited their undivided attention atten-tion until after 12 o'clock, but nothing noth-ing startling came up or was accomplished. accom-plished. Mayor Edwards presented a repor.t and certain recommendations, found I elsewhere In this paper, and this was filed for future use. An ornlnancc making the Electric Light Committee a committee of five with the mayor as chairman was read, 1 but on motion of Worley was laid over until next meeting: , ( Mayor Edwards reported a break In .the Logan, Hyde Park and Smlthfleld , . canal Immediately beneath the Tellur- 1 Ido spill flume on Thursday, Feb. 20 lie and other members of the council had investigated, decided with Manager Man-ager Bacon that the Tcllurlde Company Com-pany and the city should be held Jointly Joint-ly responsible, and It was recommended recommend-ed that the expense of repair should be borne equally. The council concurred. con-curred. Hyrum Hayball made a verbal petition peti-tion for the grading of 3rd East between be-tween 3rd and 4th North streets, he signifying his willingness to contribute contrib-ute CO loads of gravel. This was re- ferred. The Thatcher pavilion asked for an officer as heretofore. This was referred. re-ferred. J. C. Knowles and others asked for sidewalk boxes and street lights at "J the Intersection of 1st North and Oth West streets. Referred. N. C. Sonne asked for amount duo him on sale of an animal by City Poundkeeper In December. It was recommended that the city do nothing toward fixing up Logan river. The city cannot lawfully spend its money thus. $75 for fixing streets abutting on the river wasordered. It was ordered that the Logan river bridge to Providence be repaired. I It was ordered that the watermains 1 be extended one block west on 1st j East street, this In response to pet!- I tlon of W. Q. Anderson and others. J It was ordered that $50 be expended for the Improvement of Canyon road between Center street and Woolen 1 mills. I City Treasurer Groesbeck reported financial condition of the city for the I month of February. Nine liquor licenses were granted. The council adjourned to meet next Tuesday evening to consider the Mayor's May-or's report, street sprinkling and some other matters The Mayor's Suggestions. Hon. JJwnbers of the City Council Coun-cil of Logan City: Gentlemen: Following a time honored custom and nlso performing per-forming n duty prescribed by statute, I take this opportunity of transmitting to you the results of n few observations I have made, during the short time I hnvo been Mayor of Logan City, and I take this occasion to offer a few recommendations for your consideration and such action as you may deem proper. All statements state-ments of fact herein arc based on conditions existing January 1, 1908. The financial condition of Logan Lo-gan City on said date was approximately ap-proximately as follows: Jan. 1, Overdraft .$U02.!)3 January 1, Outstanding warrants 99:1.00 Dec. bills paid Jan. (i.. :i,l.")0.00 1907 bills paid Feb. and March :Ufi.22 Total ..'i,762.15 Aimount due from County Coun-ty Jan. 1 $1,391.20 Aimount due from 'Side Walks Jan. 1 1 .279.911 Total $2,671.19 $5,762.13 2,671.19 Deficit 3.090.9G In 1907 the total oniouut received from taxes was $23,589.41 Continued on page " The Mayor's Suggestions Continued from Page 1. TJio total amount rccoiv- . vd from licenses wis !),10l2.f2 $32,692.93 During the .same period disbursements were as follows': Interest $9,084.88 KxpeiiM- 1,720.00 Kent 180.00 Oflicc salaries 7,070.00 $18,0.14.88 Taking 1907 receipts and disbursements as ilmsis upon which to innko an cstininto for the year 1908. there would be a balance on hand of $14,037.03 Ix'ss. deficit Jan. 1. '08 3,090.90 Total $11,54(1.09 Leaving the sum of $11,540.09 for general niaintainenee and for the entire ,vear of 1908. At this K)int 1 take the liberty of calling attention to the fact that the business mot bods which have heretofore prevailed, by which all of the taxes are expended ex-pended each year, before being be-ing collected, hhould be reformed. I believe that what would amount to bad business methods for an individual, are equally .so in a public corporation. corpora-tion. What private concern could remain solvent for any considerable period with the same kind of methods as are being be-ing employed by the City? I recommend thnt out of the available moneys for improvements, improve-ments, that you reserve, $5,000.00 for the year 1909, that wc may begin the year 1909 with that amount in the treasury. The total receipts for water licenses during the year 1907 are as follows: 1907 $3,405.99 Expense of. Maintenance' Mainten-ance' 3,110.38, Afuking a net of $2,395.G1 The investment of $122,000.00 (the Water Works system) I regard re-gard 4is one of the valuable assets as-sets of the City. While the net revenue produced, is not what it should be for an investment of thai amount, yet, with extensions annually made, the showing of course will be proportionally greater. AU to the City Water .Supply I believe that we should build for a greater City, and if the mnins could be extended to say, four fifths of the residents, the wnter rights that we now have would not be sufficient. It occurs to me that the condition is very unsatisfactory, unsatis-factory, not to say alarming. As a solution of the problem, I recommend re-commend that in the near future, a reservoir bo constructed at the head of the present system, for storage and settling purposes. AVdrio from the defects of the water system in regard to t he supply, there is the unsatisfactory unsatisfac-tory condition of the present means of conveying the water from the river to the head of tho system. The canal used for this purpose for various reasons is subject 'to frequent breaks, as a result of which the supply is wholly or partially cut off, as illustrated il-lustrated recently when -the system sys-tem was rendered useless for practically 24 horn's. Should a tiro occur in the City at sueli a time, there might he an alarming loss of life and property. proper-ty. Tt is my opinion, therefore, that you should investigate tho feasibility of running a pipe line from the reservoir sito to the river. This -would make an ideal system and should he installed if possible Calling your attention to the report of special Auditor J. A. Uexell, upon the Electric Light V Plant ; the Klectrio Light account was audited for only two years back ami. accepting tho audit and' previous report ns correct, it shows net loss of $10,C35.G9. Even allowing for tho sum of $10,033.59 collected for taxes, there is still a deficit of $419.96. The last tvport received by tho Electric Light Office dated July 31, 1907, shows a net gain of $33,139.24. But you will noto thot the depreciation of tho plant is not considered. Deducting Deduct-ing for depreciation the amount agreed upon to wit, $22,575.97 there is still a differnce between the committee report and tho auditor of $10,983.23 caused undoubtedly un-doubtedly by tho accounts not being be-ing properly classified. I also fuid the price of lights up to November No-vember 1, 1906, were 20e per light pet month, for one 16 enn-dlc enn-dlc power light. Since that date the rate has been lOe per light per' month. I also find that up to August 1. 1907. the City paid for street lights nt the rate of 50c per light, and for seven months of 1907, ending Aug. 1, 1907, at the rate of $278.00 per month; since that date it has been $50.00 per month. Taking last season's figures as a basis to make an estimate as follows : Total disbursement for expense, nidse, plant, and depreciation... $34,183.09 Total receipts, light, power and nidse . . . 22.193.00 $11,888.00 Amount going intol'laut (estimated) . .. 4,500.00 Deficit $7,388.09 This deficit of $7,388.09 for the year will either have to he made up by raising the -price of lights or by taxation. I recommend that as soon as practicable, the lights be raised to thirty-three and one-third cents per light, so as to enable the City to make a profit on it's investment, and also to create a sinking fund for the redemption of the Electric Light Bonds according to ordinance. The City is liable to censure and have it's credit impaired by not doing so. In conclusion will say that, although tho City Want has not done as well in a finaneinl way as has been claimed, it has been demonstrated that it is a good investment for the City and, if properly managed, with lights at three for one dollar (which is considered cheap the world over) it will make a profit for the City, on the investment and will.be a source of revenue. I heartily recommend the move mode by some of the members mem-bers of the City Council to create Continued on nth page. The Mayor's Suggestions. Continued from Page 7 Kidcwnlk ciistriot.s nncl grado them with gravel nnd shnlu. There is 110 reason' why we should not have passable sidewalks in nlUparts of the City. The jrrowinjr need of a Sewer System for Logan City becomes more apparent every day, the business districts bordering on Main between ('enter and Second North streets, are lumey-eonibeJ with eess pools apd in a great many eases it -is impossible for the owners to comply with the ordinances in constructing them. This condition exists in many of tho resident districts and near the Public Schools, and it is be coining a menace to the health of the people. I recommend that this matter be token up at tho earliest practical moment, and that a sewer district bo created and plans and specifications be completed this season that t-i work may be started early in the year of 1909. AV'ill call your attention to the deed in escrow to J. S. Campboll for 3,2.-)0.00 held by the Thatcher Thatch-er Bros. Hanking Co., d ited April 19. 190.1, duo April 19. 1910. Up to date, only int"rrM has been paid. '. recommend that you arrange ar-range to pay one-i'alf about W vi'inlier, 1908, aim balance about November, 1909, .is n now have a 9,0C0.00 Fire Hall on the property in question , and the City should have title to tho ground without d'.i.v. In conclusion wi uld suggest that all of the Cvuuoilincu sliouli interest thcmselw. in all matters of tho City interest: when occa sion demands ,it, regardless of whether it ennio under their respective res-pective committee ov not. Yours respectfully, WM, EDWARDS, Jrayo-. |
