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ILLINOIS

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

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2019MESSAGE

OF

ARWIN E. PmCE

MAYOR OF ELGIN

Presented to the City Council of the City
of Elgin, Illinois, January Fourth,
Nineteen Hundred and Nine3'

AEWIN B. PRICE

MAYOB. OF ELGINJ

f

Message of Mayor Arsrin E. Price

January *. 1909

Published by Authority of the

Elgin, 111., Jan. 4, 1909.

To the Honorable City Council:

Gentlemen—I take pleasure, in pre-
senting for your consideration, a par-
tial resume of the workings of the
several departments of the city for
the year 1908.

The financial condition of the city
is in a splendid condition. By the re-
port of the City Treasurer, you will
note that there is a balance in nearly
all of the departments.

That the taxpayers may be in-
formed of how some of their money
has been expended, I give the re-
ceipts and disbursements of the dif-
ferent departments.

This city stands at the head, finan-
cially, of this class of cities in Illi-
nois—no floating debt, no bonds out-
standing, except the Water Works'
Bonds, which are only payable from
the receipts of the Water Depart-
ment. If the policy of the present
board is followed, these bonds can all
be retired within ten years.

The two paramount needs in perma-
nent public improvements are the fur-
ther extension of the water mains,
that every citizen within the city's
borders may be able to procure pure
drinking water, and the improving of
the main streets by paving the same.

I trust every effort of the City
Council will be exerted for the ac-
complishment of the same.

The following is the financial state-
ment:

City Cour cil ::f the City of Elgin

Fir,ar.cic»! Statement, December 31,
1908.

RECEIPTS
during the year 1908.

Saloon licenses .....................$34,000.00

Dog licenses ........................r.	135.00

Other licenses .....................*	,2,063.§2

Unclaimed order ..................+	1.80

Insurance tax ............................596.65

Feeding paupers ................w.1,	178.20

Fire Dept. sale hose .................24.70

Fire Dept. sale live stock ____...	610.00

Fire Dept. miscellaneous ................46.24

Fines ..................................................................427.40

Public Works Dept., use «team

roller ..............................................................18.60

Public Works Dept. sale horses..	223.00
Public Works Dept. Inspection
and Surveying foa. sewer con-
nection? .................... ...........255.0<!

Public Worka Dept repairs on

bridges ..........................................................3,000.00

Public Works Dept. making and

spreading assessment No. 1450..	240.94
Public Parks, sale hay, Wing

park ................................................................421.36

Public Parks, A. E. & C. Co. for

music ..............................................................500.00

Inter-state Ind. T. & T Co.

franchise tax ..........................................615.00

Rent of rooms for election, etc...	110.00

Total receipts by City Collector $44,467.51

Taxes Kane County

general ...............$88,131.56

Taxes Kane County

road and bridge......14,291.77

Taxes Kane County

delinquent 1905 ...... 6.46

Taxes Cook County

general ................ 55!*.09

Taxes Cook County
road and bridge...... 78.02

Total receipts from taxes,......$103,066.90

Total receipts, corporate.......$147,534.41

Cash in hands of treasurer, Jan.
1, 1908 ............................. 3,690.11

Total Corporate, ...............$151,224.52

Cemetery Department-

Total Receipts .............—	10,294.67

Water Department-

Total receipts ..................................49,589.34

Sewer Connection Fund-

Total Receipts ..................................4,608.00

Total receipts of all Depts.....$215,716.53

EXPENDITURES.

Executive ........................ ...$ 1,185.99

Legislative ......................... l,56C.OO

Law ................................................................1,778. S5

Finance ........................................................5,440.03

Miscellaneous ............................................3,383.41

Inspection ......................185.55

Police ........................ ............16.894.57

Fire ....................................................................32,62*. 83

Health ............................................................3,060.00

City Court ...................................1,6^2.90

Public Pounds ..................... 50.00

Board of Examiners .............240.63

Hospitals ............................ 43.25

Police & Fireman's Relief Fund.. 33.75

Public Works ............... ..	53,768.92

Electric Light ..........................................22,194.43

Public Parks (158,084.78 corp)....	13,984.17

Sewer Connection Fund ..................4,608.00

Cemeteries ...................................8,846.30

Water ..............................................................49,548.34

Total expenditures ...........$221,087.42

Balance on hand in Special
Assessment Funds., Jan. 1st,
1909 .................................$ 2,523.18

Balance on hand in Bluff ^ity
Cem. Sinking Fund, Jan. 1st,

1909 ................................. 268-15

The total amount now to the
credit of the Bluff* City Cem.

Sinking Fund, cash, bonds and

other securities .................. 7,268.15

Balance on hand in Water Bond
Sinking Fund, Jan. 1, 1^09 ...... 8,979.16

Board of Local Improvements.

During the past season the board,
has awarded contracts for a number
of improvements for paving and
sewerage.

On the 17th day of August, 1908, the
board accepted the Sanitary Sewer
System of Lake and other streets
from the contractors, Thomas J.
Peter Co. On the 21st day of Sep-
tember, the County Court of Kane
County, confirmed the final acceptance
of the same, and the final settlement
was made with the contractors in
full. The total amount of their con-
tract and extras was $145,707.98; of
this amount, $62,207.98 was paid in
cash, and $83,500 in improvement
bonds.

July 27th, 1908, the Board of Local
Improvements awarded the contract
to Messrs. Logan & Giertz for the im-

provement of North Liberty Street,
with brick pavement upon a gravel
foundation, with sand cushion and as-
phalt filler, from the south line of
Chicago Street to the north line of
Forest Avenue, for the sum of
$0,924.35. This improvement is com-
pleted and accepted by the board,
and the court has confirmed the ac-
ceptance and issued a warrant re-
ducing the first assessment by a re-
bate of 5 percent. Warrants have
been issued by the City Council for
payment in full of this contract.

The present season a contract was
awarded to Anton Sorensen for the
constructing of a combined sanitary
and storm water sewer on Watch
Street and Wellington Avenue for
$930, the city paying as its share
$230. This job has been accepted by
the board, confirmed by the court,
and contractor paid in full.

A contract was awarded for a storm
water and sanitary sewer on Walnut
Avenue and West National Street to
John A. Logan for the sum of
$2,584.35. The city's share for this
improvement was $1,118. This im-
provement has been accepted by the
Board of Local Improvements, final
acceptance has been made by the
court, and the contractor paid in full.

The property owners on the line of
this improvement will be paid back
as a rebate about 15 percent.

A sanitary and storm water sewer
was constructed by t'Le same con-
tractor by private agreement with the
property owners on Hendee Street,
from West National Street to Wash-
burn Street. This improvement has
been accepted and paid for.

The Board of Local Improvements
awarded a contract to Ed. Johnson
and Christ. Simonsen, for a sanitary

4sewer on Vincent Place and Law-
rence Avenue, to connect with High-
land Avenue sewer, for the sum oi
$524. This improvement has been ac-
cepted by the board, final acceptance
made by the court, and the contractor
paid in full.

A contract was entered into with
Anton Sorensen, and Julius Tetens
for the construction of a combined
storm water and sanitary sewer
from a point near the Milwaukee
Railway Company's right of way to
the intersection of Lawrence and
Crystal Streets and north on Crystal
Street 587 feet, for the sum of $880;
$580 of this amount was contributed
by the property owners by special
agreement and $300 is to be paid by
the City of Elgin.

A contract was awarded to John A.
Logan & Bernard E. Giertz for the
construction and completion of a
combined storm water and sanitary
sewer system for the Sixth Ward,
Lord and other streets, for the total
sum of $83,415. This v-ork is pro-
gressing with dispatch, tne contract-
ors having already completed about
nine miles of the system. The City
Council has allowed them on said
contract about $22,000. The low bid
that the Board of Local Improvements
received upon this work will make it
possible for the board to return to
the property owners assessed for this
improvement from 12 to 15 percent
in rebate, or, in fact, one yearly as-
sessment can be omitted. I would
recommend to this Honorable Coun-
cil, if under the law it can be legally
done, that this council remit the third
or fourth installment for this improve-
ment.

By resolution of this Honorable
Council, the Board of i^ocal Improve-

ments was instructed to advertise for
bids and let contracts.for house con-
nections. Awarding contracts for this
work has proven valuable to the city
and has been a source of pecuniary
benefit and profit to the property
owners. Contracts were awarded by
the Board of Local Improvements for
the construction of 255 connections to
several different contractors, at an av-
erage cost of $13.33; this amount in-
cludes $1 charged each connection for
engineering and inspecting.

Received for 255 connections......$4,608.00

Contract price for 255 connections 3,416.88

Balance to be rebated .............. 1,191.12

or $4.67 to each of the 255 property own-
ers.

During the season 27,231 lineal feet
of cement concrete sidewalk have
been constructed, about six miles. A
great majority of this was construct-
ed within the fire limits. Contracts
were let for 5,590 feet of cement curb
and gutter, or over one mile.

The board presented an ordinance
to the City Council for the improve-
ment of Dundee Avenue with a brick
pavement. The assessment was made
and presented to the court, but on
some technical point the court re-
fused to confirm the roll. The board,
on the 22nd day of December, adopted
a resolution for the improvement of
Dundee Avenue and Center Street,
from Chicago Street to Slade Ave-
nue, and at its meeting held on the
date of the public hearing, January
2nd, 1909, after hearing objections
and suggestions of the different prop-
erty owners interested, amended said
resolution, by paving with asphalt on
a concrete foundation, the roadway of
Center Street, from Chicago Street
to the south line of Dexter Avenue
and Center Street, from the south
line of Dexter Ave, to the south line

5of North Street and Dundee Avenue,
from its intersection with. Center
Street to the north line of Slade Ave-
nue to be paved with brick upon a
concrete foundation and sand filler.

The ordinance will be presented to
the City Council tonight.

The preliminary steps to be taken
before this matter is passed upon by
the court will be pushed with all
the speed possible.

The board has completed almost
ready for action the preliminary plans
and plats for a combined sanitary
sewer and storm water sewer sys-
tem, embracing all the territory m
the Fifth Ward in the City of Elgin,
and this work will be pushed with all
possible speed.

If the property owners on Spring
Street will decide upon the kind of
• paving the board stands ready to
adopt a resolution for tne improve-
ment of said street, having all the
plans and profiles and the Engineer's
estimate nearly completed.

To my mind, this Honorable City
Council should use every effort at its
command to permanently improve
the main streets of the city. Elgin
is unfortunate that some of its citi-
zens object to any kind of improve-
ment upon the streets. The board be-
lieves that this is the opportune time
to make these permanent improve-
ments, as labor and material are
lower in price than they have been
for a number of years, and as the
assessments can be spread over a
number of years the improvement of
the main thoroughfares of the city
will not be a hardship upon any of
the taxpayers.

Fire Department.

The efficiency of the officers and
discipline maintained by the men, and
the excellent record made by them
in extinguishing fires is a source of
pride to all Elgin.

This department responded to 129
fire alarms during the year 1908.

The department suffered a terri-
ble loss and the citizens of this city
a brave, big-hearted, honest citizen
in the sudden death of Fire Chief
David Sharp, by the giving away of
a fire-escape, which escape he was
in the act of testing to determine
the safety for others.

He died as brave men die—at the
post of duty.

You will note by ithe Chief's re-
port that the total value of build-
ings and contents involved in fire
for the year 1908 was $281,308, with
a fire loss of $12,003.56.

This amount is a trifle over one-
third of the appropriation for the de-
partment for the year 1908—"a phe-
nomenal showing." Coupled with this
most efficient fire department, the city
owns a water works system not ex-
celled in Illinois, with direct pres-
sure and mains.

With these facts and figures before
them, it is my humble opinion that
the property owners of this city
should take some action at once to
compel the insurance companies do-
ing business in Elgin to reduce their
rates, compatible with the risks in-
volved.

A number of insurance companies
or their agents doing business in this
city have refused or neglected to pay
the insurance tax due the city for
the maintenance of the fire depart-
ment.

6I would recommend to this Honor-
able Council that it, by resolution,
instruct the City Clerk, the Water
Board, Park Board, and the heads of
all other departments of the city, to
cancel all insurance written by an
agent for any company who neglects

or refuses to pay said tax to the
City Collector by January 10, 1909,
and hereafter they refrain from plac-
ing insurance with any agent or com-
pany who is in arrears with the City
of Elgin.

Annual Appropriation, Expenditure, and Balance for the Year 1908, for
the Elgin Fire Department.

Appro. Expend.	Bal. O.D.

Salary of one fire marshall 6 capts. and

20 firemen .............................$ 22,910.00 $ 22,543.55	$ 366.45

Repairs and renewals on buildings and

apparatus .................................. 1,161.00	1,135.21	25.79

Live Stock replacement and keep, (ap-
propriation including sale of four

horses, $610.00) ............................ 2,910.00	2,556.91	353.09

Fire alarm & batteries and sounding

fire alarm whistle ....................... 300.00	268.70	31.30

Replacement of hose ...................... 350.00 " 317.65	32.35

Light and Gas for five stations ........... 290.00	242.28	47.72

Water for five stations and 412 hydrants 4,220.00	4,229.93	9.93

Fuel for five stations ....................... 625.00	623.80	1.20

Chemicals, oil, etc........................... 75.00	22.90	52.10

Helmets, coats, and boots ................. 40.00	36.05	3.95

Stationery, printing, veterinary services,

insurance, bedding and towels, laun-
dry, furniture and rugs and other

incidentals ................................ 735.00	672.85	62.15

Total appropriation ......................... 33,616.00	32,649.83	967.10 9.93

Total expenditure ............................ 32,649.83	O.D. 9.93

Balance ........................................$ 966.17	$ 966.17

Money received and returned to
City Collector by sale of gong,

old nozzle, old hose, junk, etc____$59.70

Rebate on 5 water meters............. 16.92

$76.62

Fires and alarms responded to dur-
ing the year 1908 numbered one
hundred twenty-nine.

DUTIES PERFORMED AT FIRES.
Total No,* of ft. of 2% hose laid

........................................ 20,350

Total No. of ft. of chemical hose

laid ................................... 3,250

Total No. of ft. of chemical tanks

used .................................. 21

Total No. of extinguishers used____ 19

Total No. of ft. of ladders raised.. 533

Total No. of miles traveled ........ 545 %

Total No. of hours worked ........16,697%

7

VALUATION, INSURANCE AND LOSS.

Estimate value of

bldgs. involved____$192,465.00	$113,225.00

Estimate value of

contents involved. 88,843.00	52,595.00

$281,308.00 $165,820.00

Loss on bldgs. insured ............ $5,058.30

Loss on contents insured ......... 4,114.25

Loss on bldgs. uninsured ......... 1,185.00

Loss on contents uninsured ...... 1,646.00

Total loss .......................$12,003.55

Loss per cent 9.5.

Comparative Statement, Showing Fire
Losses in the Past Four Years.

	Buildings	Val. Prop-	
	& Conts-	Involved	Insurance
1905	21,488.49	236,550.	124,980.00
1906	19,695.91	611,720.00	322,425.00
1907	21,752.17	595,982.00	337,690.00
1908	12,164.84	281,308.00	165,820.00
	$75,101.41	$1,725,560.00	$950,915.00Police Department.

The absence of crime and the en-
forcement of the ordinances of the
city are in a great measure due to
the splendid work done by this de-
partment; the officers and men are
diligent in their duty in protecting
the lives and property of the citi-
zens. The discipline maintained is of
a high order and deserving of com-
mendation.

By courtesy of the Ohief, I pre-
sent for your consideration the re-
ceipts and disbursements of this de-
partment, also some of the duties
performed.

DUTIES PERFORMED

Report of the Police Department for
the year ending Dec. 31st, 1908.

Reports of patrolmen over Police

Alarm System .........................46,759

Wagon calls ........................... 404

Ambulance calls ...................... 222

Miscellaneous calls attended to ____ 637

Reports made by officers or side-
walks, dangerous and in need of

repair .................................. 40

Reports made by officers of streets,

dangerous and in need of repair.. 53
Reports made by officers of street

and alley lights out ................ 259

Fire calls responded to ............... 52

Lost children cared for ................ 16

Sudden deaths and sucides investi-
gated and reported to Coroner---- 26

Paupers furnished with food and

shelter ................................. 1,223

Lost and stolen property recovered
and returned to owners, value ot
$772.00.

Merchant Police Service, number of
store and office doors found un-
locked .................................. 135

Arrests, males, 514, females 13, total 527
Total appropriation and receipts $17,116.55
Total expenditures ................ 16,894.57

Balance ..........................$ 221.98

Water Department.

This department's finances are in
a splendid condition. Its receipts
have been sufficient to pay all the
running expenses, the laying of over
four miles of main, the installing of
about seven hundred meters, the pay-
ment of interest upon all of the bonds

outstanding, and the payment of one
water bond amounting to $5,000, with
a small balance to its credit. The
doubts expressed by some, that the
ownership of the meters by the city,
and the lowering of the rates to the
small consumers, the raising of rates
to the railways and other large con-
sumers, that the railroads might
cease to use city water and thereby
create a deficit in this department,
has proved erroneous.

The furnishing of water for less
than the cost of pumping has been
discontinued, which is one element of
successful business management of
this department. The extension of
mains have added another great
source of revenue.

I would recommend to this Hon-
orable Council that it appropriate
every dollar available for the exten-
sion of water-mains—"let the water
mains follow the sewer extensions."

At no time in the history of the
department can iron pipe be bought
for the price that it is being con-
tracted for at present. A year ago
cast-iron water pipe cost the city
over $34 per ton; the same pipe can
now be purchased for less than $24
per ton. Great credit is due to the
Board of Water Commissioners for
the strict business methods enforced
in the management of this depart-
ment.

Cemetery Department.

During the year a number of per-
manent public improvements have
been completed by this department.
Mention may be made of the orna-
mental iron fence erected, extending
from a point 200 feet west of the
main entrance to about 100 feet east
of the east entrance of the chapel;

8also a substantial, strong gateway or
lodge erected at the main entrance.
All of the stone used in this con-
struction, except water table and
stone cups, were taken from the old
vault in the Elgin cemetery.

The receipts and disbursements of
this department follow:

The total amount in Bluff City Cem-
etery sinking fund to be expended
only after all the lots are sold is
$7,268.15.

RECEIPTS.

Sale of lots, 15 per cent of which
goes into the Bluff City Ceme-
tery Sinking" Fund ($873.42). ...$ 5,824.83
Burials, 310; 248 adults, 62 children 1,117.00

Use of vault ....................... 39.00

Miscellaneous ....................... 945.55

$ 8,083.88

Balance in hands of City Treas.

Jan. 1st, 1908 ....................$ 3,152.23

Received on warrant for 1907 and
1908 .................................. 7,142.44

$10,294.67

.DISBURSEMENTS.

Paid for salaries and la-oor......$ 5,408.55

For new entrance and fence ..... 1,979.55

For catch basins and drain pipes 112.00

New cistern and connections____ 113.42

Lots deeded to City of Elgin____ 207.07

Miscellaneous ....................... 1,025.93

Total .............................$ 8,846.30

Total amount received ............$10,294.67

Total expenditures for year of
1908' .................................. 8,846.30

Balance Jan. 1st, 1909..........$ 1,448.37

Public Safety Department.

About the 10th day of March, 1908,
by request of state officials, the
Building Inspector, City Electrician,
Fire Chief, and myself, made a thor-
ough personal inspection of each
room from the basement to the gar-
ret, of all public and private school
buildings, and of all the different
churches and theaters in this city.

This report was sent to the City
Council on April 6th. This Honor-

able Council adopted the report and
instructed the Building Inspector and
Fire Marshal to see to it that the
recommendations were complied with.
While in the performance of this
work the Fire Marshal lost his life.

The Building Inspector and the
present Fire Chief have carried on
the work and report their success as
follows:

The school board has complied
with all the recommendations by in-
stalling fire-escapes and changing the
doors and putting up railing on all
the school buildings excepting Oak
Street.

The following schools and business
colleges and churches and theaters
have complied with the orders of the
City Council by the installation of
fire-escapes, changing of doors to
conform .with the law, and the in-
stalling of lights and signs over
exits.

Elgin Academy,

St. John's, St. Paul's and St. Joseph's
Schools,

Metropolitan Business College

Ellis Business College

St. Mary's School

St. Paul's Church

St. John's Cnurch

St. Joseph's Church

Congregational Church

Baptist Church

First Evangelical Church

First United Evangelical Church

First M. E. Church.

First Universalist Church.

Unity Hall

Free Methodist Church
Epworth Church
Grace M. E. Church.

Swedish Luthern Church
Gospel Hall.

Emmanuel Baptist Church

Colored Baptist Church

House of Hope Church

First German Baptist Church.

Sherman Hospital

St. Joseph's Hospital

DuBois Opera House

Globe Theatre

Star Theatre

Temple Theatre

Y. M. C. A. Bldg.,

Y. W. C. A. Bldg.

Watch Factory Gymnasium

National House

Elgin National Watch Company

9All school buildings have been
equipped with a 5-gallon hand-pump,
fire extinguishers, except the G. P.
Lord, which is provided with a stand-
pipe and hose on each floor.

All public schools have a practice
fire-drill from one to four times a
month.

The following churches and other
public places have not complied with
the order of the City Council:

Brethren Church
Cedar Hill Mission
English Luthern Church
Episcopal Church
Hebrew Synagogue
Colored Methodist Church
Norwegian Danish Church
Apost olic Christian Church
Hartford Chapel
Masonic Temple No. 522
Public Library
Chicago Tel. Bldg.

Building Inspecting Department.

The Building Inspector reports per-
mits issued for the year 93; for altera-
tions and repairs, 31; for moving, 2.

Total of fees for permits and in-
spections, $676.70.

Ninety-three new buildings have
been erected during the year, of the
following material: Brick, 6; brick
veneered, 7; cement block, 9; cement
plaster, 27; wood, 43; galvanized iron,
1, at a total cost of $410,325.

Thirty-one buildings have been al-
tered and additions made at a cost
of $40,300, showing an expenditure for
the erection of new buildings and al-
terations of $450,625.

Health Department.

The health of the city is excellent.
Only one case of contagious disease
exists at present, and that is a case
of scarlet fever.

During the year 154 cases of con-
tagious disease have been reported to
the city. Smallpox, 74; scarlet fe-
ver, 65; diphtheria, 15. Only one

death occurred from this number. In
addition to this number, this depart-
ment fumigated 14 other buildings, as
follows: Schools, 2; exposed to small-
pox, 5; exposed to tuberculosis, 5;
blood poison, 2.

The prompt and vigorous mea-
sures adopted by the Health Officer,
City Physician and Chairman of the
Health Committee, and the strict
quarantine of all the premises where
cases were reported, and the strict
attention given to people leaving the
buildings where unsanitary conditions
prevailed, can be given as the reason
why this city was comparatively free
from conagious diseases. An anti-
toxine station has been established
at Sprowls' Drug Store on Chicago
Street, where the City Physician of
this city can procure, free of cost, for
the poor of Elgin, anti-toxine.

I would recommend to this Hon-
orable Council that it be as liberal
in its appropriations to this depart-
ment as the financial conditions will
permit. The total number of deaths
in the city during the year of 1908
was 214, about 14 out of 1,000.

Public Works Department.

Following are the receipts and ex-
penditures of the Public Works De-
partment:

RECEIPTS.

Sewer Connection Fund.............H608.00

City Eng.'s office, for surveying
and inspecting 255 sewer connec-
tions ................................. 255.00

Bureau of Streets—

Sale of horses............... $223.00

Use of Steam Roller...... 18.60

From Board of High-
way Commissioners, for
bridges ................... 3,000.00 3,241.60

Board of Local Improvements—
On account of spreading assess-
ment for paving Douglas Ave.
and Milwaukee St.................. 240.94

$8,345.54

10EXPENDITURES.

CITY ENGINEER'S OFFICE.

Salaries .............................$8,126.92

Stationery, drafting supplies, print-
ing ................................... 165.45

Other office expense, incidentals... 119.05

BUREAU OF STREETS.

Salaries ............................................................10,035.34

Repairs and renewals and insur-
ance on tools, oil, etc....................817.10

Live stock keep, forage, shoeing,

etc....................................................................828.85

Live stock replacement......................325.00

Repairs on pavement..............................11.17

Cleaning sewers ......................................561.53

Repairing sewers ....................................122.18

Grading and surfacing

Grand Boulevard ........ 958.43

City Limits' survey ......214.17

Remodeling City Engi-	'

neer's office ............ 689.32

Miscellaneous Expense,

(including $239.90 paid to
Water Dept. for water

for fountains) ............ 611.90	2,473.82

Bridges, repairs, painting,

etc .........................189.57

EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSE.

Wagon gear and new road tools..	72.06

Six new wheel scrapers................583.02

Pipe and labor to drain spring

at Summit and River Sts................116.14

Pipe and labor to drain spring

at Mill and Hawkins Sts..............140.77

Improving creek in P. J. Kim-
ball, Jr.'s 2nd Addition................906.66

Wall, sewer and sidewalk on

Kipp and Fay property ..............526.72

BOARD OF LOCAL IMPROVEMENTS.

Drafting supplies, printing, sta-
tionery, etc........................ 464.05

Incidentals .......................... 571.38

EXTRAORDINARY EXPENSE.

Balance on 1908 installment and
interest on Highland and Lar-

kin pavement .................... 3,633.03

City's share on Watch and Well-
ington Ave sewer and Walnut
Ave sewer and interest from
June 1st, 1908, to July 2d, 1908.. 1,353.63
Spreading assessment for sewer
in Lord St and other streets

and places ........................ 800.00

City's share of Hendee St. sewer 50.00
City's share of paving Dundee
Ave................................. 300.00

BUREAU OF SIDEWALKS.
Lowering walk on Milwaukee
St., lots H and F, Co. Clerk's
Sub. Blk. 18, J. T. Gifford's

Plat ................................ 60.00

Rebuilding walk on DuPage
abutting lot 8, Blk. 2, J. T. Gif-
ford's Plat ...................... 30.00

Rebuilding walk on Hamilton
Ave, Lot 4, Blk. 4, Creighton
Park Add ......................... 40.00

Cement walk on N. State and
Lawrence Ave, Lot 29, Blk. 23,
W. C. Kimball's 2nd Add and
S. 73.86 ft. of Lot CXLXII of

Co. Clerk's Sub ................................127.00

Other incidental expense....................258.25

WARD FUNDS.

For cleaning, grading, repairing,
and rolling streets and building new
crosswalks and culverts, and repair-
ing old ones, the following amounts
have been expended in the respective
Wiards:

First Ward .........................$2,943.37

Second Ward ....................... 3,700.86

Third Ward ......................... 1,972.04

Fourth Ward ....................... 1,943.46

Fifth Ward ......................... 3,085.31

Sixth Ward .......................... 3,388.42

Seventh Ward ...................... 3,226.77

$53,768.92

TOTAL EXPENDITURE.
The following are the amounts ex-
pended for macadamizing the follow-
ing streets (these amounts are also
included in the Ward expenditures):

Wellington Ave ........................................$1,360.13

Lake St. .............................

Lillie St..............................

Porter St........................................................235.50

Center St.................................................^*11

Brook St........................................................280-18

Hamilton Ave ............................................785.50

Total macadamizing ............$4,505.79

Street Department.

A new policy has been adopted for
the expenditure of the ward funds ap-
propriated for the use of the several
wards. During the last year this
fund has been expended under the
direction of the aldermen from the
several wards in which the work
was done.

This Honorable Council are the best
judges of whether this new order has
been a success or not. There is a
certainty of one thing, that nearly all
the money appropriated was expend-
ed, and the fund in some of the
wards was greatly overdrawn.

1101

2 098430462

There is one thing that the alder-
men can receive credit for, that is
that some of the streets, or parts of
the same, were improved with ma-
terial of a permanent nature. The
macadamizing of Lake Street and
Wellington Avenue, Center and Brook,
Lilly, Porter, and Grand Boulevard
with stone, and Hamilton Avenue
with crushed gravel.

I hope that this City Council will
continue in the good work of using
material of a permanent nature upon
all the streets that are improved with-
in its several wards. The Board of
Local Improvements have adopted
resolutions, and this Honorable Coun-
cil has passed ordinances for the
opening of Congress Street in the
Fifth Ward and widening Crystal
Avenue in the Sixth Ward. Said im-

provements will be pushed to a
speedy completion.

In conclusion, allow me to express
my heartfelt thanks and apprecia-
tion of the many acts of kindness
and the many courtesies that each
of you have extended to me as presid-
ing officer, and for the confidence
lately expressed in my continuance
of the office.

In my temporary absence, I trust
that each of you will ever be watch-
ful of the people's rights, and that
all of your deliberations may be tem-
pered with harmony and good will,
believing that you will serve the peo-
ple in the future as you have in the
past—with fidelity and courage.

Yours very respectfully,

ARWIN E. PRICE,

Mayor of Elgin.

COURIER PRINT. ELGIN.

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