Our City Affairs

Wlth thls issue of the Cocrikr is frlven In supplement form the annual statement of tlie city's financia] condición, together wlth the expenditures for the year, and to whom the money went. lt hows the receipta to have been f34 - 384.25 (strlpped of the $1,500 transfer account) and the expenditures $38,201 51 less the same % . ' These expenditures Include the $5 000 voted by the M. C. R. R. improvements, and f500 glven to Mr. Carey for the exchani?e of property which he made, also J,156 court house bonds. Taking out those extraordlnary expenses and tlie dtnount used in all the various departmentsoftliecity, Includlnsr the support of the poor, only reaches the modest sum M $30,545.51. It must be remembered that this last amount inclndes water hydrant rental and electric llghts. Wfll the good natured gentleman who has endeavored to make a bug-bear of our city expenses show us a city in Michigan of 8,000 or 10,000 Inhnbitants that can make as creditable a showing, and say nothing about water works or electric street lights ? It can"t bo done Thero is not a city in Michifan so economically admlnistered and possesslng so many of the modern improvements as does thits city at so little coat. The figures can be given to prove this assertion f desired. Unless the city should deern it wise to cornmence the construction of a system of sewers there will be a considerable rediiction next year for there will be no court house ald bonds to pny then and no bruces to pav for. makinír a reductlou of upwardsof $7,500.00 from this year's expenses. But our city is frrowinsj and improvemeiits are continually necesaary It cannot be expecte.l that the annici budget will be the same as when it was only a village. As has been susrested in these columns many times, there are some chunjres wbich ought to be made in our charter made at once. The city cannot i !ford lo a lopt a "penny wise and pound toolisli policy." It should pay its ofücers ' i sufflcient salary to secure the bsst lent to transact lts business. The memtters of the councll ought to receivo some :ompensation for the time they give and ;ratuitious censuring on all sides that :h-y receive. What man would conduct his private Justness as the city asks to have its pubie busmess conducted ? No sane man VVhy, then, not have it chanped and ased on practical business principies?