Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-07-16
MEssss. EDrroRs Although YOU

MkssRs. EDiroRs Although your
last two iesnes have contained comm q mica tions
in which my motives - . member of tbs City
Council! have been impugneG aad which
might call personal attacks on myself. 90
rot sppsar in your columns to make any de-
fence, thsss-I will let them 60 for what they
are worth; bot vish to defend the Ordisancs
on Wharfage, which o. Chsirmsn Of the Ordi-
nance Com mittee l felt it ny duty to offer.
10 rsgaAd 70 she Article Of Monday, the l4.h,
called the Lumber Dealers Protest, / have 10
say that it is calculated to ytLroE dast in the
eyes Of the people-it is mass Of mis- state.
msnts. false from beginning to end. Let us see.
In the frs. place the ordinance is called 40
Oppressive discrimination between the Lun-
Der dealers 10 the heart Of the city. and Mayo
French's and Aid. Rsnwick's lumber yards
who use the landing, bat not the levss within
the prescribed lini,s." Now what does tbis
mean ? II iusiouates that French and Ren wick
use the City landing free Of charge while they
Wish to make others pay for the use Of the
Ievse. Nov l will say to those gents who
signed that protest. and the public, that every
manufacturing establishment using the river
front in the city except the BurneIl mill.
which has lesse) Lave had to buy and pay .
high price for their Ian ding, the int, rest on
which 10 every year tar more than any lumber
dealer in the city viii have to pay for wharf
age under the proposed ordinance. Where
then is the Oppressive discrimination" over
which such . howl 10 made. Every one must
see ,hst IL has been alt,gether 10 favor Of the
dealer. in the heart Of the city. vho for yesrs
has been using Q large and valuable landing
10 the best part Of the city, and even selling
lumber thereon without the payment Of one
cent into the city treasury, while the mill
owners have speDt hundreds of tbousands OF
dollars in building machine cry, Improvements,
aud the purchase of the ground on which they
land their logs a-d lumber, and have raid and
continue 10 ray very heavy city, county, state,
road aud echool taxes. Again, the saw mills
in this city are now giving employment to
about l60 hands; these support the sams nun
Der of families. or at FIVE 10 each family. 800
OF the nhabitants are directly supported bv
the saw mile Of Davenport Again. the mills
in great measure sustain the foundry and
machine chops, which also employ q great
many hands. and almoet all the large amount
here among our merchants and citizeus Con.
trast the foregoing with the claims Of the deal.
ers who signed the protest. not one Of whom
own foot of real estate in the city-men who
sell lumber on commission for mills in VII con.
sin aud else here, who scarcely give employ
msnt to oIe man; surely these u,en are terribly
oppressed when they are called upon TO pay
small tax into our city treasury when they use
our city levee
10 regard to the statement that these pro.
tes,aots make. that they receive annually six
million feet of lumber, l find by reference to
the Aseessor'e books that Alling d Williams
was assessed for 925. 900 test. Wood AS 900
feet. ard Barnes SUO0OO feet making total
Of l 65O0OO-some difference between that and
6O0O.0O0 But suppose these parties should
land 2OOO. 600 this year. it would only bring
q revenue to The city Il 5000 instead Of IS 900
as is stated 10 the "protest."
Again it 10 stated that in St. Louis 10 cents
per thousand only Is charged for Wharfage on
lumber, but very important fac. in this con.
nection was omitted, viz: That no RATS are
allow ed to land at all in front Of the city of
St. Louis, and that RATS which land three or
four miles either above or below the city have
to pay wharfage principally TO private iadi
viduais) Of ten cents per thousand.
Now have endeavored to discoss this ordi.
nance on It's own merits, and not the motives
Of those who offer or those who opp ose it. No
unrreiudicsd person will fail to observe that
the ordinance is intended 10 tighten in some
degree the heavy load that cur tax pa yers
have to bear. 1t can work no injustice on
any rersoD, because no one is obliged to pay
anything for the landing unless they have the
use oft. WM RENwIcK.
p S.-The foregoing does not refer in arg
respect - Mr.. Bard, as be has Withdrawn
from the protest.