The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1866-09-07

Object, the harbor should be built without
unnecessary delay, and when the act of
last session was passed providing for the
levving tax Of s60,0GC, il the years
1867, 1868 and 1869, they could not wait
Sd long, but asked TO have this tax levied
in '66, 7 ard s, which was accordingly
authorized and directed to be done.
This act contemplated favorable action
by Congress and anticipated appropria
liohs which with the aid provided thereby
would secure the completion of the harbor
improvements within Two years, as it was
said and believed by all that the harbor
completed would add annually more than
$50, 600 TO the wealth of the town alone
Section eight provides that " the super
vsors of aaid town are hereby directed to
issue and deliver to tie said Commissions
ers, whenever demanded by them, orders
I on the treasurer Of said town to the
amount of the tax authorized by this act
to be levied" - to- wit to the amount Of
$50, 1000
Section nine and ten authorizes the
commissioners to receive all the orders to
the amount Of the tax to be levied and
collected with the three years, and to
appropriate the same towards the con.
struction of the harbor Improvement, and
in one year if they should deem necessary.
Section eleven requires the commission
ers to apply to the proper department al
Washington, to appoint or detail some
suitable civil engineer to take the super
Of ba Of
structng said harbor, and to ,xpenG on
such aOgrk all monies which hare been or
may hereatter be appropriated 6y congress
for that purpose" and in the event that
no such action should be taken by tie
government, they are directed to 60 Oh
with the work on behalf of the town.
Section thirteen provides that "if at
any time before the expenditure b the
commissioners Of the whole amount Of the
tax authorized by this act, Congress shall
make an appropriation sufficient to COM
ptcte the work on said harbor, or money
shall be raised by other towns in said
county for that purpose, the said commits
sloners shall return to the treasurer of
said town ali the money and ORDERS in the
hands Of their treasurer, and not appro>
priatei, and no further tax shall be col
! lecled than may be necessary TO pay the
sums appropriated by the commissioners,
&C."
Ia view Of these provisions can it be
well said that the people in voting for
them did not contemplate a vigorous
prosecution TO completion Of the hatbor
Improvements? We thiak not
But it is said that Congress has made
an appropriation of s52 600, and will in
the fu,ura make appropriations sufficient
to complete the work.
When is this So coo to be expended,
within tie next year, or three years
When expended in Whist coudition will
the work be left, ard how much will it
take to complete it? When will Cons
grGss make the further necessary appro
priations! Not before one Year from
next May r-June, will it then, or not till
the second or third year thereafter? All
these questions should be satisfactorily
answered before our people can determine
he other important questions shall we
have good haIbor within three years
without raising the tax Of $50 600 for the
year 1866, or 1867, or 1865, and if not,
which of them will it be necessary to
collect?
The piers for the harbor cannot be
suitably and permanently laid without
| dredging out the channel Of the river
into the bay, and will the government
furnish the dredge boat which will cost
not less than sl2 600, and if SO, how far
out and to what depth of water will the
remaining $4,000 of the appropriation
carry suitable cribs, and when are these
cribs to be constructed and property
placed? and when so placed will the
work afford any and what additional
facilities to our shippers, or protection to
the growing commerce Of our lake
Our harbor commissioners should have
asked and obtained answers to all these
questions, before asking US by their
majority of one vote, not to levy the tax
Of $4,000, 1t strikes US as eminentlv
proper that the harbor commissioners
should have become fully satisfied on all
these points of legitimate enquiry on their
part, aid been abe to satisfy the people
that it was entirely unnecessary on thei,
part I'd lend any present aid towards the
prosecution Of the harbor improvements,
before urging upon us the non levylpg Of
the harbor tax in violation Of the plain
provisions Of the law by which they were
created and their official duties defined
The commissioners as well as ourselves
have duties imposed upon them by the
same law, and while we have SO far dis
charged ours to the satisfaction of our own
consciences and judgments, we hope they
arc able TO say the same Of their own
action, and that in the advice they have
! given US as to the manner We should act
officially, they have been actuated by
the same motives.
We do not say that any tax is necessary
To the early or remote completion of the
harbor, az We are not in possession of
information upon which to base correct
opinion Oh the subject. If how.
ever, the majority Of the tax payers have
become satisfied that TO tax should be
collected, they most certainly have it in
their power ard should take directly upon
themselves the responsibility of defeating
The collection Of the tag they can by
their action, render the harbor law mop
sratlve, and make it a dead letter upon
the statute book, by refusing to pay the