Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-09-05

4 oeheL OlsIlClss are requested 70 meet NJ neDD
Hall, Friday evening, at Z O'Clock, for consultation
and such action as the case demands r
VIM. WILLIAMS,
JAMES HQYT,
A. LYMAN,
NJ. L. HIGGINS.
Committee.
That the meeting was held pursuant tC
call, that a Chairman and Secretary were
appointed, resolutions passed, and meeting
adjourned.
Your Committee, with many others, see-
ing the notice, were induced to attend the
meeting as spectators, and did not with q
large majority in attendance, feel at liberty
to participate in its deliberations, for the
reason that they were favorable TO Sewer i'm
provements, and of course not included in
the call for the meeting.
Trusting, however, that even under the
call there might be those opposed to Sewer.
age at the meeting, that would seek correct
information of the action of the Council, the
Mayor and others were in attendance, fully
prepared to give such information. No such
information was asked for, and of course not
given, except that Mr.. Dana recognizing the
right of the meeting to exclude him from it:
deliberations, did take the liberty to correct
some gross Misrepresentation of the Presi-
dent of the meeting on his taking the chair,
and who, by the way, was one of a number
of petitioners last spring to the Council to do
the very work which now, as President OF
that meeting, in common with others, he re-
solves should not be done.
Mr.. Dana undertook to make some other
corrections of representation, but
from the movement of the leaders of the
meeting, it was very evident that correct in
formation was not the object sought and at
the earliest possible moment, a Committee on
resolutions was demanded, named and sp-
pointed.
The Chairman of that Committee. with
resolutions in his pocket, at once came for
ward, and prefacing his action with sundry
remarks full Of Misrepresentation of the &C.
ton Of the Council and Committee Of assess
ment, presented the resolutions which were
accepted and adopted bya response from not
over one sixth Of those present. a very
large portion Of the residue regarding the M
selves as spectators, favorable to Sewerage,
and not entitled to a vote under the call of
the meeting.
Taking this view Of the subject, the Com
mittee cannot consistently recommend such
action as is asked by the resolutions.
In reference to the subject of Sewerage, ii
is claimed by the opposition, that the Coun-
ell have acted in the dark, and have not
given due notice to this community as they
have progressed.
If any one will take the trouble to investi-
gate that point, We think they will find that
extra efforts have been made to difuse infor-
nation.
There was last year great pressure upon
the Council to act in the matter of improve
ments, so much so, as TO cause thorough eX-
animation of tha Legislation applicable 10
that purpose. 1t was found that the paving
law was defective in authority to authorize
the paving by and through our public
grounds, and 1t was thought advisable to get
such legislation, which was done.
The Sewerage law was also found defective
in its power for general Sewerage, and the
law applicable to cities of the second class
was asked to be extended over u town.
That although in population we are not
quite equal to the law as fixed for cities of the
second class, yet in wealth our town far ex-
ceeds many towns found in that class.
From the uniform fat surface of the town,
it requires the benefits of such a law much
more than many towns Of much larger pop
ulation.
Those laws were last winter passed, and ii
was understood early in the season that the
Council would take action under their Peti-
tons circulated and presented to the Council,
asking for Sewerage, and for q time a COun-
Gilman could hardly pass the street without
the inquiry being made, when are you going
to commence the Sewers?
The Sewer law was published soon as re-
ceived, q plan was devised for dividing the
town into sewer districts and the line for
the main Sewer in District Number One
was defined, giving the probable depths of
cutting on most of the prominent points on
the line. This plan was published TO elicit
discussion as to the propriety of the location
of the lines. It did produce discussion and
the lines were heightened and terminus
changed from the point first proposed.
Ordinances were then passed and publish
ed. A Committee of assessment appointed,
and their names published. That Commit
tee Undue time made their report, spending
more than two weeks to accomplish It. No
tice was then given for all interested to ex
anime it, file objections and meet the Coun
ell at Il time named in the notice, at hich
time the Council could nave rejected the
whole on good cause shown. No objection
were fled and the Council adopted the report
and levied the tax in accordance with it.
The Sewer Committee then advertised for
proposals for the work, and hand bills were
afterwards posted on nearly every stone and
post in town, for hands to put into the work.
No expression of disapproval was drawn
from any one until contracts were made for
sewer pipe, brick, lime, and the work put
under contract, and the hands in the bitches
progressing with the work.
1t is said that the tax is enormous and
cannot be paid without distress.
The general Sewer tax is not so large but
that it can be met in most cases easily.
As to the local tax which is much the
larger tax, if any one will take the trouble
to examine the assessment along the lines OF
the main Sewers, they will find that it is
levied in the rear of some of our most valua-
bic business property, andin front of the res
licences of our most wealthy citizens and
upon the property of wealthy estates made
very valuable by private enterprise surround
ing them-four Of which estates are charged
with nearly one-fourth of the whole tax, and
thres:iourths Of which are represented by
persons who make no complaint and appar-
emily are favorable to the measure. Com
plants are made that the law is unequal in
its bearings. That's certainly true of nearly
all laws of this kind, but this law by the
powers given to a good Committee under it,
should be less Objectionable thar most laws
of the kind, and if any one will examine
thoroughly the assessment they will find thai
no rule or system could possibly be adopted
by the Committee where a bearing so proper
could be found under the law and where
those, the least able to pay, could be more
favored than is provided under this assess
ment.
The tax is large, and the Council would
have been glad to lave extended its pay
ments to a more remote period, but they
could not lind any such authority under the
law, anc knew OF no other way to meet thC
pressing wants Of this community.
Objections have been made to the point o
discharge of the Sewer. The Committee OF
inquiry cannot find a case where a city o.
town haying Sewers, and located on a river
have ever attempted to find any thing bette
than the river for a discharge, the cities o
London and Paris with many others may b
named as prominent instances. In our tow
the river and canal are all the points pos si
Bile for such discharge; and no one, it IS pre-
sumed, viii say that, the canal is preferabl
to the river; and the discharge to the rive
must as s matter Of course be above the dan