Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-04-15

VILLAGE TAxATIoN.-The flrore about vii
lage taxation, has no doubt had its effect, and
very likely, a wholesome and salutary one.
1t is to be hoped, however, that the 81 asm
may not take SO deep hold of The minds of
our City Fathers and the tax payers as TO lead
them to withhold the necessary expenditures
fer keeping up the roads, and taking due care
of the Parks of the village. This cannot be
| done without a considerable regular and time
ly expenditure. Nothing about our village
has been so credtable as the condition of our
roads, and that condition was only attained by
heavy outlays-economical or otherwise, we
will not stop TO say-and if they are not look
ed after and kept up, the advantages from
| these outlays will be lost, and our roads, after
| becoming again intolerabe, the same exiraordi-
nary means will have to be resortcd to to bring
them back again. Our roads now, are mainly
in good condition, and II wise economy would
counsel all the expense necessary to keep
| them SO. This is especially true of Main
street, and the street to the Station, over
which there is large amount of heavy team
ing, and which may not be neglected without
wrong ultimately 10 the village treasury, and
to the business interests of the village Olher
roads not so much travelled are not in an
equally good condition, and already require
attention. Mill Hill, for instance, has seldom
been in worse condition, and to bring it up
| to what it should be, and has been, will re-
quire considerable expense. About this, how
ever, there can be no dispute, and about the
necessity of the work there is quite as little
ctr
| street, are by no means in the condition of or
der and repair that they should be, but tue
work necessary TO put them in such repair, is
not very heavy. Taxation, as was said to us
the other day, by an intelligent tax payer, is
not so fearful matter, if it is judicious and
economical. If we are indebted and have
been going too fast, that is no reason for max
ing taxation hobby and a bugbear, and in
the effort at economy, to run to the other ex
treme, that of niggardlincss and consequent
waste. Let the leaks be stopped. Let the ne.
cessary work TO be done be entrusted only to
practical hands, guided by good common
| sense and careful and rigid economy, and then,
let us avoid, so far as 1naY be, all eXraordina-
ry expenses. II we build no more engine
houses, no more cisterns, purchase no more
engines, lay no more sewers, and just keep
along with the ordinary and necessary matters
OF the village only, there will be chance to
catch breath, and survive the indebtedness
from what is thought to have been rather free
expenditures. There are expenses TO be incur
red soon, for meeting the wants of the Hook g.
Ladder company, for a house for their ma
chincry, meetings &c, and if an inclOsure
| about the north green, now in the last stage of
standing rottenness, is to be kept up, some
thing Of an item of expense will he called for,
| by by, in that direction. This is Il subject
about. as vague and undecided us that of
warming and ventlating the schools. The
growth Of the trees is such that wood struc-
ture would last in the shade-now become so
dense-but II short time, and whether any
thing else that would sand, could be adopted
without undue expenditure. is question:
Then, we are without village or town Hall,
and building 10 accommodate both, cannot
be put off indefinitely. Thus it will be seen
that taxation cannot well be avoided, and our
citizens may as well make up their minds to
what is inevitable. But they have right to
be consulted when extraordinary indebted
ness is to be incurred, and also a right to in
sist upon carefulness and economy in the work
performed.
While on the subject, allusion may be made
to the effort now making of repairing the
roads with fine sand. 1t is matter of con-
siderable comment, whether this material is
the best for the purpose, at any price. 1t
peaches readily into mud in wet weather, and
makes the most volatile kind Of dust in dry
Where 1t can be used upon clay, such as that
Of Mill Hill, it probably will answer good
purpose for a free ballasting up. But in other
cases, it is at least questionable whether en-.
lightened economy would warrant its use
In this connection, too, il may be well to
again allude to the condition of some of OH
roads just outside of the corporation lines
The abandoned part of the Plank road TO the
Nettleton gate, should not be longer tolerated
if there is arr body under Heaven authorized
to look after 1t and require its repair. Then
there is short piece beyond A. d. sTRoNe's,
on tho North Ridge, that has been almost en-
tirely neglected tor years. About the last that
was done 10 it, if we recollect Alright, was to
dump loads of soil along the road bed, with.
out any attempt at leveling, and continued
use has made the road little else than an alter
nation OF mound and slough, stretching the
whole width OF the path. Either our trustees
or commissioners should have supervision
over such neglect, and compel attention and
repair. Will they not, if within their pro.
VINCE sec TO itf Work on both these pieces
Of roads should be begun at once. Then
there rs short stretch from the Iron Bridge
to Harmon Hill, that calls loudly for repairs
Our township supervisors would do them
selves credit by making these repairs without
| further dsfav or trouhfA a.