The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-03-26
corNciL PRocExpISGs.
The New afuaaie
Two Reports in resard to 1t.

COUNCIL CHAMBER, March %, 1875.
Present-Mayor Graham, Messrs
Eskridge, NcCarter, Lakin, Hibben
Morrison. Watson.
Minutes Of March IS, 1875. read aut
approved.
| Sir. icCarter moved that tie city
Treasurer be requested TO make an,
render his report of The financial cen.
dition OF the city for tie past quarter
The mutton was carried.
Mr.. Morrison, chairman ot commit.
tee On city property, rep,rtrd the FOL.
lowing petition, which was referred {,
them at the last meeting:
EMPuaIA, Kan, March 10, 1875.
TIE the Mayor and Council q tie Cry d
Emporia:
wHEKEAs, On May 9th, 1872, Pros
ser e Graves xs, uteu Il Elor' gage. &.
Ilie-eity oI En- p0iia for the SUN OF 81,
10000 on the following described
property, to-wib: Commencing ut i
point S2l.SS feet east Of "a point .lSL
feet north of the point where sections
10, II, IA and 10, ia town 10 OF range
IL, unite; thence east $50 feet, thence
north, variation 10 degrees 90 minutes
east. 500 feet; thence west 222 feet
thence south, variation % degrees 30
minutes east, 70 the place OF begin
ming, and containing 493 acres, be-
ing what was known as foundry prop
erty; and said mortgage is duly re-
corded IN the Office OF the Register OF
Deeds of Lyon county, Kansas, in
DOCK ID OF mortgages, at page 46S; and
A a
said city OF Emporia and said Prossey
q Graves that il said foundry was run
until May %. 1915, said mortgage
should be cancelled; and
] WHEREAS, The present owners OF
l said property are, DESTROYS to make
new improvements thereon. and to
that end desire to mortgage the same,
I but cannot while said mortgage re-
mains cloud on said title:
! Therefore, We, the Gndersi gnel, be-
! Ing the present oyerSeers of said above
| described real estate, most respectfully
ask that your honorable body 20 direct
| the mayor and clerk to discharge said
| mortgage of record III iulI.
JOSEPH G. JONES.
! RICHARD HUGHES,
JoHN +. EVANS.
and recommended that the PRAYER al
! the petition be granted.
The report was received ana adopt
| ed.
Mr.. l4akin from the special commit
tee to examine tie clerks minutes
from the meeting held Dec. 81, 1874.
| down to date, reported in favor of ap.
proving the minutes with a single al
formation in minutes OF Jan, Is, 1879.
| The report was received and adopted.
Mr.. Hibben, from the special com
mittee in relation TO The investigation
of the eurbing, gutturing, paving and
macadamizing Commercial street,
made the following report:
| To the Mayor qad C0uRciiDte3 or the
| City Of Emporin.
1 Gentlemen Your committee. "a
whom was referred the matter OF an
| alleged OYeT-issue of bonds for the i'm
| provement of Commercial street and
Tor constructing sidewalks. have thor
! oughly Investigated the subject, and
1 find the following facts:
! In May, 1871, the city OF Emporil
contracted with Champlin Is Hughes,
| the lowest bidders, to do certain curb.
ing, guttering and paving, rs follows
3,iGl linear feet of curbing and
glltttrlng nj $l.75 per foor. :s5.531 ~
per foot 80. -. las 0a
l.TlG square feet oc paving .ti0
cts. per foot -..-,. GSG 4C
Amounting 20 ..-...... s6,3a6 Is
The city agreed to pay the prices
| above stated on or before Jan. i. 1872
railing to do SO by reason of the re-
sistance to the collection Of the tax
| levied for that purpose, the city settled
with Champlin 81 Hughes by issuing
to them the bonds of the city for the
balance due them, and at that time
uncollected. Up to the time OF issu-
/ ing the bonds, June %, 1872, they had
received from individuals liable for
the tax, and from taxes collected by
| county treasurer, 81 ,444.00, leaving due
them Sl,SS4UO, upon which SIG 90 in
terest was allowed, making 1900
The only discrepancy we can find is
one OF $l.S5 between the amount al
lowed them and the amonnt of the
contract as given above.
| AT the same time Il contract was
made with Joseph Brown for macada-
MIXING Commercial street from Third
| TO Seventh avenues.
| 1880 yards ut 81 ceLts per yard, So, 500 90
He was paid By individuals and from
taxes collected by county treasurer,
S4,39S. 80 principal and Sl5Ie interest.
| On the l5ta day of June, 1872, fhe
| city settled with him and found the
balance due him S2,lG7.l5 and S54.4S
| interest, total $2,22l G3. Bonds were
! issued to him for $4,000 and n warrant
| for $2l 65 was issued on the general
fund tor the balance. In the tax levy
| for all these street improvements MOTH
ing was allowed for interest or for
treasurer's commission on collection,
consequently the city at large bears
this eSL ense caused by the non-pav-
| ment OF a portion OF the taxes.
From an examination of the county
tax rolls for 1871 and 1872 it is imDos-
sible to tell the exact amount of each
OF these funds now delinquent, as diff
terent sums are credited without spec-
flying what fund it went TO. But the
whole amount now delinquent on both
funds, as appear by the tax rolls, is
$2,5S7.19. which amount deducted
from 81, O1l.15, the amount due ut the
time the bonds were issued, leaves ST.
1886, which has been collected and
used by the city since the bonds were
issued.
1t is clear from the records that the
amount oil tax levied Tor each Kind of
improvement was just sufficient to paw
for the work at the contract price, and
that the city at large would have been
put to no trouble oreXpense had it not
been for frivolous and vexatious suits
commenced for the purpose of delay
ing the collection of the taxes.
Your committee have not had time
to examine the records thoroughly in
regard 20 the sidewalizauntI, but are of
the opinion that the amount allowed
for walks at the corners of Ints not lie.
gally taxable to the lot will account
for the slight excess said to exist.
All of which is respectfully submit
ted. w. w. HIBBEN,
THOS. MORRISON,
Committee.
EsKRIDGE'S REPORT.
"a. ~