The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-03-03


Findlay. This one hundred miles would
all be included in a radius or ten miles,
Findlay being the nucleus or point
from which all would radiate.
Under this proposed measure, it makes
no difference whether a man owns prop
erty along the lines of these improved
roads or remote from it, his tax to build
the roads is all the same. If the prop
erty of A, lying along one of these I'M
proved roads is enhanced in value by
building the road, b., who owns prop.
erty remote from it, is to be taxed the
same as A in thus enhancing the value
OF AS property. In other words, all are
to be taxed alike for the special benefit of
afew. These improved roads, ifa benefit
to any, are not equally beneficial to all;
and the burden of building them should.
in large measure, be cast upon those
who are most benefited by their con-
struction. No proposition like this to
improve the roads has ever been made
in any county in the State.
In Hardin county special assessment
was made upon the lands along the line
of the road. The proposition here is to
levy a tax upon all the property of the
county alike, without any regard to the
advantages which those on the line of
the road may have over those living re-
mote from it. For the reasons above
suggested, 1 consider the proposition
grossly unreasonable.
A small error you make in giving the
the taxable property of Findlay town.
ship. You put it in round numbers, at
50, ,5OO,OOO The Auditors books show
81, rs, ,2S4. The error here is of such
magnitude that all conclusions based
upon your assumption are too wide of
the mark to require from Inc any further
notice.
You say, twill Mr.. Brown step to the
front with some plan that will be ac-
ceptable to the people," When l have
some aggressive measure to propose, |
will step to the front and present it i'm
such a way as to me, may seem advis-
able have never intimated that had
such a measure, and why l am called
upon to present one, is more than l can
comprehend. L am simply exposing
what consider the sophism of some of
our citizens. am finding fault with no
one. The opinion of every one is
sacredly respected by me. My mo-
tives and my arguments, in this contro-
versy, submit to the candid considera-
ton of those who may consider them
worthy of a moments attention. You,
and those who labor with you, are the
assumed champions of''the best interests
of our county" and am 1.-The dog in
the manger." This is your logic, not
mine. Inow leave you with your logic,
and propose to pay moments attention
to a communication in your paper
signed G. w. p.
This writer, l have no doubt is an
honest man and good citizen, but like,
at least one other, he has made state
ments, which, from a careful considera-
ton of my first article, he ought to know
are incorrect. 1t is wasting time to re-
plv to such statements as he makes. In
my first article, (the one to which it re-
fers), divided the advocates of this ag-
gressive policy into two classes, first, those
who favored it because they believed it
right in principle; second, those who
favored it from sell !finterest
No man OF good common sense can
fail to see the clear distinction which l
drew between these classes. Mr.. G. W.
p. ought to be ashamed to stultify him
self in the way he has done in referring
to my article. Fair, honest criticism is
commendable, but every attempt to
falsify the position of an adversary, for
the purpose of making point against
him, is contemplate. 1 am asked i'm
the same communication what my mo-
tive is in opposing such a tax. My
answer is that all intelligent beings are
in their action by motive; the
superior, where others conflict, deter
mines our course of action. / am not
opposed to improvements of any kind.
am in favor of every Improvement; but
of every kind is governed by
rules of equity, and l am not in favor
OF policy, which may be profitable
to few at the expenses of many. /
am tired of being misrepresented in
this matter; and 1 certainly wish that
some one would take up and defend
this aggressive measureupon some other
principle.
There is one statement, which l came
near overlooking, to which desire now
to call attention-the statement that
within five years a small tax, which
would hardly be felt by the tax payers,
upon Findlay township, would mdcada-
nize oil the leading roads in it. We
have of such roads, not mcadamized,
about twenty-five miles. Tomacadamize,
hem, would cost sixty-six thousand
dollars. Two mills on the dollar would
make three thousand five hundred and
ifty dollars. This would macadamize
,bout one and one-fifth mile each year,
md in about eighteen and half years
would complete TIE twenty-five miles.
At the end of this period of time, it is
thought that other townships would be-
come SO enamored with our speculation
hat they would make similar invest
nents on their own account. If these
in FindIay township are
made within five years, it will require an
annual levy for tina. purpose of IA mills,
and a total of 81 mills. Upon every val
uation of $4,000, this tax would be
1870. You will see that have estimat-
I'd the cost of these improvements at |
s., 900 per mile. Some of our best and
most practical men inform me that they
cannot be built for that sum.
l am charged with endeavoring to
stimulate a feeling of hostility between
the people of the country and Findlay.
[ sincerely regret that such charge
should have been made. The burden
Of my shortcomings is enough, without
having one of this magnitude superadd-
ID to them. E. BRoWN