, 1881-02-06
sTREET-LMPR0VEMENT TAXATION


| 1t is singular fact that bad, Objectionable,
or misciievous legislation can always secure
more active. earnest, and effective SUPPORT
ers in the Legislature than are found adyo.
eating measures intended to promote the
public interest," i few weeks ago we called
| attention to bill prepared in this city with
| 4 view to presentation to the Legislature, and
pointed out the ruinous effects upon this city
| in case 1t should be enacted. In THE Tn1D-
uSE's report OF the legislative proceedings Of
| Wednesday it appeared that the bill had pro-
Gressed so far in the Senate as to be ordered
| to third reading. Such a bill must have
had soma Industrious supporter in order to
have made such progress. This bill pro-
yides:
That when any city shall By ordinance provide
lot fnc Improvement Of any street by the filing
curbing, aud paving. or either or the1n, Of such
street, IN Il permanent manner by special u.s.
sessincnt or special taxation OF contiguous prog
erfy, or otherwise, it -nuy by tho same ordi-
natce provide that when the samo shall be I'M
proved in the ulunEer ind by the mems prt,-
scribei In the ordinance. to the satisfaction Of
the proper officer or department Of the city, it
sEali not thereafter DC filled. curbed, and paieu,
or either OF them rs the case may be, Dy means
OF special assessment or special taxu;ion.
The SECOND section rec1tes that the city may
By ordinance provide for such improvement.
"ln permanent manner" at the expense of
the owners OF adjoining property, and there
after 1t shall not be so improved BY special
assessment The third section is as follows:
No improvement shall be ordered by ylr,ne
OF 1h15 nct. unless the Same saull be OF :,
substsntial afad fernanent character: and when
any street shall be filled. curbed, and pnycd, or
either OF them. in accordance with atl ory1inncn
passed US aforesaid such street shall not there
after be TILED, curbed, or paved or either Of
eFfaf fn3
or by speciul taxation Ut contiguous proDerty.
DIE only by general taxation.
There are certain radical defects in this
bill, which we have already discussed. hut
to Which we must again call public attention.
and especially the attention of the members
OF the Legislature who represent this city.
what Is street improvement in "a per1na-
nent manner,'' and what Is ia permanent
Character: Is street paved with cobb1e-
stones, stone blocks, pine blocks, cedar
blocks, asphalt, or pine boards pared In 4
permanent manner, or is such i pavement
one Of "a 4 permanent character? All of
these parenents have been iii use in this
cltS, and have, when once tried, been aban-
doned, Is pavement, when declared by the
council to be of permanent character, act
ually permanent, no matter how soon it is
worn ou1 or abandoned? lTe began to pave
streets i'll Chicago III 1866, and none Of the
original pavcmcnts are now In Use. How
long must pavement last in order to !
De "permanent ''9 Is it five, ten, twell- |
y, or twenty-five years? 4 permanent |
pa'ement tor streets is one of the |
things not yet discovered; and even
IN London and Paris that question is dis
cussed just as it is here in Chicago. 4 pa1He.
'nent that might be Of permanent character
III one street would not last year on another
street. and what would suit one street would
be nuisance on other streets,
The bill proposes to exempt property once
laxed W special assessment for paving a
street with wooden blocks from ever being
axed thereafter for repaying that street in |
my manner. This is considered By the ad~
'ocates OF th5 scheme to be economical JUS
lce' Is II? 4 man pays special tax OF s3