The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-05-18
WHOLE NO. 2OS

The Shaw assoc American, pull
lished at Corunna, by one Owen, {
former resident of this city, in the
issue Of last Friday contains letter
written, it is presumed, by vel
known citizen Of Owosso, under the
signature Of "W," from which we ex
tract the following detachable q,
squib
On Monday evening the old went
out and the new came in. Mayor
Mccormick and the newly elected
Aldermen took their places, and with
the Councilmen who hold over, or
ganized for business. The Mayors
inaugural is in print and reads fairly.
In round numbers, the city paid S2S,-
900 in taxes and percentage on col
lection in the year ending May /,
and this was poor year for taxes
too, as no school bonds had matured.
Thus 1t cost US ten dollars head for
every man, woman, child and baby
within the corporation to run this
"beau.iful little city" one year.
The Mayor recommends improve
ments which will cost ten thousand
dollars and our funds in aid OF the
railroad will foot up ten thousand
more wherefore, in the year TO come
we stand chance of having to raise
by tax near fifty thousand dollars
or about twenty dollars piece. Ho
we farmers and strangers, rush into
Owossoand help us pay our "beauti-
full little" taxes
Just what "went out" and what
"came in" the writer does not deign
to tell US, but we presume he
meant that the annual change in the
city government took place at that
time ; but for the statement of that
fact he did not choose very felicitous
language.
Yes it is fact that 1.-THE MAYORS
inaugural is in print and reads fair.
ly." 1t is, also, fact that the May
or'S inaugural is an exceedingly able
review of the condition, the wants
and the necessities Of our city, and
we venture to affirm has noL been
excelled IN either particular by the
inaugural of any OF his predecessors.
The statement that the tax col.
lected in this city for 1882, aggre-
gated $4,000 is wide Of the mark
several thousand dollars in any way
it may be computed and if the special
taxes are excluded from the compu.
tation as they should be, as they are
assessed on persons in payment for
improvements 70 their individual
property, then the tax would not
exceed $4,000 instead of $4,000
as estimated by the writer of the arti.
Gle in question, and this included, as
he well knew, about $4,000 for per.
manent additions to our manufac,
turing industries.
The Mayors recommendations are
also, for Improvements OF perma-
nent character and mostly to be paid
for by the property benefited, and
there is no warrant for his cstimat-
ing that they will cost $40, 600.
That was pure Imagination. As to
the railroad question, we think eight
tenths of the tax payers of the city
are only afraid they may not have a
chance to contribute 10 an enterprise
that would be of such untold value
to our city. But ii we should pay for
that the estimated $4,000, it would
be only little more than was put into
permanent Improvements last year
with general tax of about $4,000
and there would not seem to be any
reason why that amount ahould be
increased this year one cent. Again
the estimated tax last year of $50 q
head for every man, woman, child
and baby in the city, was all the
simplest kind of bosh. Our taxes
were about SIo,ooo-our population
not less than 5000, and probably
fully 1900. Besides we did MOI
know before that babies were as
sessed per capita, and think nov
that hone save those of the writer 0
the article, were SO taxed.
More than all, The TINES is very
certain that the taxation in Owosso
hoe haa, for ta, xaorc poct and nil