Daily Republican., 1884-04-29
Caty Improvements and the Taxes

The total assessed valuation of property
for city taxable purposes reaches about
twenty eight million of dollars. Upon
this amount must be realized a sutfi-
cient sum of money to carry on the city
for the coming fiscal year commencing
the first of June This total amount Is
about two million greater than the for
nner assessment, and at the present tax
rate, one dollar and fifty cents on the
hundred dollars will raise considerably
more money than the city has usually
had.
With this increased valuation, how
ever with the present tax rate would
come an increase of taxes on some de
scriptions of property. 1t is believed
that there has been no general increase
in the valuation of houses belonging TO
the middle and working classes which
if correct would indicate no increase of
taxes for those least able to pay For
many years past, some of our large
manufacturing corporations have not
been taxed in the same proportion
with property belonging to the working
classes.
This arose, in one sense, from the
great difficulty in arriving at proper
basis of valuation for large manufactur.
ing concerns, and in another sense
there was very properly a disposition tc
shield from onerous taxes corporations
that gave employment to large mum
bers of workmen and developed thu
manufacturing industries of our city
The present assessment has been gen
eral leveling up and leveling down pro
cess to arrive at a medium basis of cal
Culation. Some property holders WI
no doubt have a larger tax to pay mex
year, some about the same as the pres
ent year and some less.
If the present tax rate of one dolla
and fifty cents on the one hundred dol
lars is retained, the city will hav
something like twenty-one thousan
dollars additional taxes with which t
meet the current expenses Of tn
city and with which 10 make othe
new and needed improvements. Th
city is in "A condition now to branc
out into making new Improvement
Old contracts generally have been fiji
ished and old debts have been paid OF
Whatever taxes are raised now wi
not be paid away for what are termt
{" dead horses butlor real new live il
provementS
The main question then is, what in
provements are most needed to beAe
our city? The general answer to III
question we believe will be, imprO'
the streets. We are not surprised th
this should be the answer. We ha'
an abundance Of good water, and th
too without IL Water COmmiSsio
thank fortune, and our light, whiC
might be improved, is reasonably goo
On the contrary many Of our stree
are in bad condition. Two or thr,
hundred Thousand dollars could be e
pended upon our streets to GOO" a
vantage, and still there woald
streets left that needed improvement
There is nothing that conduces mo
to real tangible comfort outside of o.
homes than good streets, and there
nothing that bpautfeS our city al
makes it desirable as a place OF re-
dence and business more than go'
streets. II uIlst not be forgotten, hoy
ever, that they are a very costly luxur
A square yard of, even cobble sto
paveAent costs nearly dollar, viii
q square yard of Belgian block pay
Y1ents will cost about double tn
amount. Those who are apt in fgur
can easily calculate how much it W
cost to pave street, from the tiguE
we have given.
We are Of the opinion that it won
be wise to keep up :he present tax ri
1t is true that it might fall a little hea
lily upon some tax payers who are le;
able to pay, but if we want impro,
ments we must make up our minds
pay for them. 1t must not be expect
either that because we pay our ta>
that the particular street upon whi
we live will be opened, graded, curb
and guttered right away. 1t wor
take millions to do that. We mi
have patience and abide our time, viii
will come by and by.
Now, then, whatever rate Of tax
agreed upon, let there be Il general
Guiescence in it. Nobody will hav'
very gricvous burthen to bear, and ev
if taxes should be "A little high at
old tax rate, we can console onrScl'
with the idea that he money will
economically expended, and that
improvement can be made in any p;
of the city that will not, in n greater
less degree, benefit our part.
THE establishment Of a glass man
in, l,