The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-03-20
TERMS PER YEAR:
WEDNESDAY. MARCH 20
A Chance To Improve.

A Chance To Improve.
Among the most important and bene-
fetal acts passed by the legislature was
one empowering city councils, boards OF
town trustees and boards of public works
and affairs to order the construction of
public improvements, such as sewers,
sidewalks, street payements etc, upon
the petition of the owners of two-thirds of
the property. owned by residents, along
the line OF such proposed improvement,
the cost of the same TO be made lien
upon such property, and payable either in
one installment, or In ten annual install
ments, at the pleasure of the property
owners. The cities or towns are to issue
bonds bearing not to exceed per cent.
interest. the proceeds of which are to be
expended in defraying the cost OF such
improvements. These bonds are to be
redeemed out Of the assessments collected
from the property benefited, and are
made a lien upon such property TO the
extent of its assessment.
The SENTINEL very earnestly advocated
this measure, and believes that every town
and city in the state will be benefited by it.
The objection has been made that in so far
as it authorizes the issue of improvement
bonds by towns and cities whose indebted
ness exceeds the constitutional limit, it
is unconstitutional, but we do not believe
this objection is tenable. The new law is
certainly not in conflict with the spirit OF
the constitutional provision fixingthe limit
ILL.,.
only purpose of that provision is TO pre-
vent cities and towns as such from incur
ring obligations exceeding per cent. of
the assessed value of their taxables. This
law does not authorize or seek TO author
lie any increase OF municipal indebted
ness. We do not think it is open to any
constitutional objection, and we have no
doubt the courts viii uphold it.
Laws OF this character exist in several
Eouthern and western states, and have
proved very popular and very beneficial
wherever they have been tried. There
ere thousands and tens of thousands of
property-owners in Indiana who would
gladly make improvements for the benefit
OF themselves, their families and the COM
nunity in general, If they could see their
vav clear to meet the cost thereof To
the average citizen 500 or $50 is large
sum, and if he is compelled to pay it out Gin
p lump" it is more or less of a hardship.
But give him the opportunity to get a sewer,
q sidewalk, or a street pavement on the
"easy payment" plan-cut up the 500 or
Sl5O such improvement will cost into ten
annual payments-and IN nineteen cases
out of twenty be will gladly avail himself
of IT. He can manage to pay for such i'm
provements without any serious incon-
venience, and he has the satisfaction OF
knowing that he and his family get the
immediate enjoyment OF them, and his
property the immediate benefit
We call the attention of the property
owners of Indianapolis, and of all the live
cities and towns in the state, to this new
law. It's provisions should be generally
taken advantage OF. Many miles of streets
and sidewalks and sewers should be con-
structed in this city during the next two
or three years. There is no city in the
country OF half the size or pretensions of
Indianapolis so wretchedly paved and
severed, as we have frequently remarked
If we had good streets, good sewers and
good sidewalks, life in indianapolis would
be a good deal more enjoyable than it is
and the growth of the city a good deal
more rapid. Nobody need be frightened
by the debt bugaboo. No great city was
ever built on spot cash" Chicago, Kan
sss City, Minneapolis, st. Paul, Omaha,
Denver and other thriving cities were
built up by men who were not afraid of
going in debt when it was clearly TO their
advantage to do so.
Muneie, Anderson, Marion, Kokomo
and other natural gas towns, whose rapid
growth more than keeps pace with the abil-
tdty Of their people, under the existing law,
20 make needed Improvements, viii find in
Fhe new law just the thing they need to
make their towns attractive TO capital and
shome-seekers. Such cities as Fort Wayne,
Evansville. Terre Haute, Lafayette, To-
gansport, Richmond, New Albany, Madi-
son, Jacksonville, South Bend and La
porte viii also be greatly benefited by
this measure. II will give a stimulus to
improvements all over the state, and
within FIVE years, under It's operations,
every important town in Indiana should
have good streets, good sidewalks and
good sewers.
The HypocriticaI Senate.
The papafa tariR hill "a ,ooSead h. a.