Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-11-01
AGAINST II.
CITIZEN OF FRANKLIN BOROUGH
GIVES HIS VIEWS.
Not Yet Ready for Consolidation-Taxes
would be Too High-Rents Wonld be
Increased and Only certain Parts of the
City Benefited.

Increased anu OulJ Nfoieh'h 80 - ~ N'A'
City Benefited.
franklin BoRoUGH, Oct, %, 1889.
10 ne Kdftor or me Johnstotcn Democrat.
SIR = AS you purpose giving the con-
solidation question a fair aud impartial
hearing, will take the liberty of saying
something on the subject.
think the time for consolidation, so
far as our town is concerned, has not yet
arrived. We are composed largely OF
the laboring class, and many of our citi-
izens have purchased homes and are grad
ual!y improving them, and the expense
of city government would opperate dis
astrously with them.
The Act of the Esd of May, 1885, gives
the corporate powers of Il city authority
to levy annually, a tax for general rev.
enue purposes, not exceeding ten mills
on the dollar of assessed valuation of the
taxable property, tax of ten mills for
the payments of interest on bonds, tax
of three mills as sinking fund for the
payment of bonds, and poll tax of one
dollar upon every male citizen in the
city, and in addition, a separate tax on
the taxables of each borough, incorpor-
ated, to pay its present Indebtedness.
Also to levy and collect annually, for
general revenue purposes, license tax,
as high as one hundred dollars upon all
auctionesrs, contractors, druggists, mer-
chants of all kinds, persons selling or
leasing goods upon installments, 9rocers'
confectioners, butchers, restaurants,
drays, hacks, carriages, omniSusses, carts,
wagons, street railway cars and other
vehicles used for hire or pay, lumber
dealers, furniture dealers, saddle or
harnesses dealers, staioners, jewellers,
livery or boarding stable keepers,
real estate agents, insurance agents,
market house companies, telegraph, tele-
phone, steam heating, gas, natural gas,
water, electric light or water companies,
ETC., and may also compel the grading,
paving, or macadamizing and curbing OF
streets, lanes and alleys by persons own
ing property bordering or abutting there
on. Taking into consideration the con-
dition of many of the boroughs to vote
upon the question, we must presume
taxes and licenses will be assessed at the
maximum rates, and business men will
raise their prices accordingly. Council
shall prescribe the number, duties and
| com pensation of officers, and therefore
we may expect large force of
officers and high salaries. All rev.
enue and taxes must be paid into
the city treasury, and will be ex-
pended in the city as directed by the city
authorities for such purposes and in such
localities as they may deem proper, aud
as we will be only suburb, we cannot
expect one fourth of the revenue paid by
us to be expended within our present bor-
ough limits, for the next fifteen years ut
| least.
see in the columns of the DEMOCRAT,
the views of ths prominent gentlemen
upon consolidation, but fail to find in
those views one convincing argument in
favor of such measure.
He alleges that in case of city charter
a railroad may pass through Johnstown
at some future time.
A great railroad now passes through
the territory proposed to be consolidated
and do not see any prospects of another
road passing through, at least, for long
time hence.
He says, most emphaticallly, that if
there had been consolidation of the
several boroughs, the terrible calamity of
the 31st of May would not have occurred.
I cannot conceive how a city charter
would on that fatal day have closed the
windows Of Heaven or prevented the
breaking up of the fountains of the
great deep-South Fork dam-as num-
Der of cities have, during the present
year suffered very severely from foods
and fires.
He speaks of eleven punny little boroughs
although can count only ten-that
with our borough organizations it re-
quires dynamite, wolf or dog to move
us, but that with city organization, our
city would respond to every public need
like we'll balanced piece Of machinery,
If city organization is accomplished,
will not the same persons now residing in
the several boroughs become citizens OF
the city ? And if they are incompetent
to govern borough, will they be com
tpetent to govern city?
He alrudes to well paved streets, clean
sidewalks and fine buildings.
No doubt there will be well paved
streets, clean sidewalks and fine build.
ings in some parts of the city, but we
must remember all cities have likewise
a skeleton in the closet they have their
five points, old breweries, and purlieus
of squalid poverty, vice, immortality and
general wretchedness.
tie alleges the richest borough will be
richer.
That may be so, but may not The
-ooya,4 o,a kaoouo noOrorg A