The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-01-06
FOR DISCUSSION.

ton. Those who favor the idea argue
that when a street is built by the
adjacent property owners, and ac-
cepted by the city, it should be kept
up by a general tax. They say that
that is the only way We can ever have
anything like decent streets in As
toria; they point to the way the
streets have been allowed to go, one
man fixing his part whenever he got
ready, and everything forever mixed
up, and claim that if ever we have
uniform system of streets in this city
it will not be by waiting on the whlms
or influence of any property-holder,
but by repairing the street IN any
part of the city with money
drawn from the general fund. They say
that while some of the streets IN the
business part of the city wear out
much faster than in other less used
parts, vet the whole city uses and gets
the benefit Of these streets, and that
it is unfair with our expensive system
of street repair to have the cost fall on
individual property owners, as under
thg~present system. They assert
that the experiment, if tried, will
prove so satisfactory that we would
never return to the present way OF do
ing, or not doing.
Men who oppose the proposed
amendment say that while it IS true
that owners of property in the busl'
ness part of the city pay large sums
to keep these streets in repair, yet
that they are the very ones that can
best afford it, because by reason Of
their property being so situated they
can charge high rents and realize
handsomely on their holdings. They
claim that it would be an injustice to
smaller property holders to tax their
back property to keep up those bust
ness streets, and that it would thus
place them at a financial disadvan-
tage. They argue that their property
is comparatively unproductive, and
to tax it in q general way for the
maintenance of the city streets would
be manifest injustice.
Probably were a popular vote to be
taken on the subject tomorrow the
majority would be against the pro-
posed amendment.
There is one thing that must not be
lost sight of in this discussion. To
our mind the matter of Indebtedness
lies at the bottom Of it all. If there
was no such thing as allowing sin
debtedness," real or alleged, there
would be little opposition to the
scheme. But so long as a man can
hand in an assessment blank and
make himself ten thousand dollars
worse off than nothing at all, SO long
there will be well grounded opposi-
ton to the scheme from those who
are out OF debt and who object 10
high taxes, made necessary by so
much indebtedness" A man who Is
able to dodge or evade the payment
of tax by reason of Indebtedness
doesn't care whether the tax levy is
FIVE mills or fifty; the man who owns
u little property but is unable to
claim indebtedness cares very strong.
ly, and wants to see the tax levy kept
down to the lowest possible mini
mum.
Right here, TO our way Of thinking
is the gist of the whole matter; if 4
man had to pay taxes on something
like the actual value of his property
regardless of how much he says
he is in debt, the idea o!
general taxation for the mainte,
nance of streets would meet with
more favor; but if A, who has 240,00(
worth Of property in the busi'
ness part of town is able to show that
he is in debt $4,000, B, who owns
$1,000 worth Of property, and who
isn't smart enough TO be ''in debt
naturally objects to paying for the
keeping up Of the street in front o.
AS property, especially if a is able
to evade the payment of any tax at all
Thus it appears that this silly ''in
debtedness" system is what really
stands in the way. Till that is re
moved we cannot expect the majority
of the citizens to look with favor OF
any such scheme as that proposed.
This allowing Indebtedness is al
incubus on the city's progress ant
prosperity. 1t offers a premium tC
inaction and keeps everything in al
unsatisfactory condition.
The Historian asserts as its belle
that if the property in this city wa
taxed fairly and justly, and no in
debtedness allowed, that a fve-mil
tax would run the city government
for 1889, and the streets could b.
kept up from a general fund will