Telegram-herald., 1890-10-22
WANTED-A VILLAGE
Call or Write 70 Messrs. Carroll,
Fistchsr. HOsf0rds st Al.
10 HElD OF TIE LEGISLATURE
A L8tsis G2as so~ ssinE skaifaiiy
wsrksa 80 Prevent ths A9nsx&tt0s
OF = F0refaa of GF.ad ksPicis
sR.eioas sabuKbs.

A nice littls scheme Is being worked
On the stlll hunt plan, IN the eastern
suburb OF the city. The scheme l. 70
prevent this thiekly-settled aud very
pOpulo0s district from being tAken into
the city. as : proposed AZ the next leg
IslAture). To accomplish this end prime
movers are making canvas OF the dls-
trlct and stirring up sentiment in favor
of Incorporating Il asa village.
The head pushers in the movement
are Frank Carroll. Of the Boulevard
road house, Edgar A. Fletcher, +. A.
Ford. Fled IL. Hosford, W. ". Thomas
and J. IL. Terrell. They are said 10 be
actusted by various motives, and para
mount among these Is the one of self
interest. The war cry of the combinA-
ton is Taxation" They claim that
# they are taken into the city that they
Will be taxed AT rulnous rates. for city
improvements and especially for school
taxes and appropriations for various
public works. In order TO evade this
great bugaboo, they must organize as an
independent village corporation and
have their own fire department, water
supply and sewer system. AS village
II Is claimed that no police protection
will be needed.
The agitators claim that all this can
be done mucn cheaper as village than
as Il part Of the city, but do not clearly
demonstrate just how. The great ma
lOrity of the residents of the COM
munity are ready and anxious to be
taken into the city. and defend their
position with good logic. They COM
pare the city tax with what they them
selves are now paying, and contrast the
privileges and cOnvenIences enjoyed by
the city and their own distinct, aud
maintain that they will be able to get
their necessary public Improvements
through the city much cheaper than
they can Independently. The ex-
penence Of the city Board
that cannot be purchased or picked up
IN day by raw recruits, and will be OF
great value TO them; the city engineer
would plan and superintend their pub
lie works, laying of water mains and
sewers, ana the grading, grsvellug, etc,
of streets, and instead of paying for
such services entirely out of their own
pockets they would only have TO pay a
small fraction of it if they were a part
of the city. In the city they would
have all privileges of high school edu-
cation, without having school tax as
large as they are now paying.
Those who have looked the matter
up very carefully, find that the school
tax IN East Grand Rapids is 1927,
while IN the city il is but $40 on the
same amount of assessed property.
IKE total tax in the eastern suburb is
Al per cent, and If any extensive pub
lie Improvements were put in and fire
and police protection obtained, they
would be much higher. The TELE-
GRAM-HERALD learned that there are
some residents of that district, who
think they can see the purpose
of the agitatOrs. They say that Mr..
Carroll Is afraid that the city authOri-
ties might view his place of business
with a critics eye, nor pass its lmper-
fectiOns by" and at the same time cur
tail the hours and the profits of his
business; that Mr.. Fletcher, who they
all highly respect, might not have the
lucrative position OF superintendent of
the district schools that be now has
should tney become q part of the city
system, and that the other gentlemen
are actuated by political aspirations.
prefeTring to bc large tOads IN small
puddle, rather than mere pollywogs IN
the municipality of Grand Rapids.
The people who live IN the country
toward the lake. and who would have
the best reason Tor complaining should
the city take them IN, are almost
unanimous in desiring 10 become q
part of It. They want the city ex-
tended IN strip half a mile or more
in width clear To the lake, so that the
council can nave at least one park that
will be worthy of improvement.