The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-10-24
The HarbOr Commission.


NorE.-whcn the following article was rrcrar
ed we were under the impression that the matter
Under discussion was to come UP and be dl>r'sct
OF bs the council at a session of that body to bt
held this. Saturday evening, whereas the mattel
was heard at a .rec,dl meeting called for the pur
,esc last evrnin, tThursiayl, Mt which time the
1iarbor Improvement Commission WAS slnugIt
cred rs We had predicted it would be. The arti
r!c however. is still pertinent. US it points oa'
some of the G.liccs advance by its opponents and
shows that the council voted against the proposed
improvements and therefore against the law
Itself, not SO much because the law was
defective as to prevent such improvements be
ing made. They say leave this matter of harbol
Improvement to be done by the city council II
it is left to the council no business man living Il,
the city to day will ever see stroke done on the
Eas; Fad bay front.
For first class prevaricator give us
the editor of the Evening Telegram
This assertion is best proven by copy
ing his own words as given to the pub
lie i'll his leading editorial last Tuesday
evening. We quote as follows:
The advocate of the present harbor commission
rapidly reaching ajlit where tNtS Will ell
cotIftcr considerable autagDnisin.
Just AZ soon AZ the slightest question Is made
H. tn the rc;isonableneSs rcnnstifioEaliiy OF any
of the principal features of the bill a few people
arise i'll their wrath, and cry Ill loud voice
against sectional prejudice.
TT Is an effort TO kill the East End" They
want MS 10 get nothing aud 50 on al iiarISealn.
To illustrate the point, what right md Nj. {. l.,
catn last Saturday, on ia. street in Suparior, In
accuse Mr.. John l.. Lewis Of base and sectional
motives in his position in the matter? Mr. y. 5
Mr. OF he IL n n nd
unparalleled citizens of superior have been treat
II in the same way. 1t would be vel for MIR.
Catln and his friends To study politeueSs triite
and PURSUE policy more aiteg the n,asseS Than
the vinegar style. Mr. James Bar,ipn or Mr. Hen
~ s. Bller could either of them give Mr.. Catln
points in this matter.
Asa matter of fact now, this har5or commission
j, objectionable from many standp'nts.
In the first place there is n very grave question
To its collStturiOnality il inVaiidat. the whole
city an county tax.
i il too arbitrary. for the reason that there is
Practically no ap. e u. To De SIRE tax aver may
appeal t. the county judge, but the county Jldg'
appointed the commission in the first place. so
that is really no appeal at hll.
Again, do taxpayers know that this tax is elf
terent from ordinary taxes If you own piece
If harbor front and do not have the InoIey 10 ply
lac tax. under the bill. the arbitrary harh1r CON
mission may file judi .ncnt against You in the
county cpIrt for the amount of Your tax, and
then you cannot sell amy SIEGE of property you
have anywhere in the city without Iaying the
Judgment This harbor commission ca.i treat
Your horses and wds )ns for il il they So desire.
Who ever read or heard of such a
silly lot of trash, to say nothing of the
falsehood contained in it, emInatlng
from the sanctum of daily paper be
fores We might, out of charity, think
the fellow had softcning of the brain
were it not SO apparent that he is not
evne possessed of that quality. Who is
this great mogul that he should quest
ON Mr.. Catlin's right to express his
opinion Of John l.. Lewis, or who. pray
is this John l.. Lewis that another
citizen of the town may not alldde to
him except by permission: Mr.. Catlin
is well acquainted with Mr.. Lewis and
40 doubt speaks advisedly when he ac
cuseS him of base and sectional mo-
tives" in his opposition to the matter
of harbor improvement under discuss
ION. This hireling of the land company
takes Mr.. Catlin To task for his lack
of politeness, yet Mr.. Catlln could give
this penny liner lessons in polite
ness every hour in the day, and then
not feel weary.
Then this corporation editor goes on
10 say that there is very grave
doubt as to the conStitutionality" of
the law creating this harbor commiSs-
ion. AS a matter of fact no one raises
this point at all except the editor of
the Telegram and his bosses. Good
and competent lawyers have examined
the bill and pronounce it all right and
III full compliance with the constitu-
ton. So much for that.
Then he goes on to say that there is
no appeal for the property owner, ex-
cept it be to the county Judge, and
inasmuch the county Judge created
the commission. this would virtually
amount to no appeal at all. That is to
say, in substance not the county judge
is a rascal, and the tax-paying citizen
could have justice done him by that
court and that it would be folly for HIM
to try it. This is another deliberate
classifying of the records. The property
owner can first make complaint before
the board of commissioners, not gett-
ing satisfaction here, he can go before
the council. failing here, he can then
go to all the courts with the benefit of
Judges and Juries, as provided i'll sec,
tion IL Of the act which contains this
clause:
Either the Commissioners or the party az
slIerei HAY appeal 10 the circuit court OF Doug
as county iiom the decision oil >aid jury. takiIIg
>uch appeal III the same manner with the same
notice and affidavit is an appeal Is III ken from
judgment OF Justice OF the peace, but said appeal
shah be brought To Trial III the circuit count Tor
Douglas county and tried therein tie same as any
appeal cases from justices the peace as aforc-
said. anG shall thereafter be deemed an action
pending III said circuit court subject TO all the
lu.cS oi practice AMI 10 all the rights OF appeal
the supreme court us shall IaeT.st!n to Actions
n the circuit court the costs and cAp> n>c> TO
follow the tnti discrimination OF said appeal.
Then he goes on in his attempt to
create a prejudice against the law, by
saying that Il man having property
taxed for any such Improvement is
liable to have his horse or his COW sold
1T public auction to satisfy the de
mands Of the law Now in this respect
the law is exactly the same as il has al
ways been in this state for the col
lection of taxes all over the state
Section 20 of the law, which everyone
interested should read, provides as fol
lows
SECTION ~. II shall be tine duty Of the city
treasurer. at the usual tiWJ and in the usual
manner, n provided by the general laws for the
collection OF county and Cry taxes. 10 collect the
harhor taxes aud al the usual time rs provided
by the general laHs for the collection of city tax
-. and shall return the same i'll the same way Ia
the treasurer Of the harbor commission, akirg
receipts therefor. which receipts or the ,iupli
Gates thereof shall be filed with the clsy clerk
a,nong the papers pertaining II the harhor com
miSsinncr>. and che city treasurer Shall return
IL the same way and nj the same time - the
county treasurer II certified list of all GeiinQueu
lands upon which the tax or any installuicIit oy
any part thereof assessed for the purpose herrif
mentioned remain unpaid To the county treas
urer of Douglas county on or before the day fiNet
by law for the returning of the list uf delinuuem