The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-11
AID. o,BRIEN's STREET TAX.
Some people Favor It and Some
Do Not.

]
Alderman O'Brien's ordinance TO compel
all male residents of the city between q and
60 years Of age to pay a street tax of 50 per
year caused considerable talk yes erday.
The probability is that the ordinance will
become law. as the aldermen generally
seem to favor it. The comments on tue
! street were both favorable a. d uufavorable
| TIE majority, of course, is opposed
/ It would be difficult Of collection, that the
parties aimed at would escape ths tax, and
that it would only be another burden upon
the present Taxpayers
Several Of the aldermen were seen by
MoRSING NEWS reporter with regard to
the proposed tax.
Are you not risking your POLITICAL fut-
ureW Alderman O'Brien was ,ked.
MY political future has nothing TO do
With it," be replied. II am looking after
the interests Of the city. l think we can
get from $4,000 70 S25, 900 for the streets
and roads chiefly from parties who now
pay nothing. There are hundreds OF men
in this city who never pay any tax of any
kind. and l think it proper they should
pay something for the clty's support. There
are hundreds Of clerks, railway employees
and wharf hands who own no property ani
pay no taxes.
THE improvement of the streets is one of
the city's heaviess burdens, which falls en-
tirely upon the taxpayers. The taxes can
not be any less until the work of street inn
provement is finished This Buln would be
great help and would tend to lessen the
tax rate. Most OF the cities and towns in
this state have street tax ordinances, and
there II no reason why we should not have
such a law here"
Mayor McDonough said street tax would
turn large additional re senue into the
treasury for the benefit Of street improves
ments. Such ordinances are enforced in
other cities, and he does not see shy it
should not be enforced here.
City Marshal r. J. Wade, who WAS In the
mayors Office said he hoped il the law was
passed that special officers would be ap-
pointed tn collect IL.
sit would take about ten deputies to COL
lect that tax" SAID Marshal Wade land it
would keep them hustling all the time to do
1t. There are about 5000 polls in the city
between the ages specified. About one
would go to jail aud the other third would
never be caught. The result would be that
the city would get about IS, COO and it would
cost about 81, 500 to collect it.n
Marshal Wade may not be far wrong.
Most people are constitutonally opposed TO
paying tax they can avoid, and this tax
| would prove a hard one to collect. The
AoSO 10 tDo tdA uh5 proven BeueEdlly ODJeC-
tlonable wherever it is IN force
Aldermen Cam and Carson favor the
| ordinance. Alderman Cam prepared the
act passed by the last general assembly
giving the city the right to levy such a tax
as is proposed by Alderman O'Brien.
He said, however, that he supposed, like
all other taxes, 1t would fall upon the prop
erty holders, and that most OF the non
property holders would avoid it,
The highest registration ever recorded
for the city is about 1900 If a tax OF 90
would be collected from each voter the CITY
would receive between $1,000 and 6, OO0.
As under the law voters who have not paid
all their taxes cannot register the amount
collected annually would be about In this
neighborhood.