Daily Texarkana Democrat. (Texarkana, Ark.) 1890-1894, 1892-07-20
SEWERAGE.

Mr. EDIroR:-At the last meeting
of the City Council of Tcxarkana,
Arkansas, an improvement district
was established for the purpose Of
constructing a system of sewerage.
The lines of the district can be as
certained by reference to the ordi-
nance published few days since.
The district includes all resident
property north of Broad street. up to
and including that in the neighbor-
hoods Of the Federal building, court
house and school house, also I'll bust
ness property Of Broad street and the
Iron Mountain and the National Cot
ton Oil Mills properties.
For municipal purposes an annual
tax cannot be levied exceeding five
mills. The entire amount of the city
revenue has heretofore been, and is
now being consumed, in the legiti-
mate expenses Of the city government
without making any substantial i'm
proyements,
Prior to making the water and
light contracts, the City Hall was
built and the fire department was
equipped, but since that time, owing
to the large amount required to pay
for fire protection and electric lights,
no Improvements have been made eX-
cept what were absolutely necessary
to make the streets passable. Since
the beginning of the present admins
tration, the light contract has been
amicably modified SO that the city
pays annually, for lights, 100000 less
than heretofore, and with this reduc-
ton and the present economical adj
ministration of the affairs Of the city
the floating debt of the city, amount
ing to about 100000, brought over
from the former administration, will
be gradually reduced and finally paid.
But this is all that may be expected
from the revenues of the city, and all
improvements Of q permanent and
substantial character, such as grading
and paving streets, and sewerage, will
have to be done by voluntary taxa
ton, as is done in Little Rock, Fort
Smith, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs and
Camden. UGH Improvements in these
and all other cities and towns in Ar
kansas, are made by establishing i'm
proyement districts and agreeing to
taxation for the purpose of making
the improvements.
The City Council has no right to
assess more than a five mills tax, and
whatever may be said Of our high
taxes, it is not the municipal tax that
makes the burden. The State, coun-
ty and school taxes each amount to
five mills, and certainly as great ben
eGtS are derived from taxes paid for
city purposes as any other, though all
the taxes now levied are necessary. |
believe an additional tax for sewerage
purposes, in the district mentioned, is
equally necessary as the taxes now
being levied and collected.
Sewerage has become a necessity,
and the risk too great for us to delay
further in preserving the health Of
our town.
1t is remarkable that TeXarkana has
not been afflicted with greater
amount of fatal sickness during this
summer. There is hardly street, al
ley or gutter in the district without
pools, of green, stagnant and offensive
water? Stagnant ponds Of water
stand under nearly every business
house on Broad street several months
in the year, and service pipes running
from private residences upon the
streets, are creating intolerablo nuis-
ances daily
Aside from the sanitary advantages
Of good system Of sewerage, the
real estate within the district would
be improved % per cent, and its rem
tai value greatly enhanced,
The proposed district needs sewer
age more than any other part Of Tex
arkana on either side Of the line, and
the people of the district are amply
able to bear the expense.
Other cities Of less size and wealth
and with far less prospects for future
development in Arkansas and Texas
have sewerage systems.
Private sewers, running into the
large gutter below the depot TO the
oil mills, have for years carried the
filth Of the town upon the property of
the oil mills, and owing to the nuis-
ance thereby created, growing worse
from time to time, unless something
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