The Monmouth inquirer., 1893-04-27

any such appropriation. At the June
meeting of the Board a petition was pre-
sented. from the Directors of the Lyceum
asking for a special election under an act
of the Legislature of 1890, providing that
a free library may be established and sup
ported by taxation, if approved by a ma
iority of the voters at such special elec-
ton, The sum authorized to be levied
and collected for the purpose named
would have added 33 cents per 81 200 to
the then present rate of taxation. In view
of the expenses already incurred and to
be incurred for necessary improvements
already in progress q majority OF the
Board did not deem it prudent to order
the election at that time, or until the
question was more thoroughly under
stood by the taxpayers OF the town. A
public library and free reading room has
come to be considered necessary ad-
iunct to every well regulated town that
desires to be recognized as abreast with
the progressive spirit of the age. Wheth-
er. in view of the expensive improve
ments inst made here, ana which are to
be regarded as vet in the experimental
stage, it would be prudent to undertake
this new enterprise is a question to be
carefully weighed The tax proposed to
be assessed is comparatively small one,
but every addition to the tax rate counts
at thisjuncture. If the enterprises now
in hand prove self-sustaining, as 1t is be-
lieved they willin the near future, the ap,,
preparation asked for could be voted and
paid without increasing the tax rate, and
the town be thus provided with very
desirable institution.
FREE POSTAL DELIVERY.
The Board would call attention to the
provision in the new ordinances for num-
bering the houses-in the town. 1t is esti-
mated that we shall soon have sufficient
population to entitle us to the free mail
delivery service, but it is necessary that
the houses shall be numbered prehmi-
nary to any application for it. The prop
er number for any house or place of busi-
ness may be ascertained upon application
to the Street Superintendent.
ORDINANCES
The Board during the year caused the
several ordinances passed from the or
ganization of the Town in 1869, to be re-
duced to code, embracing in its several
SSCLlOnS All TIE pTONlSlOLS VI bIl6 Orul-
nances then in force, and adding to the
same such provisions as were authorized
by an act Of the Legislature of 1891, en-
titled An Act enlarging and extending
the'powers sofincorporated towns governed
by boards of commissioners" reference to
which was made in our last annual re-
port.
These new provisions enlarge the pow
ers of the Board Of Commissioners in sew
eral particulars, but more especially it
gave the town the power through the
Board to provide for the opening of new
streets and to prescribe the conditions
upon which such streets might be opened.
The Board had more than once called at
tention to the practice of property owners,
of opening streets upon their own lands,
and after selling the lots to purchasers at
high prices as compared with the value of
the land for agricultural purposes, would
impose the entire burden of grading and
improving the street SO as to fit it for
public travel upon the taxpayers of the
town. This was an injustice, but hereto
fore the Board has been powerless to pre-
vent it. Hereafter owners of land within
the town limits who may wish to open
streets upon their lands, and to have
them recognized and treated as public
streets. must first obtain the consent of