The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-19
WHAT WILL IT DO
COUNCIL WANTS TO REFUND SEWER
AND PAVING BONDS.
They Want to Know what the People
Passed and Became a Law-Large sum
of Sewer and Paving Bonds will Come
Due in Next Five Years-Can be Re-
funded and Reduce Taxation for the
Presnt Forty Thousand a Year-What
Some Taxpayers Saw.

Presnt Forty thousand a Year-what
Some Taxpayers Say.
Members Of the city council are dis
cussiEg the matter of refunding the
city's special Indebtedness and they
are anxious to get an expression from
thetaXpayers interested in regard TO il.
Councilman McLain said last night:
THE city has a debt of s300,0 900 that
will have to be paid in the next five
years.
This debt is called special for the
reason that it is not collected from the
city at large but from certain sections.
The debt is for the sewers and paving.
The paving and sewers will be here
+. for years to come and il does not seem
fair that the people at this time should
Cypress themselves to pay il.
If this Indebtedness is refunded and
the payment spread out over a period
of twenty years instead of being all
paid in the next five years it will make
q difference of about $40, 900 in the am
cunt of yearly taxes to be paid.
Under the present financial condi
tons of the country it seems to me that
the proper thing to do is to refund this
special Indebtedness. But of course the
tax payers ought to be consulted in re-
gard to it.
George Douglass prepared a bill and
1t was passed by the legislature at its
last session and If you would see him
he could explain just what the law is.
A reporter for the Eagle called at Mr..
Douglass Office and he said: Yes,
prepared a bill and Senator O'Brien
and our representatives got it through
| believe Otto Eckstein had charge of
the bill in the house
Something could have been done be-
fore this so that the people could now
be getting the benefit of the law. The
following is the bill as it passed and
was signed by the governor:
BE it enacted by the Legislature of
the State of Kansas:
section l. The mayor and city coun-
ell of any city of the first class, having
not less than twenty thousand popula-
ton, having at the date of this act an
outstanding bonded Indebtedness for
sewers or street pavements, may, by a
three-fourths vote of the city council
provide for the gradual extinction of
such Indebtedness by issuing refund
ing bonds payable in annual install
ments Of equal amounts, none of which
bonds shall run longer than twenty
years nor bear more than six per cent
interest per annum. Such bonds shall
he Of such denominations as the mayor
and council shall deem proper; and the
Credit OF the city shall be pledged for
their payment. The mayor and council
shall levy special assessments each
tyear against the specific property now
{chargable by law for such Indebtedness
computing the same as provided by eX-
isting law, except that payment shall
be extended over the period of time
which the said bonds shall run. Such
interest, not exceeding eight per cent
per annum, shall be added to such as
sesSments as may be necessary to meet
haf e-l,s.
assessed aginst each piece of property
but no property shall be assessed for
any taxes already paid. The funds
raised ~ such assessments shall be ap-
piled howard the redemption of said
bonds and toward reimbursing the city
when said bonds, or any part Of there
of, are redeemed from general taxes
For such part of said Indebtedness a is
payable out of the general improve
ment fund of the city, the mayor and
council may also issue bonds. of the
same tenor and effect, and under the
same restrictions as those hereinbefore
mentioned, and such bonds and the in
terest thereon shall be paid by the levy
OF a general tax on all property in the
city.
Sec. ,. The mayor and council may,
also, if they deem it proper. cause the
special tax for sewers and pavements
for the year 1894, so as to charge
against tdcI piece OF property only so
re4Ich for the said year 1894 as would be
properly charged against it under the
provisions of section of this act the
same as If no assessment had previous
ly been made; and when any assess |
ment for such special tax for 1894 has |
already been paid the amount so paid |
IN excess Of the amount Of the re-as- |
sessment shall be duly credited as an |
advance payment upon like special as |
SPSSmPnrS inc
The city council may provide for any |
expense necessary to be incurred by |
the city assessor, county clerk. or coun-
ty treasurer, on account of such re-as- |
sessment.
Sec. 3. If the immediate refunding Of |
any portion of the said outstanding in /
debtedneSS shall be impracticable, by |
reason of the unwillingness of the hold
ers of the existing special improve
ment bonds issued under this act. the |
mayor and council may sell such por-
ton Of the bonds authorized by this |
act, from time TO time, as may be neces-
sary to take up the bonds now out
standing as they fall due: but in no !
case shall such new bonds run for more
than twenty years from July 1895.
People who buy bonds usually want |
long time bonds. The members of the
council know this. and they propose TO
issue the bonds as provided by the law
lpl a ptIlpu OF lNeHly years.
Then they think contract like that
made by the county in which it could
call in any bond after n certain date |
would be a good thing, and obviate the I
necessity of a sinking fund.
A reporter for the Eagle started out
yesterday TO find out what some OF the
prominent business men thought of re-
funding the bonds, and was surprised
to find out that a great majority OF I
them did not care anything about il.
j. II. Allen was the first man met.
and he said he would not be interview
ed; that he had paid for his paving and
had no tax to pay.
George Pratt and Charley Jones were
together in the latter's office and Mr..
Pratt was rather inclined 10 favor the
MIR. Jones endorsed ii in a
very emphatic manner.
Owing TO the peculiar financial con-
1.tion." said Mr.. Jones, lit would he
better 10 bridge the thing over until
times get better"
The reporter asked Mr.. Jones If the
paid paving tax on their
stock Of good. and he said he supposed
Of course they did.
Re went - his safe and got out
County Dorau's receipts for last years
tax hat il simply stated the total with
oui specifying what il WAS To-.
The reporter stepped II the telephone
snI called un Mayor Cox and asked
him: 10 the merchants pay paving
tax on their stock Of goods
/ No, Who said they did, The tax
j. assessed On the lots fronting The
-eetS
rhca ~. Pratt laughed AZ his fellow
a-aher = TIE police board. while Nj
.-,..ss-sA
i Is Not