The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-11-26
A NEW CHARTER
Applied for Before the
Legislature.
MAYOR BLAIR GIVES REASONS.

To the Citizens of Marietta-The
Mayor and Council have recon-
mended the passage OF an act Great
ing new charter tor this city.
There are two reasons for this..-the
old charter needs consolidating, and
also amending. Our charter began
back in the early fitties and has
teen amended and changed so often
that it is we'll nigh impossible for a
person not skilled in law books to
find the various acts or ascertain
what our charter law is. We seek
to remedy this by consolidating cur
charter into single Act, in which
we preserve every feature of the old
and add others that are needed.
Among the new, are greater power
for police regulations, limiting the
mayors salary, and providing that
he should be ineligible to succeed
himself in office. We also provide
that persons shall be citizens of the
city for ninety days instead Of thirty
days before exercising the privilege
of voting. These amendments are
in the interest of good government,
and the welfare of the city.
One other change that we find to
be absolutely necessary to meet the
necessities of the city, is an increase
of taxation. Our rate O! taxation
has not been changed in a long
while and for several years the city
has been short of funds. We found
it in.debt, and nay information is,
that it has not been out of debt for
number of years. At any rate, we
found great deal to be done when
we:came in, with but little to do it
with. The city's gravel is exhaus-
ted and a new bed should be pur-
chased. Church street should be
extended. The county aud property
owners are ready to do their part
towards extending this street to
Mrs. Stephens and making one of
| the best drives in the county, but
the city hasn't 'the money to open
the street to its corporate limits
Polk street should be connected with
Whitiock Avenue at Mr.. Browns,
and other permanent improvements
are needed in our streets. Every
body realizes that we have reached
the point where some provision must
be made for cemetery at an early
day.
We have had this year, for the
first time, water protection against
fire. We have let other matters
suffer III order to provide this pro.
lection, feeling that we would not
be excusable unless we made some
arrangements for che present. Four
fires have occurred since we have
had water, but in only one instance
was any serious damage done to
buildings and in this the fire was
far advanced before the alarm was
given. Two of these fires occurred
late at night. The last fire before
this arrangement was made burned
three houses, and the last four fires
have burned one and slightly DAM
aged three. Our fire department
has been improved and we are ID
shape TO get the best service posi-
! sible from volunteer companies.
We need the water to do this, but
we cannot secure it at present tax
rates. We believe the citizens of
this city expect this protection, and
that they are willing to pay the
proprietors reasonable and fair
compensation therefor. No man
should want it for less, and we will
not give more than that for it. The
certainty of this arrangement ought
to secure better insurance rates.
We have been eEdeavoring to get
the town rerated, and we have had
promises looking in this direction,
butas yet they have not materialized.
We still expect to accomplish some
thing in this matter.
| We do not ask money to do all
the things that l have enumerated,
but only an increase of fifteen cents
on the hundred dollars, or one. doll
lar and half per thousand. With
out some increase practically moth
ing can be done on any Of these
lines. A much larger sum conld be
expended advantageously.
l felt 1t to be my duty to call
your attention to the changes that
We propose, and the reasons there
tor, 50 that no one might feel that
snap judgement had been taken OIL
him. | have a copy of the bill at
my office and will be pleased to
show it to any one who has sufi-
Gent interest in the matter to call.
| have had the hearty cooperation
OF Col. Faw and the other council
men in its preparation, and we have
endeavored to prepare for the city a
; first class charter.