The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-18
NO RAISE.
Tax Rate Will Re-
main the Same.
The Committees Recon-
mendatiOn Ignored.
Resolution Passes to Provide
More Revenue.
Propose Increase Of the Price OF
Liquor Licenses.
Cost Of H ghway Improvements TO BE AS
sessed on Abutting Owners.
Resolution Passes to Provide
More Revenue.
Propose Increase of the Price OF
Liquor Licenses.
Cost of II ghway Improvements to Be AS
sessed on Abutting Owners.

BY . practically unanimous vote tho
Common Council decided last night not
To raise the tax rate although three resolu
tions were passed to get legislation which
would be i'm the nature Of relief for the
alleged financial stringency. These were
Co get legislation to authorize the raising
of the liquor license. the more comprehen-
sive taxation of personal property, and the
assessment of the cost of highway build
ing to abutting owners. All three OF
these resolutions however, were hung up
under rule viii, by notices from Council
men West and Sheahan To the effect that
at the next meeting they would have more
time TO reconsider
The financial measures were calle from
the table by Mr. Angel and the resolu
tions were taken up first The first was
Resolved That the city solicitor be and
he is hereby directed TO apply To the
General Assembly for the passage OF such
legislation as will authorize tho City Of
Providence to assess and collect IA tax on
personal property wherever such personal
property may be found, substantially in
accordance with the accompanying draft
of an ACT recommended by the Board Of
State Valuation in its report presented to
son, A. d., 1892.
Mr.. Kavanaugh said that the bill rela-
tive TO the taxation of personal property
had many excellent features, but that its
passage would work hardship to "a great
many business men, 1t would enable the
assessors, he said, TO start and go through
every business street in the city and tax
every dollars worth Of stock i'm the stores
Of men who have been struggling during
the last four years of depression to hold
their own. These men, he said, do not
own their stock in one sense. Ii is the
property of the wholesalers who have been
generous enough TO carry the small deal
ers and give them credit. The section of
the law which provides that n man may
give statement of his debts and have
their total deducted from the amount
upon which he is taxed does not, i'm Mr..
kavanaugh's opinion, give any relief, for
the minute that a man gives such state
,nent he cuts off his further credit. In
conclusion the gentleman from the Tenth
ward said that the valuation should be
increased and the land mere rightly
taxed.
Mr. Tanner claimed that the law aid
not provide for the taxation Of any new
kind of property but merely determines
where that property shall be taxed.
Mr. Angel and Mr. Sturges both urged
the passage OF the resolution and it was
passed.
Highway Resolution.
The second resolution was:
Resolved, That the city solicitor be and
no Is hereby directed To apply To the Gen
eral assembly at its May session. A. ID.
1884, for the passage of such legislation as
will authorize the City Council of tire city
of Providence to assess the cost Of build-
ing all highways hereafter ordered built
by the City Council upon tho abutting
owners of land on such highways, the cost
of street intersections and repairs TO be
borne by the city of Providence; said
assessments to be collected IN the same
manner as sewer assessments are now
payable and collectable in the city Of
Providence.
MIR. Sheanan said that the second resolu-
tion II carried out would be unjust mas
much as the streets In the compact part
or the city had. been bdilt at the expense
OF everyb body and now the people In the
outlying districts would have TO pay for
their own Improvement.
he said that the proposed method
should have been adopted years ago when
all might have been treated alike.
Mr.. Angel said that he sympsthized i'm
a large measure with Mr.. Sheahan but he
believed in the principle of the proposed
method ana there never was time when
the change could have been made without
apparent injustice to someone
under sacred obligations To assist the poor
people Of the Third ard Tenth wards To
improve their property in return for the
contributions which the people of those
wards have cheerfully made toward the
general cost Of building the streets in
ot.er sections.
Mr.. kavanaugh objected 10 tho measure
on the same grounds and so did MIR West.
Mr. Harry W. Cooke said that he was
Interested I'm u large tract Of unimprOved
land but nevertheless ho urged tho pas
sage of the resolution as he considered 10
the only way for keeping down the ex.
penses.
The resolution was them passed by
vote Of % to 10
The third resolution was rs follows:
Resolved, That the city solicitor be and
ne is hereby irectod 20 apply 10 the
General Assembly at its STAY session for
the passage Of such legislation as will tx
the Zee for a retail liquor license I'm the
city Of Providence at eight hundred dol
lars per year.
The present license IL siO0 Mr.. Sturges
said that he knew Of no better way of
raising money that AZ the expense OF n
business which costs so much OF the
public funds 10 keep IN order In ten
Massachusetts, cities he said the average II
csDse is siuOO, while in Lawrence 10 Is {25O0
and Fall River slsO0. Ana furthermore
Mr.. Sturges claimed that IL was an ol en-
secret that the value OF a II ensc in this