The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-20
MEANSDOUBLE TAXATION
If wASHINGTON-s PROPERTY ON, NJ
ERs MUST PAY FOR REsURFACING.
Another Meeting This Afternoon-A. C..
Harris's Explanation of the
Status of the Matter.

At O'Clock tomorrow afternoon the com
mittee appointed at the meeting of Wash
ington-street property owners to investigate
the proposition to resurface that thorough
fare from Alabama street to Senate avenue
at their expense will report the result of its
investigation at another meeting TO be held
in the Commercial Club assembly room. The
committee will recommend a conservative
course in regard to litigation, and will sug-
gest that a special committee of representa-
tive business men be appointed to confer
with the Board of Public Works with view
to having the Improvement postponed, If not
paid for out of the general fund. In sup
port of the request for postponement atten-
ton will be called to the fact that the speci-
fications for the resurfacing of the street
require the grade TO be raised four inches
In the center and for the property owners
to pay the expense of brick pavement be-
tween the street car tracks. The PROPOSE
ton to raise the grade will compel the street
car company to raise its tracks. The board
will be asked whether 1T is wise to estab-
lish the precedent of requiring property
owners to pay for improvements between
street car tracks at this time, in view of the
fact that the city has suit pending to quiet
its title to the streets and that ii the suit is
decided favorably to the city within another
year propositions for new franchise VIII
be received, one of the conditions of which
would be that the company accepting 1t
must pay it's share of street improvements.
A. C. Harris is member of the committee.
He also represents the City Railway Com
pany.
Under the franchise the City Company
holds" said Mr.. Harris, 1T Is required to
pay it's portion of improvements. If the
court should hold that neither company has
any rights-it has already ruled OH demurrer
that the Citizens Company has no rights
after 1901-the city officials would be in
position in another year to make new
franchise and require the company receiving
it to pay for the paving between its tracks.
Does any one suppose that a Board of
Works or Council would ever grant
franchise without such a provision?
But that is only one of the very impor-
tant questions. The charter provides that
all repairs shall be paid out of a fund to be
raised by special tax. Into that fund 20
the fees from vehicle licenses and things or
that kind. Is the resurfacing OF street 10
be considered as repair work? II 1t were
gravel street 1t would. Suppose tnat the
Washington-street property owners are re-
CURED to pay the cost of resurfaclng WASH
ington street themselves and then are re-
quired to pay part of the general tax Tor
repairing other streets-is that not douple
who does the work must guarantee 10 keep
it in repair nine years. He takes that into
consideration in making his bid, so that the
property owner pays for the repairs nine
years in advance Should he ar the same
time pay part of the general tax to repair
other streets? Then there is the Barrett
law bond question Where such bonds are
issued the work is not paid for until ten
years after ii is DONE suppose street
wears out in five years; will the board make
another Improvement and issue more bonds
before the first are paid? If so, what be-
comes of the first bonds? That question
does not figure in the Washington-street inn
provement, but in deciding about the resur-
facing of the street the board must estab-
fish a precedent to be followed in the future
If Washington street is paid for by the
property owners, others must be also. These
are only few of the questions that are in
Volved."
Mr. Harris said that his experience had
taught him to advise litigation only as a
last resort. He said that from his knoWl-
edge of M. A. Downing's business sagaclty
he thought there would be no trouble In
coming to an amicable and friendly under
standing when the subject shall be presented
to the board
Mr. Harris seemed to think, however. that
there are owners of property on Washing
ton street who would feel like going to the
courts if the board insisted on making the
Improvement on the basis that has already
been suggested. AS yet the committee has
had no official conversation with the board
on the questions involved.