Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-03-20

to Operation is TO Refrain From
Holding an Election organtown
Holds the KeY to the Sitna ton.
Hon. Geo G. Sturgiss was asked
to give his opinion on the Greater
Morgantown charter He has done
so and has forwarded it to the South
Moreantown council who have or
deted it printed for the benefit OF
those concerned. They are DESTROYS
of defeating the plan If there is any
way to do it. He has pointed out a
way and the only way in which it
can be done
The opinion is as follows.
To the Mayor d Common Council
of the Town of South Morgantown,
w. Va, Gentlemen:
At your request | have had under
consideration the questions involved
in the Act of the West Virginia
Legislature, passed at its recent SEES
sioncreating the City OF Morgantown
out OF the four towns of Seneca,
Morgantown, Greenmont and South
Morgantown, and a large scope Of
territory including the whole OF the
Morgantown School District, stu
ate on the east side of the river.
The very great opposition to this
Act arises from the following facts
First, 1t was prepared without any
authority OF the Councils Of the
towns interested and without the
knowledge or approval of more than
half Il dozen citizens and taxpayers
interested, and apparently u stud
led effort was made to conceal its
provisions, especially those relating
To the granting OF license for the
sale of Intoxicating drinks, aud the
wide scope Of farm lands embraced
in its boundaries. from the know
ledge of the people most interested.
In matter involving so much and
far-reaching in its effects, it would
have been better to have taken the
public into the confidence of the gen
tlemen who were preparing the new
charter No newspaper discussion
took place, and the press seems to
have been as much in the dark as
to the details of the proposed act as
the general public.
Second, the Act contains no pro-
vision for submitting it to a vote OF
the people, or any plan for securing
their assent to it. 1t absolutely
creates the Getty of Morgantown' by
Legislative fiat, and wipes out the
four towns situate within the larger
boundaries, and includes a great
scope OF farm lands and farmers,
and saddles on them the bonded
debts of the towns, created for pur-
poses that bring little or no benefits
to them. Under such conditions, it
is certainly a great hardship, and
inequitable to force on the people a
new city government and deny to
them any voice or choice in the mat
ter. and just Indignation is felt by
reason of this fact.
Third, The Act includes about
eight or ten times as much territory
as is included in the present limits
of Morgantown. 1t imposes upon
the new city the combined bond and
other debts of the other towns,
amounting to some $4,000 or $50
600 as near as can be ascertained.
III will compel the farm lands as far
out as John O. Vangilder and ID. G.
Hoffman on the SteWartstown road,
T. j. Meeks, Mrs. Sarah Brooks, and
the John G. Robinson land on the
Ices Ferry road, Robert Powell and
the Hackney lands on the Decker
Greek road, Geo. w. Harner beyond
Greenmont, and the VIM. j. Wells
and other lands on the Kingwood
road, and across to the Evansville
road near the old poor house on the
Fairmont road, to pay taxes for
lighting, sewerng and paving the
streets Of Morgantown, Tor hydrants
and fire protection, for police de
purtment and yet it must be patent
to every one that they will have nc
street lights, sewers, paved streets
or police protection tor fifty years
to come. Is it any wonder they re-
bel and resent the injustice of being
taxed to furnish these things to
others, while they get none of them?
But the added burden Of being taxed
to pay the bonded debt created years
ago for all these things so long used
and enjoyed by others in the town
Of Morgantown becomes most gal
ling. Most OF these lands cannot
become city lots or valuable fol-
much else except pasturage or farm
ing. Where is the Justice of taxing
them for others?
Fourth, these farmers will rightly
expect and demand that some ex.
penditures shall be made in Macad
amizing their roads, IN giving them
some sort of sidewalks and other
improvements, and however slight
ha ~ yarr,x-apaa,fC NOV, ba fbay WI III