Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-22

tionately more rapid than the growth of
city in numbers, for density of population
breeds crime. The same is true OF the
health department. Disease springs from
filth and filth is the natural consequence
of crowded quarters. Cleanliness cannot
be expected where many people are packed
together, unless made the care of the gov
ernment; and the difficulty Of keeping
city clean Is increased tenement houses
multiply. In a small town the demand for
water may be cheaply met; but double the
numbers and a sufficient water supply fire.
quently becomes the occasion for great ex-
penSe. 1t is the same with sewerage,
streets and pavements. Dirt roads and sur
face drainage do not answer for pepulous
cities New wants, also, are developed by
growth. A country village. where land is
cheap, and each house may be surrounded
by it's grass plot is in no need of a public
park: but in a densely crowded city these
breathing places are essential for morals
as we'll as health. There are, too. many
forms of qualification which lie beyond the
purse Of a small community, but which
may be enjoyed at slight expense to each
citizen when large numbers combine in
paying for them. Such are public libraries,
the higher grade of education, public driv-
ing parks and boulevardS. city decorations
and the like. 1t seems, then. that the le-
Ultimate needs of growing city extend at
a more rapid rate than the growth itself.
A developing society must Of necessity
make continually larger demands upon
government, for the principle of common
property under public management extends
to new objects, and embraces new purposes,
as a community grows in numbers or in
riches. The natural result of an in
crease in population is to create new wants,
and to demand extension Of the tax
levy"
The Law as to Permanent Improve
ments.
The truth of these abstract propositions
Is illustrated by history. Many state gov
ernments and many municipalities have
found it necessary to provide for these ex-
traordinary demands by extraordinary rev.
enues. Legislation for such purposes has
been questioned by citizens resisting the
payment of bonds, or in other ways, and
many of these cases have been decided by
the courts Of the land. The propriety of
such taxation has been uniformly sustain
ed. To quote from one case only, the Su-
preme Court of the United States in Hagar
agt. Reclamation District, No los, III United
States, page 704 has said:
cit is not open to doubt that 1t Is in the
power of the state to require local Improve
ments to be made which are essential to
the health and prosperity of many commu-
mites within its borders To this end 1t
may provide for the construction Of canals,
for draining marshy and malarious dis
tricts and of levees to prevent foundations
as well as for the opening of streets in
cities and of roads in the country
The courts, both national and state, have
always upheld the power of the legislature
to authorize municipalities to issue bonds.
with or without the approval of popular
vote of its citizens. of those municipalities
g Wallace, p. $780, in aid of the construc-
ton of railways proposing to pass near or
through their corporate limits, upon the
theory that the benefit to result from such
construction came within the detention of
a public local benefit. All of the objects of
extraordinary taxation herefnbefore speci-
fed have been uniformly recognised by
courts, legislatures and writers upon mu-
nicipal law and policy as proper subjects
Of legislation and of municipal care.