The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-04-11
THE TUESDAY ELECTION.

AMENDED 10 1917 ana TO organize Tue
city under the general statutes rela-
tive to cities Of the third class. A
few words Of general explanation may
be welcomed by the voters, some of
whom seem to have the impression
that they are asked to give up valua.
BILE charter rights for they know not
what.
Years ago all the cities of Missouri
Of the size of Lexington were special
charter cities. These charters were
granted before there were such things
in most county towns as waterworks,
electric light, gas, sewerage or even
macadam. Naturally these charters
had to be modified from time to time
by acts of the legislature. These acts
have been so multiplied and amended
as to make it exceedingly difficult to
tell what the charter rights of any
given special chatter city are. More
over a court decision interpreting the
law In any particular relating to one
special charter city may not apply to
another in a very similar case. When
a special charter city attempts to do
anything which anybody opposes, it
finds a long expensive law suit on it's
hands to discover what its rights arc.
To avoid these troubles and ex.
peuses the legislature has provided for
the organization of cities of four
different classes according to popula-
tion. The rights and privileges Of
any one in the same class are precise
ly the same as those of all the others
Of that class. A statute relating to
any one class applies to all the cities
Of that class, and a court decision in
the case of one is valid in regard to
all.
All of The new cities in Missouri
are organized under the general
statutes and nearly all of the old
charter cities have surrendered their
charters and joined the classified list.
Some Of the advantages gained are as
follows:
l. Greater certainty as to what
the cities rights and privileges are,
and consequent decrease in litigation
10 which the city is a party.
2. Decreased expense of admin
istration. A single example of this
may be made Of the case of legal
printing. OF course the INTELLI-
GENcER is engaged in the printing
business and would be glad to have all
the printing it can get; but it is
notable that all the papers in Lexing-
ton favor the change, although it will
involve a very considerable decrease
in the amount of legal printing. Fol
instance, if the city council under
the present charter were to order
even a few yards Of sidewalk it would
have to, Gay published an ordinance
ordering the improvement; Coy publish
an advertisement for bids; (c) publish
an ordinance confirming the contract
(d) publish an ordinance making
levy of tax bills. If the amount o
sidewalk were SIN IL, the cost of th,
four publications might exceed TIT
cost of the improvement. This need
less expense is greatly reduced in Thu
case Of cities Of the third class.
3. The council in cities Of thi
class organized under the Genera
Statutes has the authority to orde.
street paving in any block 10 which
the majority of property owners wan.
it, assessing the cost against abuttinl
property. When those parts of
city which want such permanent i'm
provements have once gotten them
there will be left very much more 0
the general revenue for the improve
mebt Of the outskirts aud poore
parts Of the city. Instead then 0
falling as a burden upon the poore
people, it gives them improvement
and advantages which it is impossible
for them to have so long as all th
revenue of the city reserved for street
must be spent upon the main travel
ed, downtown streets. Finally, /
involves no increase in the rate 0
city taxes. The maximum rate /
fixed by the constitution and we hay
been payIrg that rate for years. l
cannot be increased either unde
the charter or under the statutes.
one Of the bills signed by th