Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-02-02
Council Sustains the Report
of City Engineer Over Pc
titions of Directors
FEW ASSESSMENTS LOWERED
Thirty Eight Property Owners Join In
Petitions to the Council, Directing
to the Special Levies-Ninth. Sixth,
State, Grant and Lincoln Included
in the list.

At the adjourned meeting of the
city council. held Monday night WITH
every member present the special as
sessments for the paving of Ninth,
sixth, State, Grant and Lincoln streets
were sustained according 10 the report
of the city engineer. a few small al
terations, by way OF lowering certain
assessments on properties. were made.
but in the main the special levies are
upheld Objections of property owners
were heard. including thirty-eigh who
joined in similar petitions in objectiis
TO the special assessments.
Ii was not until after caucus that
a resolution by Chairman Abbott. Of
the judiciary committee, was offered.
calling for the special assessments 20
be properly certified to before the
county treasurer AS per the report of
the engineer. The assessed valuation
Smith, corner OF Church and Ninth,
Augusta ANoipSNt'-t.
North Sixth street, and w. a. Ander-
son. East Lincoln street, were r.
duoed. that ON the Smith property be-
ing made at $4,000. Nordstrom $1,000;
and Anderson 500.
The petition of the several property
owners who filed their objections was
similar In construction to that fled
by Church street and Fourth avenue
property owners. Among the more pri:i-
cipal objections were that the city hal
exceeded it's constitutional limit OF In
debtedness. because such indebted
Eess was more than S per cent of tue
taxable value of the property In the
city: because the special benefits de-
rived were not in proportion to the
cost; because the Barber Asphalt Paw
ing Company was monopoly In that
the asphaltum called for in the con-
tracts could be furnished only by the
Barber people; because the assess
ments were based on the cost and not
on the benefits. The objections also
alleged that the Barber company had
been gravely negligent and unskillf.,l
in it's work, had used faulty stone and
concrete. and had done work whan
streets were not In shape for the paw
ing The preliminary printing OF no.
tees OF paving improvements special
assessments. etc. made In the Reflector,
was also included in the objections.
and declared unlawful because. IN such
official publication. a member of the
council was interested because of his
ownership in the paper making such
publication.
The single objections, in separate pc
titions, We're filed by w. A. Anderson,
Mrs. Jennie Z. Smith, Mrs. Augusta
Matilda Nordstrom and w. II. Corn
WALL Mr.. Anderson valued his East
Lincoln street property at 500. and
had offered 1t for sale at that amount.
The property had been assessed at
5000, and the assessment had bean
raised to $1,000. The paving had not
benefited the property. had not permit
ted him to charge higher rental
which, at the present time, only re-
turned him about 81 per month on his
investment after paying taxes and i'm
He considered special
assessment OF 5000 for paving nothing
short of criminal, and such assessment
would confiscate his property for the
next seven years.
Mrs. Smith said the assessed val
use OF her property was 1866. the price
which she paid for 1t four years ago.
The city's assessment was based on a
value OF $500. which was much high
err than the property had been held at
for the past eighteen months.
Mrs. Nordstrom objected principally
because the tax was excessive and out
OF proportion to the benefits derived.
w. H. Cornwall said that the paving
had been of no benefit to his property.
as he kept no horse and carriage. anil
did not expect to. He has not had the
chances to sell now that he had had
before. and he had preferred brick 10
asphalt ii he were compelled to have
paving.
Those who joined in the petitions in
the general objections We're Agnes c.
Sears, Charles f. and Rose Brecka!,
A. T. Birchard, Orville B. Barrows es-
tate. Charles C. Urine. Charles Click.
Victoria c. Payne. Anna A. Mayer,
Lottie f. Lewis, James Hall, Harry Z.
Sloan. West State street; S. w. La
Shelle, j. NJ. Parker. NJ. ID. Simonds,
August Miller. North Sixth street.
Cora e. Coppock. Delano T. Smith,
William III. Davis. Alice Garretson,
Fannie F. Darner, Ellen Wilkinson, |
NJ. e. Andrews. Lulu A. Lair, South
Ninth street; Ed Mayer. Ida NJ. Evans.
Elizabeth Garwood, John A. Garwood.
Emily F. Monohon. H. c. Wilson.
Sarah T. Meeker Maggie Allen and
Alice NJ. Simmons, Grant street; r.
]. Blanche, William E. McLeland. d. II |
Gross. Alice Z. Devine, j. G. Arm
strong and w. G. Wilson. Lincoln