The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1905-03-05
FOR PURCELL
SENATE COMMITTEE REPORTS
HOUSE BILL FAVoRAeLY.
Unless Congress Legalizes the CT,
nance Of the Town Will Be Depriv.
ed Of Much Revenue for
Tear-Tases Necessary.

Washington. ID c.. March 4.-TAa
senate committee ON Indian affairs
has tdyorably reported a house bill
legaIiline certain ordinance Of tie
city OF Purcell, J. =.
The situation with reference TO tia.
tax ordiuanc, is explained by Mayor
+. G. Woods as follows:
"Th' ordinance provides for the as
sessm'nt and levy of tax at a date
different from that fixed in chapter
l29 N Mansfcld's digest of the laws
Of Arkansas, in force here In Indian
Territory. The passage Of this trdi
nance was on July ., 1903 Prior there.
10 taxes has been assessed. levi,
and collected for number OF years
under a former ordinance, but It '.
believed by some To be an invalid ono
/ The result Was its repeal and the pas
sage of the present one No. I9u
very large per cent uf the TAX payers
Of the city paid their taxes last year.
though 1t the time il was believed b.
many that the ordinance was inVah
However during the month Of F,u
ruary, A. ID. 1904. three suits were
filed in the Unitel sta tJar AT
that place whereby 4 Nds sought TO
enjoin the collection OF taxes by the
city authorities. alleging the Illegal.
~ Of the ordinance passed on July
D, 1903. in that the same sought u
change entirely the various dat
named and provided IN "hlp.cr l.J
of Mansfeld's digest, for the assess
ment, meeting Of the board of equ. )
zation, publication of notice. lovy
, and other requiremets of the statvtus
, These applications We're by the q,
, continued from time TO time and
> final hearing has as yet been ha
! and a. the United States court meet
, in Purcell in three weeks it is proba
bic that Judge Townsend will not pas,
! upon tie question before that date.
! I'VE are advised by attorneys. 10
] whose ability We have great respect
p that the ordinance cann,t be up
and thai Ihe case, should the plai.
, tifs lose, be carried 70 the highe
. courts. Now as you can readi under
stand, If the injunction is granted
will mean that We will be unable Il
, collect any taxes for the present ya.'
as an ordinance passed at tnis tim
in order 10 observe the provisions o
Manshelds digest, would necessd
D rily be retrospective, and the resu
would simply be that new attack
, would be- made TO prevent the C lie, ,
!, tion OF taxes for the pres nj yea.
; Our city has a bonded school indebi
!. edness of $4,000, interest on whicI
z natures semi.annually. 4 spleSdii Wa
Tor works system has recently bee
installed by private parties and is nov
practically ready for acceptance b.
me city, after which We will owe wa
ter rentals amounting to $4,000 pa
year 1t costs us to maintain our puI
. rc schools for period Of nine month
J. approximately $1,000 per annum. !
!, addition To this there are, Of cours,
u current expenses of conducting u
e Cily's affairs, all of which We woul
,, nsCCss arily be deprived uf should W
0 be unable TO collect our taxes. w
can see no way out of the dilema i
which we are placed except by cor
OCCASIONAL relief So far Gs the preser
litigation Is conc rned, we have n
w''h to ask for any legislation g.
fecting it one way or the other. eve
;. tLOIgn suct cc.id be done What v
Is |Mu, is simply an act validating tn
ordinance, that We may collect take
q for the present and succeeding years
. years