The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1907-02-07


|totice at Ciarksburg,
d-ciass Mall Matter.
per year in advance.
ge Ordinance.
lal'' idea of the chair
Committee on sanitation
relative to providing a
bllecting and disposing Of
basis of taxation is
unique, but. of course. is
construction.
idea means that q special
be imposed. 1t carries with
act that special act by the
ure is necessary In order to
he money. II 1t means simply
axes as now existing are to be
ed in part to the garbage sys-
little needs to be done to bring
about. There would not have
he, in the latter case, any specific
DIVISION for a tax to defray the ex-
ense of keeping the city clean. as all
nat would be necessary would be to
bass an ordinance, II there is not one
amply sufficient already. providing
licensed garbage collectors and max
ing compulsory observance of the
sanitation laws. The police service
,is Maid out OF the general fund, but
;there is no special provision in the
IA city code providing for this fund as
apart from the general fund nor need
there be one especially to defray
sanitation expenses.
For many years when the levy
was laid annually, so much was set
apart for streets, so much for this,
SO much for that, so much for gen.
eral purposes. but in recent years
the classification has not been strict
iy observed, depression from prece-
dent not to be warmly applauded or
approved. In this respect. when the
levy is apportioned certain amount
should be set aside for each depart
ment, except in the water depart
ment. which has special laws pro-
yiding that Its revenues shall be de-
voted to its department, and not d.
yerted to some other. There should
be SO much for streets, SO much for
police. so much for current expen-
SEES. so much for sanitation. II the
s'original" idea is to prevail, and
so on. To do this the finance COM
mittee with the final sanction of the
council must fix ratio of the total
rate for each department and the
levy must be extended accordingly
After this is done the amounts thus
raised must not be diverted to othel
sources than intended. unless there
remains surplus after all expenses
have been paid.
AS the State law fixes the amount
of taxes to be raised in general
not including licenses. 1t is readil,
seen that the proposition to operate
the garbage system by means OF tax
alton. merely comes under the gen
eral law Of taxation, such as nov
obtains here. Thus, there is moth
2 ing further to be done in the matter
to make the plan effective than I,
draft and pass an ordinance tina
will simply bring about the opera
ton. The tax has been the city,
all the time. 1t exists now, an,
there can be no other tax unless b.
special act of the legislature. So
one also sees that there D no ordi
nance necessary TO create tax TO
sanitation purposes and were sucl
an ordinance to be passed. It woull
have no power to operate other thai
the law on taxation now does. /
y, would not bring in any NOR
revenues. 1t could not create an,
new tax. d.
4'4 If the Original" idea on the gar
shage tax question means that a gar
DdSt system SHpuiu ne tStdOilSle'
along the linesSof the water system
it appears TO the Telegram TO b
much, more sensible and satisfactor
than the other. Garbage is yer
! much like water, Some use grea
deal OF water, Others but little
ssome have great deal Of garbage
others but little. For this use
sort of tax. commonly known as rem
is imposed and collected by the cit!
There is schedule of rates. HI
tells. livery stables and other larg
consumers of water pay more tina
small consumers, the same as the
should pay in reference TO garbag'
Under this plan there would /
licensed collectors. with regulatio
wagons and residents would pay AZ
scording TO Sthe service required
.sdispose Of their garbage. A ma
!. who has wagon load would pa
more, Just as. he ought TO pay, tina
I a man with peck or a gallon of i
The ordinance could and shoul
make it compulsory on the part {