The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-03-22

A citizens meeting was called
Monday night to discuss street inn
provements. A very large and rep
resentative body was present at the
mayors office. John T. Walker
was selected as chairman and the
newspapers as secretaries.
In opening Mr.. Walker stated
that as mayor and Mr.. Semones as
chairman of the street committee
both had been to Jackson to inves-
tigate and examine the conditions
there. Mr.. Walker spoke of the
Commercial Club and the action
which had been taken by that body
to devise plans for street improve
ments,
The Mayor thought that If any
thing is done it should be done ear
ly. He had investigated the bond
proposition proposed by the club
and thought under the circumstan-
oes it was not feasible. Here he
reviewed the history OF city fnan-
ces since he went iato Office as
mayor, showing that with the wat
'er and light plant as an expense to
the city and the loss of saloon priv
ileges the city had been able to re-
tire z debt of eight or ten thousand
dollars at tax rate of 81. 40 on the
hundred. Since then the tax had
been reduced to 81 on the hundred,
and the revenues had been sufficient
to meet all the CURRENT expenses.
While this was being done no
provision was made for the sinking
fund, and hence 40 effort to reduce
the city's bonded indebte d n e. 8
which is now nearly Sol, 800. The
taxable values ia the city are near
ly $1,000, 900, showing the city to
he now bonded for over per cent
of its assessed valuation. This be-
ing true Mr.. Walker did not think
that more bonds d ID be foated at
a low rate of interest, if they could
be floated at all. lie was then not
ia favor of undertaking to float
more bonds.
The Mayor was. however,in favor
of making some improvements upon
hiie streets, and he and Alderman Sc
a7ones had been to Jackson to make
and get all the informa-
tion possible along that line. Att
the outset Mr.. Walker said he be-
lieved that, after weighing the mat
ter carefully and getting all the
available information upon the sub
ject possible, the streets could be
made good enough for all practical
purposes for years to come by |
them at the prop e r
season of the yearly beginning
early in the spring and throwing
the dirt to the center, rolling il well
and ditching the sides 50 as to give
ample drainage. From the best in
formation and experience the drain
age proposition was the most inn
portant of all. The tiling which
1ad been laid would have to be re-
moved to conform to this method
ind the streets would have to be
litched with ample cutters for prop
II drainage. By this process the
streets could be made good for ,
many years to come. In fact rea- !
onably good streets could be made i
gravel. These were Mr.. {
Walkers carefully weighed conclu- i
ions, but if the people desired it t
Ie was willing to act with the
soard in providing for an increas- !
d tax rate sufficient to cover the h
ost of constructing, say a couple Of Z
liles of gravel or hard streets n
long the main thoroughf a II 8. i
his could be done in the same /,
lanner that the school debt was /,
aid. An additional assessment OF b
3rty cents on the hundred dollars, d
aising the tax to S1.4O as it
Tas heretofore would be sufficient Il
) raise revenue for Two miles Of Il
raveI streets, and he would favor d