The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-03-05

lutely impossible without crlppliDg and
practically paralyzing the growth and
future Of our city to keep It any low
or As usual about election times there
rs always a howl and cry about where
the money collected from the taxes
wsnt. moro particularly the general
fund AS the money provided for the
bonds was voted practically unani-
mously by the people, and there is no
escape from that rate: the police de-
partment being practically selfsus7
tanning there is no controversy about
that; and everyone being practically
unit on the amount Tor running the
schools. the question Is now, why is
our levy 50 large for general pur-
poses? II IL well known by every per
son that wncn we inaugurated this
era OF building the city we had moth
Ing upon which to start Only a small
town and personal property alone tax
able until this year. The general fund
rate for taxes was the following for
the years named. towit. Six and one
half mills for the year 1903; seven
mills for the year 1905 and ten mills
for the year 1906. that being the rate
assessed last year. out of the taxes
received above mentionoe for the
above years. we have paid out Of the
general fund in addition money from
the bonds over $4,000 for waterwOrks
extension: $4,000 for the first sewers:
$4,000 for the purchase of school
lots and buildings in addition to the
bonds: about $4,000 for the city hall
and lots; the city park, containing
seventy lots; the wcllgc shaped lot
upon which the Carnegie Library was
built: the pest house lots on East
Main street; the purchase of mules
for the working OF the streets; fire
department equipments to the amount
Of several thousand dollars; and
quite number of other incldentals
| too numerous to mention which will
run over 100000 for which this gen
cral fund has been paid out besides
the usual running expenses of the city.
IL not know of n single solitary
public Improvement that we could
have done without. II was absolutely
imperative to build the school houses,
TO buy the lots. 20 purchase the land
at the city lake. TO buy the city park,
to build the city hall and buy the lots.
to put in the additional sewers and
water mains. We have zealously and
courageously guarded the expenditure
of money for Improvement that was
not absolutely necessary. When we
take into consideration the financial
standing OF our city together with
the rapid strides We have made,
say TO you frankly and confidently
that Il Is splendid showing Our
waterworks could DO sold for 10000
over and above every cent We paid tor
them and while | am absolutely op-
! posed to the proposition and would
fight It TO the bitter end. IL the pe,-
pie desire It I will call an election
and they can vote upon It whether or
not they viii sell their watc"works
systcm for that profit with the identi'
cal franchise that was in existence
when | was first elected mayor.
desire to state before concluding
that We have a lower water rate than
the majority of the towns and cities
Of the southwest and a lower tax rate
than any other town in the Indian
| Territory. This statement is based on
the information received by Tax AS
SCISSOR w. r. Roberts. who made the
Investigation some months ago We
have lower insurance rates than any
other town in the Indian Territory
Oklahoma or Texas. This statement is
based upon information received from
Mcssrs. Roberts 4 Bonner and Carter
& Cannon, local insurance agents ol
this city. We pay less for our street
lights than any other town of like
size in the Indian Territory or Okla
homa.
We have as complete a system ol
records in the clerks office as any
Office in any town in the Southwest
with the possible exception that the
Arkansas statute does not require bills
to be sworn to as the case Is III
Oklahoma. Every hill presented to the
city council Is itemized, O. KID by
the chairman Of the committee fol
whom It Is purchased and at the end
Of each month they are carefully gone
over by the finance committee, O. kC
by that committee and then transcrib
ed In the record book under the head
Of the report OF the finance committee
which Is made iuopeu council and
| n,,t;o,, ,,o1p coppndp1 oud carried