The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-26
Washington Township Tax
Payers Are Not Unanimous
Iy in Favor of Paying High
er Tax Rate.
ARE PICKING FLAWS IN
LAW GOVERNING WORK.
Randolph County Cited as Ex-
ample of What Follows the
Clamor for Many Township
made Roads.

1t was made evident today that the
petition for a free gravel turnpike in
Washington township to cost more
than $4,000 will meet with opposition.
4 party of Washington township prop
crty owners and tax payers was in the
city today for the purpose of entering
protest. 1t was stated that a move
ment is under way to draw up a re
monstrance which will be presented to
the county commissioners. The time al
lowed for the presentation of remOn-
STRANGE by law has expired but those
who oppose the road, hope to secure
forbe2rance on the part of the commits
siOners when they cite the fact that
some of the signers of the petition
are not owners of Washington town
ship property.
The new law under which the pro-
posed road in this township is intended
to be constructed has many flaws and
it is probable the next legislature will
be asked to repeal or amend it. One of
the most fragrant is in regard to the
amount of interest the bonds may
bear. The law stipulates this to be
four and one half per cent. This is a
lower rate than money can be placed
on the market and is SO low that it
does not appear as an lducement to
dealers in bonds. The fact that the
bonds are taxable is the greatest de-
tracting feature. 1t is the opinion OF
Wayne county officials that the legisla-
ture must have held the impression the
bonds would be nOn-taXable when it
| stipulated such a low rate of interest
! The law does not exempt the bonds
however.
There is a probability that Wayne
county may undergo an experience sim
liar to that of Randolph county mas
much as the proposition of having
| townships build the roads has finally
! been given practical application in that
county. Randolph county is adjacent
to Wayne and when the gravel turn
| pike move began, it could not be stop
| ped and has spread throughout. the
| county until at the present time the
tax payers are paying for the construc
tion of 81 roads of this class. This
number is exclusive of those roads
(
and as yet have not been placed on the
! tax levies. More petitions have beer
presented in Randolph than any other
county in the state The lowest ta1
rate Is one cent and the highest four
teen. One township is now paying for
the construction of ten free grave
roads. In another small township the
| : ~
| teen and two cents on each S1OO o.
valuation. The entire county is dis
satisfied and there is universal com
plant. The corporation tax in Win
| chester has been advanced - cents az
the result Of roads constructed in the
! township. AS the result the genera
tax rate in Winchester is S261.
There is a difference in natural con
ditions between Randolph and Wayne
counties and this fact may prove TO bt
the salvation of this count.. In Wayne
there is plenty of good gravel and il
Randolph gravel is very scarce. Al
a consequence roads can be constructed
in Wayne county without the necessit!
of hauling or shipping gravel from
long distances. 1t is so nearly impos
sible to obtain gravel in Randolph
county that crushed stone is used foI
road construction and the roads nov
in process of construction are macad
am. The surface in Randolph count,
il almost level and this makes roar
construction somewhat easier than il
! Wayne. where constant grades are en-
| COuntered.