The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-03-11
RECORDS INCOMPLETE
Sewer Tappages Cannot Be Account
ed For By City.

The city council met in adjourned
session Monday evening TO hear the
protests aud the appeals against the
assessment Of delinquent sewer tap
pages. Complaints and protests came
thick and fast and the hour was eleven
O'Clock before the work of the session
was adjourned and then the work be-
fore the body was only fairly commence
led. The investigation of the sewer
proposition has opened an inexhaustf-
BILE source of trouble, grief and conten-
ton. All manner Of apparent irreg-
ularities have been developed and are
cited by. the, complainants. The city
has served notice of tappages lat
have been made for twenty years and
the city has no record of payment.
Claimants have paid for tappages and
have not received receipts or certifi-
Gates, and they have produced bank
checks, properly endorsed, that give
evidence of the unmistakable nature
of the settlement. 'Tappages have
been given for the right-of-way across
land of sewers and parts of sewers,
and no record was preserved Money
mas been paid officers and no record
made, so some. owners have stated In
the meantime property has changed
hands several times and the council
asks itself, where is the responsibility
to fall
Thirty-one and one-half tappages
that were clearly delinquent have been
paid into the city treasury since the
investigations were started, netting
the sewer fund total of $4,000 to
date.
Those appearing before the council
last evening to make explanation or
to protest against the action of the
council in assessing unpaid tappages
or compelling payment of tappage fees
were Mrs. Alice Blair, W. G.. Jones,
Chris Winter, Charles Phelps, ]. c..
Williams for Harry Phinney and h.
Fl. Gibbs, w. C. ClavieE for Charles S.
Walling, w. c. Millar, j. s. Nichols,
H. A. Hoover, Thomas Long, J.LRowe,
George True for R. K. Davis, Chuck
Flemming and the John Dodds estate,
John r. Baer, r. C.. Hoffman, II. E.
Snider, John NJ Heron for Mrs. Laura
Hostetter and ], w. Mcdonald and
Charles Farmhouse, Bun England, w,
p. Snow L. NJ. Bacon, Frank Fitch for
mis- harness factory building, w. E.
Richie building, Walter Fitch two
properties, and Mrs. Sarah j. Fitch
George Andrews. H. A. LaRue for the
.'rhos. Thompson property, Andy Baker.
Herbert Riggs, W. A. Johnson, w. l..
Beans, r. K. Davis for himself and
John and Joe Crookham, Councilman
Frank Christie for his mother, Mrs.
Mary f. Christie, Councilman ]. H.
Pickett for E. E. Woodward, Fred Tur-
ner1 A., F, N, Hambleton, Frank T,
Nash for L, eL. Hull Mae j., Evans,
Mrs Farrell, Mrs. Alice Bennett and
Mrs. Mary F. Kilburn and Councilman
w. R. Compiled for his own property
and that of v. Pardun. Frank Davis
called up by phone and many other
cases were mentioned. No action was
taken OF the cases heard. The hour
was growing late and any considera-
ton of individual cases were deferred
until Tuesday evening to which the
council adjourned after the considera,.
tion of some other affairs
A tax case or two was heard and the
right method of procedure was point
ed out DR.. ]. E. Morgan found that
he was charged with, taxes upon more
property than he was possessed. An
error and transfer mistake
OF records was cited.