The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1909-01-19
SMALL PROPERTY
OWNER PAYS FULL
SHARE OF BURDEN
Mayor Smith Desires TO See
Him Get Value Received on
His Investment.
Advocates Increases in Real
Estate Assessment.
NOBODY HURT BY LICENSES
NOBODY HURT BY LICENSES

The license ordinance controversy
has settled down to a plain demand
that occupation tax be reduced, and
practically every line of business or
trade IN the city, whose license was
increased, Is represented by demand
for a reduction Several leading cit
liens, who have attended banquets
and drank toasts 90 Greater Padu-
cab. 100, 900 inhabitants In 1sD0."
have privately taken steps to secure
a reduction of their licenses, although
they did not appear on the floor of
the counc1 to urge their objections.
Mayor Smiths motives have been
questioned by a newspaper, whose
Iafiiliates are among those who made
the private request for reduction.
Yet. Mayor Smiths wholesale gro
Gerry license was increased more than
the retail merchants license. and
more than most other occupations or
businesses.
More than that Mayor Smith, who
Is. perhaps. the largest property own
er in the city, advocates sharp in
crease in property assessment. The
quadrennial assessment will be made
next year and a block map will be
used for the first time in making the
assessment, SO that all property SIM
iharly situated Will get about the
same treatment.
Mayor Smith now pays about $40 a
day taxes. and he has raised his own
license, although wholesale grocers
on the floor of the council declared
THAI their business was hit harder
than any other business by the recent
panic. II the READ estate assessment
Is raised next year, as the mayor
promises II WIFI be. he Will feel the
assessment along with other property
Owners.
The Mayors Position.
The mayors position was simply
what a business man upon assuming
the office would be expected to take
He saw that Paducah was not keep
ing up repairs on her streets and
property: that the people were not
receiving value received for the mon
ey actually invested; that the city wa,
not keeping up with the demands of
a growing population; that the city
actually was running in debt and pay
ing interest on money borrowed TO
meet current expenses.
There is only one difficulty in Pa
ducah's affairs-lack of money. The
mayor went to Frankfort and secured
an increase from $3.50 20 $500 In
the liquor license, and this helped
out last year. He paid of a big
slice OF the floating debt. II is inn
possible to Increase the property as
sesment this year. The city must
have money to give the kind of serv-
Ice the citizens ought to have. He
did the only thing practicable; he
Increased occupation licenses. Some
lof them were reduced in the general
council. There is nothing so high
that the men, against whom the IL
cense Is charged. cannot pay without
Hardship. The mayor looks on Padu-
can as tAlgs IN bit ISut vi an tu-
terprise, in which all the citizens are
Interested. and the progress OF which
will rebound to the benefit of all.
Consequently he cannot understand
why the business men, who will reap
the greatest benefit from the inn
lprovements. object to paying license
that amounts to less than seven cents
day, to make as good a city as pos
sible. Many of these same men spend
more than that on smokers and Com
mercial club banquets TO talk about
rhe city, and contribute to funds to
bring enterprises here (which is pub
lie spirited enough). yet they object
to a palty seven cents day to i'm
prove the city.
Some objection rs made to the re-