The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-05-28
NEW BILL PROVIDES
THAT MT. PLEASANT
CANLEVY STREET TAX
Mr.. LlPscoM8 INTRoDcEs MEAS
URE AT REQUEST or
OFFICIALS.
Mr.. RAYBURN'S STATEMENT
Fully Accepts His Share Of RESPONSE
biIity-EIeetion Tomorrow May
or And Three Aldermen Are in The
Running.

According to a story published in
one of the Nashville papers Mt Pleas
ant has awakened to the fact that IN
der a recent provision of the legisla
ture the levying of a street tax by the
Board Of Mayor and Aldermen of that
city is now optional That the state
ment is misleading in some respects
is evident from interviews given out
here today by Representative Lips
comb and City Attorney Rayburn, Of
Mt. Pleasant, both these gentlemen
denying that the measure was gum
shooed" through the General Assem-.
bly, The article in question follows:
"A large-siZed bombshell was ex-
ploded here last night when Column
bia paper reached town containing the
official publication of an act of the
Legislature amending the charter OF
Mt. Pleasant by yesting the Board Of
Mayor and Aldermen with the au'
thority TO levy special poll tax for
street purposes on all male citizens
between the ages of is and so years.
The committee appointed by mass
meeting of the citizens to prepare and
present a charter amendment author
izing an issue of bonds for water
works purposes deny that they pre-
pared the act and, as stated, no one
has vet been found who will admit
having requested its passage. 1t is
being discussed and almost univer-
sally condemned by the citizens who
have heard about it."
When seen by a Herald reporter
To-day Representative Lipscomb said:
81 introduced the bill in the legisla-
ture at the request of City Attorney
Rayburn. of Mt. Pleasant, who wrote
me that it had been drawn by him at
: the request of the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen of Mt. Pleasant. The bill
was introduced prior to the recess,
and notice of that fact was published
in the Nashville papers. That no at
! tempt was made to conceal the fact
that the bill was pending is shown by
the fact that more than month
ELAPSED between the time that it passed
second and third reading, and no ef'
/ fort was made to rush it through. II
was my intention to visit Mr.. Pleasant
and discuss this bill with the citizens
of that city during the recess, but ow'
ing to my being away the entire re-
cess as a member of one of the impor'
tant committees, it was impossible to
do this Mr.. Rayburn will hear me
out in stating that he asked me to
introduce the bill and that the city
officials of Mt Pleasant wanted II
passed"
/ Mr.. Rayburn said:
THE bill was drawn by me at the
earnest request Of the Board Of Mayor
and Aldermen of Mt. Pleasant.
mailed it to Mr. Lipscomb and asked
him to introduce it and see that it was
passed. Not only did the aldermen
reouest me to draw the bill, but some
of them were even insistent | accept
full responsibility for my part In the
transaction, and in justice to Mr.. Lips
comb take pleasure in saying that
asked him to offer the bill at the re
quest of Mt. Peasants official board
1t is pointed out that the street tax
could be only imposed at the option
Of the Board of Mayor and aldermen
and this is all that was provided for in
Mr. Lipscomb's bill.