The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-03
HOW TO LOWER TAXES

many good things in your paper late
ly on the commission form of city
government that it does not seem pos.
sible the charter providing for it in
Mankato can fail to pass if again
submitted to vote of our people.
I Yet it seems to me that neither it's
advocates on the charter commission,
nor others here advocating it lay prop
er stress on the economy of the COM
mission plan.
What impedes progress here now
more than any other one thing is high
taxation Many farmers from this
county as well as from other parts of
the state, and many of various call
Lings from other states want to locate
here. Not few of all these have
within the last six months, looked
the city. over with view to locating,
land are pleased with our city, its fav-
orable location, advantages, etc. But
when they learn the amount of taxes
levied against any specific property
they shake their heads, and say they
cannot stand such high rate.
! Others ask the rate of taxation by
correspondence, and the writer has
been compelled to admit that our rate
is exorbitant, but during recent months
he has added that we are expecting
to adopt the commission form OF gov
eminent and thereby get relief. These
inquiries and Investigations show that
great numbers would like to locate
here to educate their children, and also
capitalists, manufacturers and jobbers,
who are deferred by high taxation, and
apparent lack of business enterprise
and enthusiasm.
If our people would face these draw
backs to our prosperity, and resolute-
Ily go to work to remove them, the
efforts put forth would speedily be
rewarded. The first thing would be
for all who want. better conditions tc
pitch in and boost the commission plan
into nearly unanimous success al
the polls. By that time all would be-
come so enthusiastic for lots of new
enterprises and rousing business re
vival, that these things would begir
to come with the taking effect of the
commission plan.
When other cities have made sucl
records in reducing both tax rates
and municipal Indebtedness and bring
ing in new and important enterprises
why may not Mankato. She can, an6
surely will, if few changes are made
in the charter, and then we put il
Through in the manner and spirit above
indicated. Then local improvement!
can be made without expressing any
one, and so may be increased. Bu
more than local improvements, we now
need reduced city taxation and in
ldebtedness, and more business.
t Any one reading such summaries OF
what is now being done in this coun
TRY along lines of city government
by commission, as appears in the
November Worlds Events, and has pa
Itriotic blood in his veins, cannot wei
lhelp taking off his coat and going t.
work for it here. If partisanship anC
any special interests cannot thrive il
"a fourishing city, let them languisl
rather than the city perish.
! If YOU can spare space for the above
and for that summary in your paper
it may help some to realize what we
need and how easily it may be brought
about, if we will only go at it vigor
ously-M. G. Willard
Apropos to what has been accom-
iplished by cities that have been run
under the commission form of govern
ment, the following from the Worlds
Events will be of interest:
| Galveston gave the world new
idea in the government of cities when
lat the time of it's great disaster in
September, 1900, it was granted the
commission form OF government by
tine Texas legislature. The tidal wave
had killed 5000 people and destroyed
property worth nearly $20,0O0,000. The
blow was so terrific and sudden that
The ordinary form of city government
was totally unable to meet the situa
ton. The new idea made the mayor
practically dictator with city coun
Gil elected at large and responsible tc
no particular section or faction. I'm.
tder that plan Galveston prospered as
never before. The expenses of munici
pal administration were reduced nearly
100000 a year and during the first
five years of its existence the floating
debt of the city was reduced 100000
while at the same time heavy expenses
were incurred in the improvement OF
city property. There was no increase
in the rate of taxation and city sal
aries were paid in cash.
''The wonderful success of the sys
tenn at Galveston attracted the atten
ton of other Texas cities, and one by
one all of the larger ones have adopt
ed the commission form of government
with the exception of San Antonio
which has never voted upon it. Among
others is Houston which has made a
great record. When the commission
took hold in Houston in 1905, there
was a floating debt of over 100000
and an empty treasury. The city had
practically no credit. The first work
under the new system was to file suits
flor delinquent taxes and nearly $780,
900 was brought into the treasury
within eioht months from this source