The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1910-01-15
WHAT THE OPEN ROAD . !:
.s@t MEANS I'm ZENITH CITY

WHAT The OPEN ROAD z
MEANS TN ZENITH CITY
NJ. i. =%. =s Jan. 12,z1s1o. h.
To the Voters of Duluth: IN
10 get a correct idea Of the Open
Road let us watch It in the process
of growth. 81. s. =.As II
It is4first acreage. The man with
acres plats the acres into blocks and
lots with streets, avenues and alleys
between and submits his plat to j
plat commission that represents the
public. -
When accepted the owner has deed
ed to the public the space occupied
by the streets, avenues and alleys
and he is no longer taxed upon his
acres but upon the lots as platted1
The acreage has been divided sharp
ly by lines on one side Of which the
Individual has all lawful rights and
on the other the general public has
equal rights and privileges under the
control Of the mayor and city council:
The city engineer will have a. lot
to say as to the grade of the streets
which must conform and fit into Che
scheme of the system of streets, ave-
nues and drainage OF the city.
i, The grade established thus without
regard to the individual owners will
bring some lots on grade, others
above grade and still others below
grade. The owner of the lot. must
always adjust the lot to the street.
The street is designed and laid out
for the general public and not for any
one individuals use. :%s. ...'.. =
In many cities where the charac-
recognized there is a more just dead
ing with the owners. A committee
goes over the street and awards dam
ages as we'll as benefits to the owners
of abutting lots. r.. $50, S..
In Duluth If you approach within
40 rods Of the board of public works
you will hear only Of benefits. ben
efits equal the cost Of construction"
is a siren song sung so long that they
believe 1t down there. ~,
The elevation and grade Of the
streets Is still further removed from
the control of the individual owner
by the fact that all of the elevations
and grades have been fixed with ref
erence to the first Duluth corner
stone located at the corner of Lake
avenue and Superior street, the start
ing point Of the first plat survey,
The Streets avenues and drainage
of the city are construction work
that has already cost about nine mil
lion dollars and whose cost will run
into many more millions of dollars.
In comparison our sa finest school
building, our largest office building
and our magnificent court house sink
into insignificance. 49,
1t is our most important, most ex-
pensive and most generally used
structure. The title of public i'm
provement is fitting description.
It is of the utmost Importance that
the distribution of the cost of these
public provisions be correct and
equitable among the tax payers Of
the city. II 4~...
Our present system is the most
damnable of any known It is q lit
tie worse than that of West Superior
It Is a. division according. to size OF
lot without regard to valuation. The
man with the $1,000 lot is liable to
pay as much as the man with, a $780,
900 lot, while the system Of streets
and avenues has contributed the
largest share of the unearned incre-
ment to the owner of the $4,000 lot.
The public has received the gift of
the land that the streets and avenues
occupy in ninety-nine cases out of a
hundred. The gift is received with the
express condition OF its being for
public and no longer for individual
use. 4: ."@ 81 ~, ~: ~ w 81
Now when the owner of the acres
has donated the space and he or his
grantors have paid the cost of the
original Improvement Ia 1t not time
for the general public after having
had the use Of the street and worn
it out to pay the cost Of necessary
|renewals7 :, .@%
The amendments to the charter
which are at present submitted to the
people by petition of over s. per cent
Of the voters of the city call for THIS
payment OF the cost Of the space at
the intersections Of the streets, ave-
nues and alleys to be paid from gen
eral taxation. 81 "a,
Nearly ALI cities do this. - -. /
another proposed amendment calls
for the payment Of cost Of renewals
from general taxation which will
make the man with $4,000 lot pay