The Republican journal., 1910-12-15
A STATEMENT FROM MR.. CODE.

To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL: So much
interest has been displayed concerning the
proposed change in the road location adjoining
my Northport property that it IL perhaps
worth while to restate the case from my stand
point.
leaves the Campground and until it reaches
Northport is such that the shore lots have .
depth of only one hundred feet from the bluff
to the road line In order to find room for my
buildings have purchased land on both sides
of the road. The situation is such that the
land with an area Of about acres is divided
into three separate parcels by the roads, with
one or more buildings on each.
Desiring to further improve the property by
additions to the buildings, and with flower beds,
shrubbery and walks, it became necessary that
the land be in a solid parcel. This could have
been accomplished without serious disadvant-
age to anybody by moving the road line to the
west boundary of my property.
1t is true that such removal would lengthen
the road line one hundred feet Taking into
account the fact that at an ordinary walk this
distance is covered in twenty seconds, together
with the further fact that the new road was to
be macadamized, it cannot be seriously con-
tended that the additional travel would i'm
pose any hardship worth considering upon
users of the highway.
My statement to the inhabitants of North
port was approximately as follows: ~ wish to
enlarge and beautify my property. This will
add to its taxable value, and may attract other
considerable improvements. Are you willing,
on your part, to submit to possible slight in
convenience" The answer as understand it
is this: 1--WE will accept your taxes, which
are greater in amount than those of any other
nonresident; we admit that you annually ex-
pend large sum in our community and that
you take nothing away; nevertheless we will
not submit to any inconvenience whatsoever
in aid Of your plans.
This being the attitude of major part of
the inhabitants what remains for me to do in
the premises? But one answer is possible. In
asmuch as the premises in their present condi-
ton are not satisfactory to me, l must and
shall remove to some locality where the per-
manent inhabitants believe that summer resi-
dents are entitled to be treated with reason
able consideration. The summer of 1911 will
be our last in Northport. The premises are
for sale, and failing to find purchaser at a
satisfactory price. an unlikely procedure in
view OF the attitude Of the town, the buildings
will be RACED to the ground for the material
they contain.
Northport has no sewerage system, no ade-
quate police force, no electric current. no
lighted streets, and not foot of macadam
road. Why, under these circumstances, its cit
liens take a stand that is bound to greatly
delay and perhaps forever prevent the bring
ing into being of taxable property, with the
ultimate result of furnishing funds for town
improvements, is wholly beyond my compre.
hension.
1t is species Of municipal insanity not
without precedent both in it's general charac-
ter and in the result that will in all probability
flow out of it.
10 sum up. Northport will be out the taxes
pay on my buildings and the improvements l
contemplated; it will be out the taxes on the
improvements upon land which two of nv
friends were to make next summer, and more
than all, it will be deprived of the impetus it
would have received as summer resort of
Importance by reason of these improvements;
1t Will be out its proportion of the ten thou
sand dollars which represent my annual sum-
mer expenditure in the town and vicinity. I
Will be out the use of my buildings, This I
can stand if Northport can.
Inasmuch as the thinking portion of the COM
munity, the press, the business and profess
sional men, were practically unit in the SUD-
port OF my petition, cannot think that either