The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-12-21
OPPOSES BOND ISSUE.
Hr. Sam T. HOdgesP Proposes New Meth
Cd Of Assessment For Street Ims
DrOYement. s.

Afs sam lie HOdGeSPrOPOSeS New Meth
Cd Of Assessment For Street Ims
prOYement s
To The Editor Of the Hustler:
II haYsgHeAnFin your issue of the 18th
the call made blythe Honorable Mayor
and board Of Aldermen for q Bond
election Tor January 10th, tosput bith4
Hlttis on Main zSreet and Anderson
A4ends, at the expense OF the whole
town of HendersonYille sae
ana Sone Of the citizens or Henderl
sonEilleg who believes in progress and
improvements Raong these lines, but
Also beH0Ve in Q SQUARE sDeaP' to
that sothSr4 unfortunates c1dss Of citi-
zens who are not fortunate enough to
own Main Street or Anderson Avenue
property.
In view OF the fzct that this pro-
posed measure is one that benefits a
! favored few lat, the expense of the
many, / believe that it does not de-
serve the votes of our Citizens.
In almost al lof the cities OF North
Carolina, part, varying from one
half to two thirds of the costs Similar
improvements, is assessed against the
| kahuttiuV prppeFtys Thisy..it seems to
me, would. be the proper plan for US
to adept egsss T*S
II the residents and property own
ePss .on the other less favored street
of fAHendersonville were to ask the
| owners aof main street property to al
| low themselves Is be taxed for SIM
| liar improvements on. our streets we
| wotlld hear alcry2 OF aprotest that
would make the Mecklenburg Declar-
atibn look lie Pink Tea affair.
II one will take the time and trouble
to- look up the tax assessments levied
against the business property OF our
city, and the rents received for same,
and compare them with the assess
ments levied and the rents received
for the residence property on other
streets keswill see that the owners OF
tproparty On Main Street and Ander-
son AvehIe can well afford to pay at
least one half. efgthe cost of the need
ed improvements.
This method would work no hard4
ship on any one, for one fourth of the
cost could be assessed against abutt-
ing property on each side of the streets
named, and an ARRANGEMENT made sim
lara to the one made for the payment
III IuO CGu1GAt .SluC-W W11h6S VIZ pay
meAts made annually for ten years,
the city to pay the other half OF the
COSTS and an OF us to be taxed for
same, and then we would all be help
ing in the work
should be glad to see the call for
this election Withdrawn and one sub
stituted calling for the work on Main
Street and Anderson Avenue to be
done along the lines as suggested
above and also similar work, or sand
clay. as may seem advisable to the
"nowers that be-, on the other streets
of the city and the abutting properly
ossessed for an amount not TO eXceeo
two thirds of the cost OF same.
Another thing which should be en-
bodied in these arrangements Is sIep-
ninp stones for street crossings on the
resident streets
We have a large amount OF cement
sidewalks, but no way OF crosslnss
the streets in bad weather eAoepV
nlouxing through the mud.
Stepping stones at the corners WouIu
not cost much and would De an I'M
provement much NEEDED.
As this bond issue now stanos
shall do all in my power to deIeat II
bocause I believe it to be unfair ana
uniusu T have fRlked this matter
over with a large number OF the pro
perty owners and residents OF the city,
members of both political parties and
with very few exceptions, they think
about this matter as do.
Let us by all means progress-out
let us give every citizen of the city
a "Suuare DEAL as we do so.
Yours very truly,
SAM T.HoDGEs.