The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-10-26
SGAAOALOUS ABUSE OF
SPECIAL FUND is CHARGED
allegs That Money Was De-
voted 10 Payment OF Salaries
and Other Unlawful Purposes

| Definite aggressive form was tax
en- on last last night by the citizens
| movement in attacks ON the payinl
tax policy Of the city, started three
years ago. An attorney was last
night designated at largely attend
| ed meeting and the committee IN
| charge was authorized 10 start a fight
| extending to the United STATES sri.
| preme court, Al necessary Various
inequalities and illegal leyies arc
complained Of
A permanent organization was form
ed, with "A. y. Todd as president. j.
l.. Calvert, secretary; NJ Brown, at
torney; f. W. Hewitt, ". X. Patter
son, j. f. Schultz and w NJ. Mccoy
soliciting committee The movement
is backed by owners OF majority OF
lots in the paving districts. The name
of the organization IS the Paving
Taxpayers Association"
All parties Interested are asked TO
see the soliciting committee without
delay.
Objections Of Taxpayers.
The main objections Of the taxpay
ers to the paving tax policy Of the
Barnes and Farquharson councils are
on the ! per cent levy which is q
vague and shadowy thing except or
the tax receipt. and the per cent
levy for engineering
The engineering" levy was attack
ed in unmeasured terms by an who
spoke on the subject, and there Is
much feeling against it. The claim
Is freely made that the leyying ol
this tax is gross violation Of taxing
power for the reason that ii makes
owners OF property on paved streets
pay salaries for the city at large !
rhis hurts the paved street men and
women in several ways They pal
heavily for the paving, which is used
by everybody particularly the con
tractors and draymen and the auto |
mobilists, and that II Ii adding insult |
to injury to put on 8 per cent more |
TO pay the salaries item which the |
city at large is supposed to pay
There is further objection IN that |
the city does not even pay for the in
tersection. tnat being taxed to the |
property owner, too, In most cities |
it is claimed the city at large bears
the cost OF intersections, instead Of |
the cost along the blocks |
on either side The theory Of the |
taxpayers is that the paving Of
street is not "a strictly local improve
ment
There Is a further claim that the
fund has been scandalously abused
Il is estimated that on the 100000
assessments for paving about $35.000
accrued to the per cent fund, osten
sibly levied 10 pay for engineering
The association claims thai the en-
and legal advertising could
1ot possibly have amounted to $35.
100 on the paving done here In the
asst three years and that the fund
was diverted to salaries and other
hings. Such diversion is claimed to
)e Illegal from the fact the fund was
from citizens on the paved !
treets and then spread over the city
It large, paying expenses supposed to
)e borne by the city as a whole. mi
,ther words, it is claimed. advantage
vas taken OF a bond issue 20 create
class OF taxpayers on whom too
arge a share OF the burdens OF the
ity we're put The contracts between
he city and the paving company or
ginally called for set prices on ey-
rything paving. curb and gutter. etc
nd it is claimed these contracts are
Exceeded in bringing In any other
osts.
, Malodorous Senegamblan.
The ] per cent is a large and malo-
Orous Senegambian In the fuel sup 1
ly. Nobody seems to know why the
per cent fund was created or who
} ultimately to get t. About all that
5 known about it is that the legisla-
0re imposed the obligation and that a
he paving companies are very much .
leased because il is in the deal III
) supposed the paving companies
ave iokers in contracts to cover the
md in the fullness OF time. Is
For .ull Investigation OF all matters S
be organization is said to be able to 8
rovide ample funds it