The Cairo bulletin., 1911-01-21
THE ROAD DISTRICT TAX.

1t is by direction of the Road Dis
trlct commissioners that the county
clerk mas extended the road tax as
usual this year, for District No. q;
and it is by decision of the Board
of County Commissioners that tae tax
is extended in the city of Cairo, that
body having decided that Cairo was
not eliminated from the district by
the change In boundaries of the dis
trict
The position OF the Board OF
County Commissioners comedies with
that Of Judge Dewey, that the city be
cane part Of Road District No. I
BY the adoption Of ordinance No. 16l
in 1901, which declared that the
city Oh Cairo, by Its city council. here
by elects to be included in Road lHs-
trict No. z OF the county of Alexander
in the state of Illinois, as the said dis.
trict is now or MAY HEREAFTER
be formed or established by the Board
OF County Commissioners" etc.
When. some months ago, the boun-
daries OF the district were asked te
be extended by strong delegation OF
citizens OF Cairo, for the avowed pur-
pose of permitting the extension of
roads northward into the county!
I with money collected in Cairo, 1t was
contendod by Attorney Leek, appear.
ing for opponents of the movement
THAT any change in the boundaries of
the road district would mean the ere
alton of d new district, that the state
law prohibited the county board from
creating any road district To include
an incorporated city, and such city
could become part Of such district
only by adopting an ordinance declar-
Ing itself TO be part of such district.
II was developed in the course Of
tho discussion that If the contention
OF the opponents was true, then Cairo
had not been q part of Road District
No. since 1905, because in that year
tho boundaries of the district as con-
stituted in 1901, (wlhen ordinance No.
16i was passed. were cha1ged; that
all the taxes collected from the peo-
pie after 1905 We're Illegally collected,
and all the road commissioners elect
ed after 1905 by votes of the people
OF Cairo We're illegally elected.
The County Commissioners, it APP
pears. after taking the matter under
adyjsement, decided that Judge Dew
ey's position was correct and that
Cairo continued to be part Of Road
District No, by virtue of ordinance
No. lGi passed In 1901, which dects-
ion carries with 1t the conclusion tina.
to change the boundaries Of the dis.
trict is not to create new district, d
question which, 1t seems, has not been
passed upon by the supreme court OF
the state and concerning which the
law Is not clear.
Against this position, however, is
the attitude OF the present city au-
thorities. who, by the mayors veto of
an ordinance passed some time ago
tthe purpose of which was to reiter-
ate the ciiy's purpose to become a
part Of the district, and the councils
failure tofpass the measure over the
veto---also by resolution protesting
against the city becoming part OF
the district as proposed to be ex-
tended-liave declared that the city is
not now q part Of the district On
the strength OF this declaration a
number IA bic tax payers will refuse
w pay the road tax this year, and it
\ would be- nothing more than right
that thc little fellows SHOULD follow
snlt. untll the matter IA settled.
AZ " llknly that some proceedings