Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-19

Moline, Sept 1S.-Editor The Ar
gus: The board OF supervisors at
its meeting last week unanimously
passed a resolution to submit to the
voters at the coming November cleo
ton the proposition of voting for or
against the levying of a special tax
Of 80 cents on each 500 assessed
valuation in order TO pay the outstand-
ing Indebtedness of the country.
As a great many voters do not I'M
derstand what this means and why it
1 is necessary, l will explain.
Rock Island county is and has been
for years heavily in debt. This debt
was largely created because the court
house cost considerably more than
the bonds issued for its payment.
! Nov. .. 1894, bonds to the amount
of Sl25,OOU We're voted TO build the
court house. These bonds were sold
March 16, 1895 for $l31,550. The
court house with its fixtures, grounds,
etc, cost $IS5.OOO or S53,45O more
than the bonds sold for. This debt,
although the bonds have been paid
and retired by borrowing from the
banks. has been a burden GA the su-
pervisors from that day TO this. In
reality, the court. house is not fully
paid for yet.
The state Legislature over which
the supervisors have no control has
enacted laws which compel us to have
primary elections, a probate Judge
with assistants and recorder with as
sol rfa Of
Gals together with the fitting up of
their Offices the supplies for same
and the pay of the judges and clerks
Of election, ballots, voting places, etc,
has been and is a large amount The
interest on money borrowed from
banks TO enable the county to pay its
current bills has averaged $1,000 per
year for the last six years. A pri-
mary election costs the county $500
ald general election $4,000.
Many tax payers think this five mill
TAX will be a burden and hardship
on them. In reality. it is so light that
the average man will not feel it. To
explain. Suppose the assessed value
OF your property real and personal
10 500. You Will for one year pay
50 cents extra; if assessed $500, 81
extra; if $500. $3.50 extra if $500,
$3.50 extra and so on. Your taxes
for years have varied up aad down
and you never paid any attention
TO 1t, did you? II this five mill tax
was assessed against you without
' your knowledge of what it was for
; you would never know it, would you?
The burden Of this special tax will
fall on the railroads, street car com
paHy and corporations, not on the
average man. Not one of these large
Industries has entered a complaint
Their managers are business men who
know that no business, public, private
or county can exist when it is Obliged
to borrow from year to year the mon,
e with which TO pay its bills The
inevitable end is failure and the sher-
- IN closes the door. The board OF
10 supervisors faces this situation.
II Is the general impression that all
l. taxes pass through the hands OF the
b supervisors and that they have un.
s limited money TO spend. OF each 81
q tax that you pay, the county gets
Y d NIUE LAci . IMAM OutClBALuB SCHOOLS
. ever oIe-third and the state about
ouetwelfth. You can readily see
how little the board has TO work on
p The supervisors by al aye and nay
vote have pledged themselves TO use
: II authorized in November, this mon,
ey for no purpose except paying the
= debts Of the county. Not a dollar
can or will be used for anything else
We want the public TO know thai
a We would not recommend this specia
tax unless the situation demanded it
Bills we're allowed al our last meet
r ing that were six months a4d ovel
Old and $4,000 vas borrowed il
I anticipation OF next springs taxes
with which 10 pay them. The inter
I. est on this 5000 viii be $4,000
y per year. Rock Island county witt
the wealth within its limits Shout,
< never be obliged 70 borrow a doIlal
I 81 correct and just assessments were
/. made
Il Now let as all be boosters for thi.
g tax; vote ana work for it yourself
RI aad get your friends TO work and vot,
, fer II. You WI. If this vote carrie.
be proud -, yoG live IL E county llat