The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-09-18
CHAMLER OF COMMERCE NOTES.
street Building and Cleaning Under
the Tcn-Ncar Plan.

The Ten Year Plan Of dnancino,
street construction is so called To dis
tinguish it from bond issues. So Of
ten difficulties are experienced in Sc
curing bond issues and for a long time
some other method had been sought.
The term bond issue has very Sc
rlous meaning to the average tax
payer. NO matter how low the taxes
or city may be, any effort to secure
Improvements by increasing the taxes
always meets with strong opposition
ard the majority of cases submitted TO
the vote q the people fail of carry
ing by the proper majority. Often a
city finds itself handicapped and I'M
aole TO Issue more bonds because it's
bonded Indebtedness has alreav reach
ed the limit.
The Ten Year Plan. in Il Very large
measure, relieves such a condition.
The construction of streets under this
plan, however, places the burden Of
cost upon the abutting propertv-own-
ers' while the bond issue is borne by
all the taxpayers of the city. There
Is q wide difference of opinion on this
question of who should bear the cos,
of such Improvements. Those who
support the contention that the abut-
ting proerty-Owner should pay the bill
argue that the property is greatly en-
hanced in valve and that those prop
erty-owners enjoy the direct benefit of
the construction. The opposition con-
tends that the whole city derives the
oeneht; that the man who lives on an
unimprOved street should be called
upon to- pay his proportion of the
cost of street building for the privi-
lege of using the improved street;
and that the property OF the entire
city is enhanced LEI value because of
the street Improvement
A simple statement of the COM
ponent parts Of the Ten Year Plan is.
that it provides for the payment of
the cost of The construction by the
abuttihs property ow2trs and further
that this cost shall be paid in equal
annual installments during a period
Of ten wears, with or without interest.
If no iaterest Is allowed it is alto
gether probable that the contractor
Will include this interest charge in
the cost of the street. 1t is this fact
t1at causes the serious objection to
tfle plan. 1t increases the cost of con-
stSuction in some cases as high as
twsnty pei cent.
ehe pia2 in this form gives the con-
tractor little pr05eetion. 1t makes
him respo uBible fNr the collection OF
his money. Ii property-owners ye-
fuse to paY, he must briug suit. \
mo fitcatiom will overcome this situ-
atinu.. The aity should guarantee the
payment OF these debts and also nay
the interest on the deferred payments
1t Ls easy tG see shat otherwise the
contractor III com mpelled to make his
bid sufficiently high to cover prob-
able. loss in. tine collection OF his
claims and to Cover the interest
charges on the. deferred payments.
The usual method Of procedure is,
first To obtain the enactrment Of a law
by rhe legislature empowering the
city to construct streets after this
manner. The law proxtdes that the
structiOn of any street. that the cost
OF SUCH shall he borne by the abut-
ting pr@penty-owners and that such
dust shan be Bnid in annual Install
nents during a period Of ten Years
In drawing the bill the modification
above referred to should be included
This will 60 & long way in answering
the arguments of the opposition. The
law SO drawn places the greater bur-
dem apon the abutsing property OVID.
er who enjoys the greater benefit c,f
the Improvement acd yet requires t!ac
entire ciuxenary to pay a portion. of
the cost for the privilege of having
aud using the Improved streets.
In Lexington. Kentucky, Mihere
many miles Of streets have BEEN paw
ed during the last year or two under
this plan, another admirable. moGti-
cation. not included in the Law, is in
force. After the General COnncil has