The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1912-08-30
PRESCOTT NEVADA COUNTY ARKANSAS.
citiee and towns of more than 600
nppu1afiop

populations.
1t can affect the taxes of no one OUT
side the cities and towns and i can
affect the ia les of the people livinc
in the cities and towns only when
these people say themselves shat th.v
want 10 tax themselves to secure pua.
lie Improvements For this reason II
s believed hat there will be practi.
callF 10 opposition 10 the amendneH
among the country voters as the jai
ter Will be willing &c concede to the
people OF the cities and towns the
right TO act on matters of this kind
which affect themselves alone and can
have no effect whatever on the resi-.
dents of the country.
If this amendment is adopted bonds
can be issued to raise money only for
public improvements of a general ma
ture and for the use and benefit of
The entire city or town.
The amendment provides that bonds
can be issued only for the following
purposes:
For the funding or refunding OF
any existing debt of any city OF the
first or second class or such incorpo-
rated towns incurred prior to the adop-
tion of this amendment; for the con-
struction of public highways, streets,
alleys and boulevards; for the pur-
chase aud equipment of parks and
Fairgrounds, either inside or outside
of the city limits: for the construction
of drainage or sanitary sewers; for
the purchase and construction of city
halls, prisons, libraries, hospitals, fire
stations and luipment, viaducts and
bridges and for any and all public
buildings. structures, or grounds that
proper and economical administration
of its government: and for the pur-
chase, requirement or construction Of
waterworlls. lighting plants and street
railways: and for any public improve
ment of general nature for the us
and benefit OF said city, except to aid
in the cons nstruetion of railroads or en-
terprises operated by any private cor
poration. :
For these purposes and no other
can bonds be issued under the propos-
ed amendment.
Attention is also called particularly
TO the fact thai the people alone will
be responsible for the issuing of bonds
under the amendment and that no
debt can be created unless the people
ionraA Gb Ia araotnI
1t may be urged" says statement
given out by the executive committee
in charge of the submission of the
amendment, that the city officials
can saddle an issue of bonds on the
unsuspecting citizens OF any city or
town: but this is not the case. No
mayor or town council can do 1t; poll
ticians cannot do it; business mems
organizations cannot do it; the people
alone, voting at the election held for
that purpose after being fully advised,
can do it, Arkansas is the only State
whose cities and towns do not possess
this power. The result has been dis
astrous. Our cities and towns have
Jagged behind those Of other States.
We lack good streets, sewers, water
works, lights. parks. hopsitals. city
halls, and other public buildings. prop
er fire protection, play grounds for
children-almost everything that goes
to make an up.to-date city. The low
limit Of taxation at the present time
makes II impossible to acquire these
things. and then to acquire them by tax
alton would practically amount to con-
fiscation. Neither would II be just
and fair for us to lay such q burden
upon our own shoulders, for when
these improvements are made, many
will be attracted to our cities and
towns who will enjoy the advantages
OF such improvemehts, and who should
help to pay for them, The only way
to get these improvements and the
only way to eeuitablys distribute the
burden OF paying for them 10 by is-
suing bonds-as provided in proposed
Amendment No. Is
Much of the money raised by these
bonds will 60 back to the people for
labor and materials. II is not TO be
sent away or sauandered--the people
get the benefit OF every dollar"