The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-09-12

which is the law of almost all well
governed cities Of the country, that
they will fail If the people are made
acquainted with the facts and safe
guards thrown around this law.
Another thing in their argument
which will act as a boomerang is that
the majority of the property owners
have already settled the paving ques-
ton as far as they are concerned by
having their paving done before the
charter is to so into effect. The
people who have already paid for
their own paving will certainly not
vote against the charter because they
believe that those who hereafter have
paving done will be required to pay
their paving bills just as the other.
citizens of the city have done.
There is another reason why the
paving section should be the least OF
the peoples troubles and that is he
fact that Fairmontd iStrict has pro-
vided bond issue to pave every main
road through the city and that there
will be brick enough taken from the
streets to pave practically all the back
streets that need paving and the cost
viii be only for the grading and lay
ing the brick.
The particular provision OF the
charter which is objected to is that
provision by which the commission
crs may pave any street or section OF
the city and assess "all or any part
of the cost TO the abutting property
owners. Under the old charter
which is silent on the paving question
the paving is done under the acts OF
1895 which provides that the prop
erty owners, pay two-thirds OF the.
paving bills and the city one-third.
That is, the property owners on cith-
or side of the street pay each one
third of the cost. 1t is just as rca-
sonable, to suppose or argue that the
commissioners are not going TO
charge the property owners their Just
share Of the paving as to suppose
they are going to charge an unjust
proportion of it to them. Under the
new charter they can charge only
onc-tenth, One-cighth or one-fiith or
none of the bill to the property OWL
ers If they choose to do so.
But there IL another safeguard Tor
the people in the new charter ana
that is the debt limit Which In no
case, for any and all purposes, in
Guiding bonded debt and all outstand-
ing orders, nor under any circum-
stances can exceed so OF the value
Of the taxable property of the CITY,
and It is inconCeivable that the city
can be bankruptcd with $3.50 as
sets and SO Indebtedness.
That section of the charter Afford
ing the protection by limiting the Inc
dehtedness to So read as follows:
but said city shall not become IN
dcbtcd in any manner or for any pnr-
nose to an amount including existing
Indebtedness, in the aggregate e%-
ceeding two and one-haif per cehtum
on the value of all the taxable prop
erty therein. as provided in chapter
fifty!one of the acts Of the legislature
of one thousand nine hundred and
five, except for the purpose OF grad
ing, curbing, paving, macadamizlng
or otherwise permanently improving
the avenues streets, roads and alleys
therein, or constructing sewers there
in or elsewhere or acquiring, or TAX
ing land or easements therein for
street and sewer purposes, as provid-
ed for in this act, and for that pur-
nose in estimating existing indebted
ness special assessment bonds repre-
senting the zbstyof paving OIL. other
! permanent, improvements Of streets,
T. III 4 4 D