The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-06-24
Mr., HIGGINS ON Bonds
ANU MUNICIPAL MATTERS
Editor telegram:

Editor TeleSram:
Under present conditions and with
the same metho1s that were persued
in the last bond issue the voters Oh
Lakeland will not vote the additional
$i50,000 proposed by the City Coun-
Gil. The people are little sore over
the fact that in the last bond issue
the council had maps publicly dis
played at the post-oliice and other
places showing the streets that were
to be paved and the location of all
the sewer lines and now find that
only about two-thirds of the work
will be done.
The next time the people vote for
such improvements it will be a
straight business proposition and no
half baked guess at what will prob
obly be done. This is only my opin-
ion formed from the many remarks
hear on the streets.
Personally, l have kick coming
from another source. 1t Is not good
business to pay full price for electric
lights and water and then go down
in your pocket and pay interest on
the cost of these plants. There ought
to be and is enough profit in operat-
ing these plants to pay the interest
on the bonds that built them-yes,
and furnish light and water to the
city free of cost. The waterworKs
and light plant and sewer plant
should not cost one penny in taxes.
The water and light plants are al
ready more than self-sustaining and
the sewer plant can be made so as
soon as it is put in operation. am
in favor of bonding for all the i'm
provements and extensions these
plants can protitably use and then
make them pay the interest on the
bonds but ! am very much opposed
To the general public paying taxes to
operate them or pay interest on theS>
bends. 1t is not good business. Sixty
seven thousand dollars of our bon
money went into the water and ligths
end | understand about $4,000 is
going into sewerage. The yearly in
tcrest on these bonds are $3.50,
and these plants should be made to
pay this interest and take it off of
our tax books. When there is some
assurance that this will be done then
can cheerfully vote any reasonable
amount Of bonds for extending the
street paving and if it included the
building of roadways and parkways
! around lakes Miro rand Morton and
Wire would become enthusiastic fol
the bonds for that would = good
misunderstanding business. believe
we ought to 60 little slow on the
gas work at present and be very sure
that it will pay and also that it will
not hurt the electric plant more than
the profits on the gas; there is nt
urgent demand for it just yet. | an
not ready to vote bonds for munici-
pal ice plant, nor for a municipal
rotate patch. | am for school bonds
I and believe it is hardly possible tt
! spend too much money for schoo
houses. The little fellows should
have these even if the old folk dc
.;ave to economize at some other
point. These are the private opin
ions of one voter publicly expresse' /
If you have something better, tel
Us about it and may change tt
your views.
Properly handled we can put into
the sewerage and water and lights
|
II that is needed with no cost to thu
taxpayer. We can also spend $50,
0000 for schools and $4,000 on the
lakes and streets and pay less take.
than we now pay but it can not bt
done on happy-go-lucky methods
just any old way-guess at it and
20 ahead. 1t takes carefully pre-
pared system an dmatured plans tt
do the business of town like Lake
land in such way that the tax.
payer will be glad to pay taxes
knowing that it is the best spenj
money that he pays out.
N. A. HIGGINS.