Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-04-26
A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT

meeting of the city council in the att;-
tude of three members of that body, a
dangerous precedent was established
when it was decided to refund money
paid by certain citizens for improve
ments in opening and grading a stree.
If council does not rescind it's action
in this matter, there will surely be SO
many others to ask the same favor
that the whole business of city gov
eminent will be upset 1t will prove a
boomerang that will only serve 70
cause trouble, chickering's and endless
differences to council for the adjudica-
ton of that body, always with the puc-
pose in view of a rebate for the per-
sonal interest of the petitioners.
The precedent established by coun-
ell in it's recent action is wrong in
principle. In accordance with this ac-
ton, the city virtually spends munich
PAL funds for the benefit of private in
dividuals. The city has no right and
cannot in justice use the money of
taxpayers to develop private properly
when individuals instead of the city
receive the benefits.
The sum involved is a comparative
ly small one, but the principle is as
big as municipal government Itself.
There is no opposition to the petition,
ers who made this claim. Personal
feelings are eliminated from this dis
cussiOn. 1t is the principle involved in
this action of council which is essen
tally vicious and which, if the action
is not rescinded, will establish a pre-
cedent that is unsound and danger
Gus. This action was taken with the
avowed intention of encouraging pub
lie improvement and advancement, 1T
will serve to produce exactly the oppo-
site effect Instead of leaving such
public improvement to the initiative
and aggressiveness of a wholesome
competition it will foster in promoters
q spirit of saddling off upon the mu-
nicipality the burdens which they
should bear themselves and for the
care of which they receive ample prof
its from their improvements.
The matter is one of such grave i'm
port and will prove of such far-reach-
ing effect that members of the city
council should not rest until it has
been reconsidered, and this dangerous
precedent removed, Such a precedent
would be subversive of the very best
interests of municipal government. Ii
would serve to defeat the very ends
and designs of active and wholesome
municipal growth. The city always
offers aid and cooperation to those
who will improve and build up, but
this aid is not meant to be employed
to any such extent as that urged by
the petitioners.
There is yet time for council to re-
trieve this false step. Sober and care,
full consideration of the matter should
serve to convince any member of the
board of aldermen that their action re-
Gently was a mistake. A reconsidera-
ton of this action should be taken at
the next meeting of council When the
matter is taken up once more under
such a reconsideration, the members
OF council should settle this question
right. They should settle it SO there
will be no comeback" in it. They
should remove this dangerous preced-
ent so that such claim will not again
lie made upon the municipal body.
Probably it is true that the best
farmers are too busy working that
they don't have time to get blue about
the crop prospects,
Now who will undertake the heroic
task of trying to count the rs" in
Colonel Roosevelt's autobiography.