The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-02-04
CITIZENS FAVOR BOND PLAN.
RESOLUTION PASSED AT MASS
MEETING ASKING THAT DEL
EGATION GIVE THEM
RIGHT To VOTE.
Would Raise the Bonded Indebtedness
Of City To Twenty Per Cent of Tax
able Property for Securing Funds
to Pave City Strtcts.-Rcsolution

WnereaS the city OF Sumter now
carries a bonded Indebtedness to the
extent allowed by the laws and con-
stitution o' the State -of South Caro-
lima. and
Whereas IL Is desirable that the
said city be allowed to further bond
itself for the purpose of obtaining
the necessary funds to pay for perma-
nent improvements to her streets and
sidewalks.
BE II resolved that the legislative
delegation from Sumter county be,
and hereby are. petitioned to intro
duce and support in the senate and
house OF representative of South Car
oiina. joint resolution to propose a
proper amendment to Article VIII,
Section Z. of the constitution of South
Carolina TO allow the city OF Sumter
to Increase her bonded Indebtedness
SO as not to exceed twenty per cent
Of the assessed value Of the taxable
property therein and that the con-
stitution be amended so as to give the
City Council of Sumter the right to
Issue these bonds as occasion may
arise without submitting the question
OF issuing them 20 the vote OF the
people"
This Is the resolution which the
mass meeting of citizens passed at
the court house on Friday night, aftey
the matter OF securing funds to pave
the streets. in case citizens voted to
pave the streets by the taxation of
abutting property. had been fully ex-
planned to them by Mayor Jennings.
who at the close of his talk submit
ted, proposition In the form of u
Resolution. Ills resolution was talked
1 OYER and discussed from many stand
"a after several amendments
- ~ ss Il 10 stated above. and
n. committcc of Messrs. Jennings. Nc
kiever. Shore. O'Donnell and Manning
was appointed to take up the matter
up with the legislative delegation and
have II carried through the general
assembly In the form OF a resolu-
tion. giving the people the right to
vote on the proposed amendment of
constitution.
The meeting was called to order by
Mayor Jennings. who asked DIR. Ba-
ker to take the chair. Mr. NJ. w.
seabrook was appointed secretary.
Mr.. Jennings was then called upon
by the chairman To- state the object
of the meeting. There were only
about thirty persons present. but those
seemed generally anxious to have the
streets and sidewalks paved and the
differences seem to be in the proper
methods OF deciding which streets
should be paved. this matter finally
being left To the discretion OF Coun-
Gil. as. II Is understood, was the case
In other cities. where permanent
street improvements had been made
by the taxing OF property abutting on
the street.
MIR. Jennings stated that the reso-
luton had been passed to allow the
citizens Of Sumter the right to vote
ON whether or not they would pave
streets and sidewalks by means of
taxing abutting property. IL this
measure carried. then the work could
not be taken up because in most cases
the people might not have the mon
~ nd hs. oil
money To lend them or 20 carry on the
work. In order to get around this
difficulty II was proposed To increase
the bonded Indebtedness Of the city
sufficiently to provide the funds. which
would be paid out for the permanent
improvements. and the property hold
ers. who had voted To pave their
streets, would repay their two-thirds
OF the cost Of improving the streets
In twenty years Tho city would is
sue the bonds II the amendment To-
the constitution carried at tho next
general election.
He thea introduced his resolution.
and II was seconded. MIR. McKiever
was not In favor OF the people of the
whole city voting on each street
separately, when the people ON the
street were the ones to circulate the
petition To- have the street improved
ana were To- bear the expenses Sew
cral others also spoke in favor of hay-
Ing only one election and allowing city
Council to issue the bonds without
second time submitting tho matter To
thc pu'Hc vote. The matter of in
creasing the h"ndcd Indebtedness
from fifteen Z" twenty per cent was
ncxt discussed, some OF those pres
ent seeming to think that N would
take too long TO pave the streets. II
only 100000 was raisec by increasing
the bonded indebtedness of the city.