The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-15
| AUBURNDALE
PLANNING TO
PAVE HER STREETS

The information meeting called
by the Commercial Club for last
) Thursday was one OF the best at
tended and most harmonious ever
held here. Mr.. and Mrs. Horn
with the public spirit that has al
ways characterized them, offered
the use OF the spacious porches OF
the Ariana Hotel for the meet
ing, and went even further in
providing a large cooler of fruit
punch for the refreshment of all.
Seats for Is were provided, but
more than this number were pres
ent, and found accommodations
on the steps and lawn.
Secretary A. ]. Holworthy OF
the Polk County Good Roads AS
ISOLATION was the chief speaker
lie told of the plan followed i'll
Lakeland for street paving, which
has given almost universal sat
isfaction to those most concerned.
Under law passed by the last
Legislature city has the right
to have paving done entirely at
the expense OF abutting property
owners, each side paying for half,
or the city paying half in the
event that oneside touches city
property or public property such
as the bank OF a lake to which
no one claims riparian rights.
The one thing that makes the
! plan practicable is the arrange
melt by which the city enables
the property owner to pay his as
sessment in ten equal annual pay
mcnts, or more or less as may be
decided, 50 that, after all, the
yearly burden is very slight, and
no more than bond taxes might
be.
While this may seem some
thing of personal burden to the
people who have to pay the en-
tire cost of a certain road, yet the
actual financial outlay is about as
reasonable as by any other meth
cd, and moreover, every man is
getting all he pays for, and does
not have to pay any portion OF
the cost Of some other street in
different part of the city that he
possibly never visits, as he would
have to under bond issue.
There is also the great merit to
this plan that by it we can get
much more paving done than we
could by bond issue of any
size we could handle now, and at
the same time we will still have
the city's credit unimpaired, and
could use it for bonds later to
put in an electric light and water
plant.
/ Mr.. Holworthy- went into the
question of costs and showed that
an eight foot road of the sort of
sand-asphalt the county is now
laying would cost each owner of
a 5o-foot lot about So. so, divided
into ten equal yearly payments
a very insignificant burden in
deed. A fifteen foot road would
cost about twice as much, both
figures being based on clay al
ready laid He exhibited blocks
figures from localities where it
has been used, proved what most
OF our people already know-that
there is no question whatever as
to the permanency and value of
this kind of paving for Florida
roads.
The only problem in Auburn
dale would be the citv's portion
OF the paving cost for the streets
'.around the park and along the
south shore of Lake Ariana. Pos
siblv very small bond issue
may be necessary for this, but it
will be small indeed, and can be
paid for wholly by money now
wasted in patching sand trails.
Mr., lTolworthv went into de-
tails very fully. and answered a
number of questions. His re-
marks were listened to with pro-
found interest, and the plan
seemed to find much favor. The
people are now thinking and
talking it over. and definite ac-
ton will be taken verv soon. The
meeting was enthusiastic and
harmonious to a marked degree
A number of ladies were present,
md were not the least interested
listeners. Lake Alfred sent a
delegation. and Frank P. Good
man of that CITY made the promo
sition described in the next col
unn 1t was much regretted
that Attorney Snencer missed
connections and failed to show
up. In all others respectS the
meeting was 4 perfect success,
and very creditable work for IN,