Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1915-07-21
Salisbury, N. G., July 81, I!
THE BOND ISSUE.

LILO DOhIU VI AluoImou udVo
called an election for Saturday,
the 7th day of August, for the
purpose of voting 5000, 600 in
bonds into their hands, ostepsibly
to be used as follows: $55. 600
for schools in, territory that has
never paid a cent into the city
treasury; 1925. 600 for a water
plant that will be just as much
subject to the rise and fall of the
supply az we now have and NO
purer, in fact q mere catch basin
for tine sewerage and poisonous
dyes emptied into it at Cooleemse
and 500, 600 said TO be for sewer
age and streets.
Now, the troubles with this
scheme are 20 numerous that it
would take several months to en-.
umerate them and inform the
public as to their probable effects.
For instance we have no guarantee
and can be given none that this
large sum of money will be spent al
indicated, even if the people were
in favor of the items that + sug.
gested, or we might say t b e
"planks" in the money lords
platform, for, like all platforms
they are made merely to catch
votes, and, when carried, it will be
spent just as though it Yves private
funds, and as the ruling element
of the board may choose regard.
lesi of the public's wishes, at least
thus it has been with their con-
duct SO far. The items mentioned
in this platform have not been
demanded by any %appreciable
number of the taxpayers of the
community, and the need for any
of them is not pressing. If we
are not mistaken there are now, or
should be on hand a lot of unused
bonds for street work, also $780,.
600 borrowed, OF permission grant.
ed to borrow, for the purpose of
laying another pipe line from the
pump house to the stand pipe. If
this last item has been used, or
accounted for, it slipped our 40,
tioe. If any part of the proposed
issue is to be used in the recently
acquired sections of the city we
are at q loss to understand how
people who have never, and before
having paid anything into the city
treasury, can reasonably expect
anything, certainly not for some
years to come Nor do We believe
our newly acquired citizens who
have not been accustomed to pay.
ing CITY tsxes. will take kindly
to DOUBLE TAXES and then
SOME. The renter will especial
ly be awake to the situation for,
with an increase of ten cents per
month in taxes on q piece of prop
erty, his rent will SURELY Jump
ap q dollar per month or more.
Thus the renter will PAY the
LANDLORDS TAXES and give
him q PROFIT besides.
We have talked with scores of
citizens, men who have lived here,
done business here and paid taxes
here for twenty to fifty years and
longer, men who by their efforts,
money and enterprise. men who
by reason of priority, public and
private interests and Justice
HAVE A RIGHT TO BE HEARD,
and have found very few who ia.
vor the proposed deal. So, it is
not the homestead owners of Sal
isbury, nor a majority of the rell.
able business men of the city, who
wish to add this burden to our al.
ready high taxes.
It is not cur desire to create
prejudice against any good mon
who may wish to &c take up their
abode in Salisbury, but rather to
give them the right hand of fell.
lowship with a hearty welcome,
yet the little smart Alexis who
come and try to take charge of the
community before getting their
seats warm need to be shown that
the place has not and will not Re
turned over to them to run az
they may wish. Take note of these
who are "boosting" this bond is.
sue. and remember they may not
be here when the time comes to
pay the bill. Don't allow them
to mislsad you.
In regard to the present water
supply the analysis shows that
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