The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-02-13
STREET IMPROVEMENT PROJE(I
Chamber OF Commerce Endorses
Scheme to Tax Abutting Property
for Paving Streets and Sidewalks.

heartily endorsed by the directors,
and the managing secretary was in
structed TO inform City Council that
the officers and directors of the COM
mercial organization will give to CITY
Council their full cooperation, and as
far as the directors are able, the
working cooperation of the entire
membership Of the Chamber of Com
merce in putting into operation at the
earliest possible date the street and
sidewalk improvements, sidewalks
especially under the authority re-
Gently vested in the voters and prop
erty owners of Sumter by constitution
al amendments and statutory powers
conferred on City Council to increase
the bonded Indebtedness of this city
for the improvements needed.
The directors of the Chamber of
Commerce take the position that the
year 1915 is perhaps the most auspic-
Gus and advantageous time that could
possibly be selected to make improve
ments in the streets and sidewalks of
Sumter for the reason that the work
can be done a great deal cheaper by
virtue of the abundance of labor, and
because labor will be cheaper, as
we'll as material. Hundreds of labor
ers will be furnished employment and
hundreds are needing now and will
need work later on.
Thousands of dollars will be put
into circulation by the money expend-
ed for the improvements which will
help all classes Of people and all lines
of business. The laborers will be as
sisted during a critical period of de-
preston and many kept with their
families from actual want. The fur
nishing Of work for hundreds of la
borers lessons greatly the burden of
charity which is necessarily dispensed,
and works a hardship on those who
are fortunate enough to have Of this
worlds goods to give to the needy.
this great amount of money to be turn
ed loose for legitimate work decreas.
es the menace Of vagrancy. and fur
nishes tenants for houses, and mon.
ey to be spent in various ways dur
ing the impending crisis due to the
European war.
Many thousands of dollars will be
saved in the cost Of the municipal i'm
provements which will mean q big
saving to taxpayers If the work is done
while labor and material can be Sc
cured at reasonable prices.
Under the abutting property tax
alton plan there is nothing arbitrary
about the contemplated street i'm
provements. as the property owners
who want their streets or sidewalks
paved have the whole say so. If
majority Of the property owners on a
street. or portion of q street petition
the city authorities to pave their
street the council must arrange to do
so. the property owners paying
one-third on one side OF the street,
the property owners on the opposite
side paying one-third. pro rata in pro-
portion to the number OF square feet
in front of each piece Of property, and
the citv navinp oootb;ra
Twenty. thirty. or even forty year
municipal bonds. as later decided up
on, will be issued, and one-twentieth,
one-thirtieth. or one-fortieth Of each
property owners pro rata share will
be payable annually until the bonds
are taken up.
The fact that City Council, with
Mayor Jennings taking the lead. ini-
tiated the movement for the abutting
property taxation plan which was ap-
proved at mass meeting of the Sum-
ter taxpayers unanimously before the
matter was submitted to the legisla-
ture, and subsequently to the voters Of
the state, at large, for constitutional
authority, is an indication that the
abutting property plan Of improve
ment is business-lilse method Of
procedure as the members Of City
Council are all well known and sue
cessful business men, large property
owners and taxpayers. and men who
would not offer anything not of legi-
innate and equitable value to their
constituents and fellow citizens.
AS soon as City Council orders the
special election to ratify the plan ar
rangements will be made to place the
details Of the plan before the voters
so that they may vote intelligently
upon all phazes Of the proposition.
Real Estate Transfers.