Semi-weekly herald., 1916-01-10
WARNING TO TAXPAYERS.
Durango, Colo. Jan. 6, 1916.

. In lew days you VIII be called
upon to vote for or against an issue
of $l75,000 for high school build
ing. ] would advise every taxpayer
in this district to study carefully
what this enormous bond issue means
to himself or herself personally, and
not to be carried away by that cry
which some interested parties are
raising that no decent citizen could
possibly vote against any measure
which purported to be for the bene-
fit of our schools cry has been car
ried beyond the limit.
1t reminds one of the time when
laws had to be passed prohibiting, in
one of our western states, against
counties and towns bonding and mort
gaging their immortal souls in favor
of some proposed railroad and its
absolutely certain benefits, according
to redundantly worded and highly
colored prospectuses.
The articles l have seen so far in
favor Of the issue of these bonds,
maintain that they require only
small additional tax each year and
that the taxpayers won't hardly notice
it. But the amount they state is in
reality false and misleading, tho they
contine themselves TO the truth pri-
mariiy | want TO say to you that in
stead of the proposed bond issue cost
ing you S1.S7 to $500 per $1,000 ex-
| ira taxes each year, that before
they are paid up will cost you s100
! and upwards on the $1,000 valuation,
and that instead of building cost
ing you S175,000 you will have one
costing you 100000. Won't the prin-
eipal of these proposed bonds have to
be paid off some time, and in the
meantime won't a sinking fund have
10 be provided for which of neces-
sity will raise the amount of yearly
| taxes; or else an enormous tax col
iected at one time to pay them off.
Jr else reissue of bonds which
means more and more interest? Thus
oy the time the building is worn out
md back number you and your
children will have paid 100000 in
interest alone and still have the
9uilding to pay for.
Another item which should not be
overlooked in figuring whether this
ugh school tax will be too burden
ONE for you to bear is the fact that
whether we want to or not we will
ave to stand an additional tax of
$4,000 year to replace the amount
3hich heretofore has been paid into
he city treasury for the liquor lic-
enses and on top of that comes the
warning that we must begin at once
TO replace our water supply pipes,
changing from wood to steel at a cost
j great many thousand dollars.
School District No 8 is virtually
Durango city, hence all these extra
laxes fall upon you.
Another item for consideration
which | dislike to call attention to
out which is forced upon me by the
manner in which the interested parties
seem determined to force this bond
Issue thru by misleading statements
Is the fact that we are not increas-
ing but decreasing in population.
Whilst the county is gaining our dis
trict is losing, and fair considera-
Ion of the matter will, l am sure,
convince the great mass of taxpayers
that we do not need any such high
school building. No one can right
fully say we are neglecting our
schools. For last year we spent $780,
700 for schools in La Plata county
against $6S,O00 for all other purposes.
We are only u city of 1000 peo-
pie, men, women and children. and
do not believe more than 900 tax
payers in the district, and the in
terested parties are asking that for
hich city of 10000 people would
scratch their heads quite a while be-
fore granting.
In proportion to our popul .tion and
ACTUAL Vaiue OF property we now have
as good schools and as much floor
space for pupils as almost any small
city in the country. And even were
this not so there could be erected
buildings sufficiently good for all
purposes for. domestic science and
manual training for one years inter-
est on these proposed bonds.
Now there is a false impression en-
deavored to be made upon the minds
OF the district taxpayers, especially
in an article appearing in the Du-
range Democrat of 5th inst. that if
these bonds are issued then everything
will be rosy-hued and joy and PROF.
perity will reign supreme. Let me
ask you if any or you would think