Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-06-19
june 18th, 1917.


expects to make Salem his home and
every person who pays taxes ON Salem
property whether he lives here or not
should be yitally interested in the char
ter amendments which are to be voted
upon at the coming municipal election
on July ninth. 1t cannot be said that il
the amendments are adopted that the SO
called Richardson bonding amendment
or some other bonding amendment will
not in the near future be submitted to
the voters, and If submitted that it will
not be adopted. 1t is, however, almost
a foregone conclusion that if the amend
ments which are to be voted on at the
special election are not adopted, some
change viii be made relative to paying
aor street improvements.
Without attempting to express an
opinion regarding the merits of either
the re-asscssment or bonding plan it is
the purpose of this article to give some
facts and suggest certain matters which
may aid those who are interested in
the question.
AT the present time the city is di-
vided into two factions. Some there are
who contend that the city as a whole
should pay for all street improvements,
mot only in the future but should re-
Iimburse those who have paid special
assessments for paving in the past.
.lOthers maintainin that the abutting
property owners should bear the entire
expense of street improvements and
that if the city were now to be bonded
to repay the money which has already
been paid for paving besides keeping
1.-THE streets in repair and paving new
streets it would bankrupt the city or at
Ileast make the taxes so high that new
businesses would not locate here and
many Of those that are already here
would be driven away.
Condition is Serious
In considering these questions no one
should be guided by his own selfish in
terests What is good for the city as
a whole should be good for at least q
large majority Of its residents and tax
payers Without business enterprises
residence property, as well as business
property, would greatly depreciate.
The city at the present time finds
itself in serious predicament. Many
Of the property owners refuse to pay
the instalIments on the special assess
ments for street paving when the same
become due and even refuse to keep up
the interest on the special assessment
AS a consequence the city has been
ohHoad - assess ali the property in
Itha citv IN order 10 raise money to pay
this interest which Us estimated at
about $l00, 900 year The man who
has paid or is paying his own street
assassmont = sbonld not be compelled to
pay taxes 10 help pay interest on some
lone else $ assessment. One of the amend
mnnts has Far its purpose the eollec-
i tion u the varions installments as they
lbeeome due as well rs interest.
OVE Recentlv tha supreme court declared
tbe assessments for the paving of South
! Uioh street and South Twelfth street
Invalid. Untler the present charter there
IL no method whereby the city can re-
assess the property abutting on these
sYronts ana Il L nroposed by one of
Ithe amendments to enable the city to
re.assess this property so that the city
las whole by taxation will not be COM
Inelied 10 nav for this paving. If some
sneh amendment is not adopted the
nronertv owners who have paid for the
ppay;no in front Of their property will
lpaisn hava "a hear mart Of the cost of
H. ,'a,-,no 20 those streets
Dsta From other Cities
many neonle contend that the system
lnow in vogue of recurring the abutting
nronertv owner to pay the entire cost
laf navinp the street in front of his
nronertv Is out Of date and unjust.
lSome there are who do not offer any
sol"tion of the problem, while others
would have the cit issue bonds to re-
limburse those who have paid special
assessments for paving as well as for
lthe nurnose Of making future improve
Iments.
IL might be helpful here to know how
.nsfs Of having in other cities are
Ianportioned. Data relative to this sub
iart il very limited. We are fortunate,
lhoweyer. in having a table which was
complied by the municipal committee
Iof the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce
lin April 1914, relative to the pave
lments IN that city. In referring to the
Iinvestioation made by the committee it
renorts as follows:
Communications were directed TO
laivie orgonizations and to city officials
lin number of the more important
Ieities N this country for the purpose
iof nroeuring reports and other data of
lthese cifies valuable information was
'HeeN 49, f.,,1