The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-09
CITIZENS MEETING TUESDAY
NIGHT NEKBERRY, s. e,
MARCH 6, 1917


NIGHT NEWBERRY, s. e.,
MARCH 6, 1917
A meeting Of citizens of Newberry
was held in the courthouse at eight
o'clock to hear the report OF the COM
mittee appointed at the meeting Feb
ruary 9Th to investigate the question
of paving streets and to report at
meeting to be called by the commit
tee. Notwithstanding the fact that
the committee had given full notice
Of the meeting, the attendance was
small Mayor Wright presided.
The report Of the pavement COM
mittee was made by Geo. W. Summer,
chairman, and was as follows:
TO THE CITIZENS OF THE TOWN
OF NEWBERRY:
We, the undersigned, your commit
tee, appointed by the Mayor of the
Town Of Newberry under authority
Of the citizens of said town at meet
ing held on the 9Th day # February,
1917, beg leave to make the following
report:
Your committee met at the council
chamber on the 21st day Of February,
A. D., 1917, at which meeting there
was present in addition to your COM
mittee, the Mayor, Clerk and Treas
urer of the town and the City Attor-
ney. Your committee organized by
electing Geo W. Summer, Chairman,
and under authority of the committee,
the Clerk and Treasurer Of the town
acted as Secretary.
Your committee, after full investf-
cation and another meeting held on
February %, 1917, decided that the
town could safely within the limits
issue 5000 Of refunding bonds to
refund the floating Indebtedness, and
S85, 900 of street improvement bonds.
Your committee, however, in lnvesti-
eating the matter and considering tha
advisability OF issuing street improve
ment bond, decided that it would not
be wise to issue such bonds at this
time as there was no provision for the
Town of NeWberry to levy any assess
ments on abutting property owners 10
pay part OF the costs of paving streess.
Should the toyn now issue $4,000 OF
bonds, such Issue would not pave any,
large area of streets. II We wait u1-
til there can be an amendment to
the constitution which will permit;
Ahe assessing OF abutting property
owners to pay one half of the paving
costs and then issue ~S5,000 in bonds,
it would enable the town to do twice
as much paving and thus be OF great
er benefit to the town. We consider
the only equitable way to do such
Improvement is for the property own
ers benefited directly by such paw
ing to pay at least one half OF the
expense. 1t is impossible for the
town to pave every street and 1t IS
not fair to those citizens of the town
living on streets that are not paved
to be forced to pay in taxes their
share of the entire paving when such
paving is directly beneficial to the
property holders who happen to live
on the streets that are paN d. Should
we now issue the eighth. : thousand
in bonds for street paving and thirty
five thousand refundir1g bonds, the
town would practically be bonded to
the limit and it would be years be-
fore any additional bonds could be
issued, and as consequence the
town would only have about half the
paving that it would by waiting aoous
two years until the constitution can
be amended allowing the assessing OF
abutting property owners. While
YOUR committee realizes that there Is
urgent need for such improvement at
once, We believe that it is far better
to delay the matter for two years and
do larger amount Of work and do it
on basis that will be fair and just
to oll of the citizens of the town.
We therefore recommend that no
steps be taken to issue bonds for
street improvement until the desired
amendment to the constitution can be
obtained which will allow the assess
ment of abutting property owners.
Respectfully submitted,
GEO. ". SUMNER.
J. A. BURTON.
J. Y. JONES.
ARTHUR KIBLER.
J. Y. MCCALL.
Jas. B. Hunter moved the adop-
ton Of the report. Jno. H. Wicker
seconded the motion. Remarks were
made by Mr.. Hunter, Mr.. Wicker, Or.