The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-05-18
GO UP
In SMOKE AS CITY
COUNCIL POSTPONES
Opposition Proves Too
Strong to Put Matter
Over Now
CONSTRUCTION WOULD
PROVE CONFISCATION
Unanimous Vote for -Four
Members of Aldermen
Delays Action

Tuesday night of last week the ope-
lousas city council, by unanimous
vote OF the four members present
postponed action on sidewalks inde-
finitely. The action came on a mo-
tion made by Mr.. Clark of the fourth
ward, duly seconded, and put to q
vote by the mayor.
Strong opposition to the building
of the walks at the present time was
showed when a number of petitions
signed by property owners protest
ing against the building of the walks
under the prevailing financial and in
dustrial conditions Backed up By
these petitions came a big array of
property owners themselves anA
speeches were delivered by several
citizens, showing the inadvisabslity OF
the city council ordering the work
proceeded with at the present time
Taxes have climbed steaedily; as
sessments have creeped ever upward
and to add further to this burdeA
would prove practical confiscation Of
property. An instance OF this il
shown by the following example:
A small piece OF property, located
not far from the parish court L0use
is assessed for six hundred dollars
The sidewalk fronting it cos. rhen
such work was cheap, abo 1t one ann
dred dollars or slightly more City
taxes for 1920, including seN erage
amounts to over nine dollars Ths
state, parish, school and other spa
cial taxes, are unknown. but can be
figured by the assessmsn. md TIE
property rents for s3s per Ysavl
Nothing Is figured for insuranee
and upkeep of the property and as
matter Of fact there has been no ue
keep for the owner has not been. abla
to pay the taxes and keep the prop
erty repaired on the small rental re-
ceived.
This is &C oncrete example Of what
concrete walks would cost, along With
regular taxes, the average poor hgme
owner in opelousas. ConfiscaticA.
some state, and that is not far from
the fact. That is why the cry d
build a nation, state. parish,
city of homeowners" has SO far tan
ed to bring results. II owning homs
. is going to prove burdensome becauss
of increasing taxes. then the averags
, poor family would prefer to rent, aS
en- though rents mount upward also
1t has been closely figured tha
. the fifteen miles of concrete walk
, the council proposed to build wouil
have cost the property owners tw.
hundred thousand dollars at least
) One-fifth, or forty thousand dollars
> would have been paid cash, the Re
naming four-fifths being payabls i
one, two thre eand four years, Q
forty thousand dollars annual tax q
the ones paying the cost. II doesn'
: take much mental calculation to nl
ure what this burden would have bee
:, to the people, added TO the oths
i costs of city, state and parish govern
4 ments, as well as income tax, exces
i profits taxes and other taxes galor
n Surely big sum to pay for Cover
V ment and modern conveniences, On
c would remark after figuring the e
70 tire cost.
)" One Opelousean stated to newsp
e per man that ne had a vacant lot 4
j. which he had paid one hundred d
re lars. The lot, he said, at preset
g. prices for real estate would bring q
,r over fifty dollars. The sidewa
would have cost him two hunded az
u fifty dollars at the very least. Simili
is examples can be found all over Il
n city.
ct Sidewalk material is still at PEI
at prices but is due for mighty tRi
III BILE soon. BY deferring action Tor
ar least year perhaps hundred tho'
IN and dollars will be saved the pre
IL erty owners of the city. The boa
er of aldermen is to be heartily CO
r. mended on its action In the premis'