Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-06-16
WOULDCHANGE
APPORTIONING
PAVING COSTS
Chamber of Commerce Starts
Investigation to Find
Best Plan.

An extensive investigation is to be
conducted by the Indianapolis Chamber
Of Commerce as to the question of ap-
portioning the cost of resurfacing or
repaving improved streets. Following
the authorization Of the board Of direc-
tors. the department of civic affairs Is
sending a questionable to all Indian
apolis business, civic and community
clubs. asking for expression OF opinion
as to how this cost should be borne.
It is explained by John +. Reynolds,
general secretary Of the Chamber OF
Commerce, that uner existing laws OF
the State. owners Of abutting property
are required to stand the entire cost Oh
repaving streets. According to Mr. Key
noIds the extensive use of automobiles
and motor trucks. requiring the COM
parativeIv frequent paving OF streets
has oivnn the problem Of repaving an
entirely new aspect in recent years.
The theory behind the present law IS
that the property will be benefited oy
the Improvement to an extent com
r1ensurate with the improvement HselI'
However, such 4 theory has no appl!ca-
ton to the law which now requires
AUDITING property owners to pay Ior re-
rurFaPtlE COSTS ELlltt t-AC E-SE'~-NS
ce'ves no increased values as result
Of resurfacing and, according to ME-
REYNOLDS, because of the failure OF the
law now governing assessment CT re
surfaciug charges TO stand on any sound
economic theory. the community which
wears out the pavement and not the own
ers OF abutting property should bear al
or at least a part Of the cost.
-FOUR METHODS
ARE SUGGESTED.
In the letter which IS being sent to
the various organizations today IL IS
nointed out there are four different ways
OF handling this problem. First the
total cost to be paid by the city; second
the property owner and the city can con
tribute equally; third, two-thlrds OIL the
cost can be paid by abutting property
owners and on-third by the city; fourth
the total cost can be paid Dy aouttihs
property owners. These four methods OF
e1nortfoniur this cost are the result Of
information secured by the chamber from
16O different cities.
Az soon as all information and recon-
rnA0dations are gathered together by the
department Of civic affairs, they Will De
embodied in the form Of a resolution to
he presented to the board OF directors
for anprovai or rejection and afterwards
the information and deductions will be
placed before the city government.
Assistance Is being rendered the IN
diana Sunday School Association, or
which A. B. Cornelius is president, in an
effort to bring to Indianapolis in 1926 the
ouadrennial meeting Of the international
Sunday School Association following au-
thorization at the board meeting
That the public service commission
should refuse to grant increased rates to
public service corporations except upon
conclusive demonstration the denial OF
such an increase would impair the finan-
cIaI responsibility and constitute threat
upon the continued life Of the corpora
ton, was the expression Of the board OF
directors Of the indianapolis Chamber
Of Commerce yesterday in a resolution
adopted in reference to the petition Of
the Indiana Bell Telephone Company for
an increase.
The resolution adopted by the board
yt the Chamber r alfirms its adherence
10 a previously i, clared principle that
for sound economic reasons community
should pay for the service rendered by
a public utility corporation. hut n the
same time points out during this period
Of rapidly fuctuating values. when it
IS difficult to determine what factors
may effect the situation in which any
particular corporation finds itself, the