Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-04-04
ashes
"Life is Short-TeIl the TRUTH
Election Issues Should
Be Discussed and Understood.

BE Discussed and Understood.
The Herald believes that municipa
or school issues to be voted upon
should receive careful and intelligent
consideration by the voter Then let
the people come out and express their
will. Our only insistence is that they
inform themselves. When the peo-
pies will is expressed by ample vote,
let the majority rule. The composite
judgment of the people is nearly al
ways right, and from their decision
lies no appeal.
Paving Our Streets.
Lancaster needs paved streets The
business center needs the improve
ment badly. A suggested plan is to
pave the main business streets with
some desirable and long-lifed paving.
The cost would be assessed as fol-
lows: One-third against each abut-
ting property owner and one-third
against the city.
The property owners in general will
not object to this scheme. The i'm
provement would add to the value of
the property and the cost against the
tax roll would not be unduly high.
The Herald would like to see paw
ing program inaugurated This should
cover the main business streets and
FA"AA
trunk highways out of town.
Instead of property owners object
ing practical experience has shown
that they rush to the city hall asking
to have their streets paved. Once
a good pavement is in no one ever re-
grets it.
Gov. Blaine Has
Sensible Tax Plan.
Gov. John Blaine has worked out a
tax plan that seems very sensible and
is likely to prove popular.
The Blaine plan is not going to
tighten the tax burden but it will shift
it from property owners to the income
producers in what seems to be just
manner.
All state taxes such as official sal
ary and expense, university, charit-
able and penal institutions, etc, in
fact state taxes of any nature now
charged against real and personal
property will be eliminated. The
money needed for state purposes will
come from a graduated income tax or
the theory that those with proportion
ately good incomes are better able to
'pay taxes than property owners, OF
ten land poor"
Gov Blaine said to the Herald re-
porter Monday that he had thought ali
around his plan and could find no
flaws in it. He said that corporation
taxes would not be increased at all
and that income taxes would not be
materially increased.
If the governors plan goes through
taxes will consist OF local, school ana
county taxes and if these taxes are
high the people will have only them
selves to blame.
Cheer Up-Things are Not
So Blue as They Seem.
In looking over the interior of the
municipal theatre, nOW,a roOfess and
uncompleted shell, we can see that
Lancaster people would do we'll to re-
serve their judgment ami criticisms
for time.
Things are not so blue as they seem
The building interior is certainly i'm
posing Construction indicates thor
ough safety and very substantial quail
ity The building will last for gener-
atoms 1t is, considering present
costs, cheap.
When completed we really believe
Lancaster people will feel proud Of
their building. 1t does not, by any
means, carry out the idea Of a COM
munity center but it will serve a use
full purpose and can be made to fill
many needs.
The cost, when one considers it, is
not excessive. 1t is, roughly, about
five percent of our valuation prop
erty owner paying taxes on 100000
worth of property will pay $4,000 as
his share Of the building. This spread
over twenty years, amounts to $500
a wear. This is not excessive and not
as much as one would give to support
a home baseball team, etc.
What criticism the Herald has
made is not apologized for. 1t was true
and we had to get it out of our own
system and, speaking for many others,
out of the communitys system. Now
we are ready to look at the bright
side We find it.
Bond Issue Idea is
Extensive and Foolish.
With a hope that people of this dis
trict will meet the high school matter
fairly and authorize enough addition
al bonds to put up good building
when the cost is figured down to the
final dollar. the Herald is opposed to
further bonding of this community
When a town bonds for improve
ments it pays twice. Principal is so
much-interest nearly as much. Costs
are nearly double what they should
be.
better way is to determine what
we want and provide for 1T by assess
ments each year until enough funds
accumulate to make the improvement
This is the business way and the way
a private individual would do II he had
good business Judgment.
Things are bought with bond issues
while the shouting is going on over
looking the sad fact that some day
fine Improvement must be paid for.
The claim that future generations
should do part of the paying is untrue
and unfair. The generation doing the
buying does the bulk Of the paying
and it is patiently unfair anyhow to
wish debts onto your children they
having no voice in the matter. Then,
too. there will be things they want TO
buv and we should not unduly burden
them with inherited debts.
Communities that have gone heay-