The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-11-30
4TH DISTRICT

of the Winton road is one project that
will be retained, he said.
The vote on the 1910 county budget
totaling $5.451, 271 found the range COM
missioners paired against the four Du-
luth members on the board who voted
for it's adoption. The range commits
sioners were opposed to the road and
bridge fund levy.
The levy as adopted is 81 1903 900, but
will be increased to $1,508,0OO by the
addition of gasoline taxes. In 1889 it
totaled $1,903, TIA, the figure that the
range commissioners thought should be
retained.
The budget for the county is 1927, ITO
above, that for 1889, hike of about
Is per cent caused through increased
appropriations for direct relief, and a
special mill levy to raise funds to re-
tire half of this years overdraft in the
poor fund. The other half was retired
by a special bond issue.
Commissioner Pete contends that the
method used in appropriating road and
bridge funds on mileage and popu-
lation basis, adopted years ago, is un-
fair to the range. He believes that it
should be on the basis of mileage and
construction and maintenance cost.
Considerable pressure was brought on
the board, he said, by the Duluth
Chamber of Commerce to limit 1910
appropriations to maintenance work
Duluth commissioners, he commended,
attempted to put over such program.
Figures prepared by the Duluth
Chamber showed estimated mainten-
ance cost for the First district, located
in the center of the city of Duluth, as
$518.50 per mile for 40.5 miles, and in
the Third district, located in West Du-
luth, as SAB per mile for 81 miles.
In the fourth district it was $287 for
327 miles; fifth, $275 for $50; sixth
$2765O for 789; seventh, $272 for 759
and second located nearly all outside
the city of Duluth, $287 for 356.
The Fourth district commissioner
contends that it is discriminatory to
place the maintenance cost of roads
within the city of Duluth at twice the
per mile cost of rural roads, as was
done by the Duluth Chamber
He also condemned the special law
that allows county funds to be ex-
pended within the city of Duluth. He
told the Miner that even the Duluth
Taxpayers League questioned its legal
ity.
He felt that the two small districts
districts One and Three, could con-
fine their activities to Maintenance
alone and eliminate construction en-
tirely.
A construction program on the range
is quite important, he said, because the
resort business, which helps Duluth anc
the county as a whole, is benefited"
There might be taxpayers strike
lin the city of Duluth" he said, "but
reductions to avert it should not be
made only in the county budget Both
the city and school levys in Duluth are
considerably above that for county pur-
poses.
''The inability of Duluth real estate
owners to pay their taxes because OF
low rents isn't necessarily borne out
by figures obtained by the county well
fare board" he continued. "They say
that rents paid for relief cases there
are higher than any other place in
the county"
He felt that this may indicate that
other rents are equally higher. A
threatened tax strike was brought tc
the attention of the board as it was
about to adopt a budget resolution.
A comparison of the new budget with
last years follows: