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A Reform Picture

A Reform Picture image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
August
Year
1891
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Time alter timo the eommon eouncil of Aun Arbor has met to devise nomo plan by whii-li they might lncrease our city taxcs to the tune oí twenty thousand doüara and secure tliat amount of money to apead. Tliis is uot a fault peculiar to Aun Arbor. The same thtag is ieini; done by the common counclla ol every -iiy i'i the country trom New York city to Detroit and down to Poker ral) - al] st miyinií, planning and contriving to gel more moncy, more money m spend! Did it ever occur to the common conncll oí Aan Arbor, for instaure, iliar it wimkl be a onique and splendid fchlng íor it to have a meeting and tben to plan and devise hom tfoey conld get along wlth leaB inuncy '.' How thcy conld aid and relieve thc burdened tax-payera wh'cm they represent '? What an opportunity our councll lia to gaín reputation and fanic Ín this line. # # ♦ Tiiis is a -n-ay in which they can put Aun Arbor i-:i the very l'i-omt rank tor municipal reform. The coinmon councll of Aivn Arlor stands liki' a pocJí íor reduced expense and lower t;ixt's! WJnat an example iliis would Ík' for YpeOantl, Detroit and New Yi-k: photographs oí many aidermen oí New York and some ol Detroft liave adorned the rogues' galle.ry of tho country. Hut let our aldermen take the course which The Democrat points out and tbeir photograptos will be in demand Ín respectable placea- halla where the -vvise.st and best peopk of the land meet to devise and torward plans for moral, municipal and politica! reform. -Aun Arbor Democrat. The above sounds weU. It is wrltten in a vein tliat will take wtth the unthinkiuK public. Anything that talks of or refera to redueinj? taxation will le applauded, no matter what the ezpendlturé may be for, or how necessary the outlay. But it is possible that before long n mask may le lifted and a scheme uncovered that will show some of our people how they have been used by a eertain lew, bavjng ii view their ora selfisli purposes. It is just possible that the man wiw wrote the above was. lilmaelf, at a secret meeting, held recently. in -niiieh it was fteelded that after tlu present plan is effectually killed off then a new scheme shall be sprunj; upon the people, to bond the city for $100,000 to put in sewers. This, yon understand, will be the boasted eoonornyO?) spoken oí above. Bnt will it be econo-my ? Let's s?e. Supposing Ami Arbor should put in her main sewer this year and pay for it, wltb no debt standing over her; Uien for five or six years expend say S5.000 to help the property ownere along the other streets build their lateral. That amount would be 5 per cent. interest upon the $100,000, and wlien completad, there would be no after-dap in tlio shape of $100,000 principal to pay. There would be no bonds lianging over the taxpnyers to be slowly wMttled down each year, and in the end more paid in interest than the original sum amounted to. We have pcople here in Aim Arbor wlio are dissatisficd iM'eause there is no debt, and t)hey are bound that the city ahall liave one, on the old theory 'th.it a public dobt is a public blessmg," probably. Our citizens shpuld be -vvarned. The irosperity of this city, so fax, lia.s been attatned beeause of its low rate of tnxation and freedom from debt. It is not a good time now to rush luto debt. There never will bi a sood time to rush into debt. The BCheme to bond tihis city for $100,000 to put in a syst-em of eewers is onneeessary, uid a piece of reckless extravagance. Suoh a proposition may "put Ann Arbor in the very front rank of municipal reform," lut the people of Ann Arbor wffl probably have somethiug to say about it, before it is completad. Ypsilantian: "We respectfully cali the attention of the Deniocrat ama the Axgns, and Judge Harrirnan to the wool quotations of Aug. 19, -vhere they will find Michigan fine combing wO'Ol quoted at 40 cents per pound. Th'Ougii Captain Allen never promised that the McKinley bill would give the farmers 50 cents, nevertheless inlications uow are strong in that directiion, so that what the foregoing parties have falsely atated as the Captain's promise, may yet come home to plague them. If it does, it wül not. however, be recorded as vindi■atiiiK Vhoir attempt to injure hiin ivho has always acted in their interest more intelligently than they have or themselves." There is no questton but Adrián is paying too mnch for oil. The test was lowered last winter, yet the retail price is 15 cents. Best grade wat-er white high test oil retained in nearly every city tast winter for 10 cents a gallon. Now that the test has been lowered, the price should be less. But it will not be. The reason is this. The standard Oil Co. holds the key to the situation. It furnishes retallers all tlieir oil at 10 1-2 cents. Retaílerss can keep up the irice, and maike a profit. Inasmuch as they all sell for the same price they do not care to sedl at any lees rate, because each one gets tía Hliare of the bic; profits, and the people. must have the oil. - Adrián l'ivss. AVhat is applicable to Adrián is, of course. equally appllca'ble to Ann Arbor and other places in Michigan. If a person will prive it a moment's th'ought, he can eaeily comprehend the enormoue ppottt the Standard 011 Oo. is making off the people of this state. The question naturally suggests itseli, why did tihe late legislature tinkr with the law ? Tlie o'.d luw requlred a WgQier test and save a lK-tter and safer grade ol oil. There was mi anlt found. Xmv th' test lias been ■educed, l lic uil made eheaper and more dangerous, ilie jveople have to iay bhe same, and the greal octopus lowa tlio profits. It was a Killy hing for the legislatura to do. But hen, iliai was only one of its deeds. Query- If the passing of a city liarter cost $50 for one legislator, vhat would an Oil Co. have to pay or the passing of a low test law ?

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier