| Show against BONDING statement ot prominent tax payers present liabilities stated to be while the peti oppose the issuing of bonds they do not defend the waterworks water works co reasons given of vital importance to every tax payer o 0 STANDARD As an election is approaching at which the people are asked to vote bonds for the matter being one of great importance to the taxpayers we to express ill print our opinion on the subject As an original proposition we believe it would be entirely proper for the city to own ita own water works under present conditions however we are brought face to face with a serious problem of finance ogden city is already bonded for and is carrying property already and to increase inc sease this debt one quarter of a million dollars will certainly discourage investments here and will nearly destroy any chance to dispose of real estate the people now have to pay nearly all their surplus money in taxes and they have no money left with which to build and improve the city the enormous enor moue increase of indebtedness that is proposed can only produce a further and heavy depression we wish it that we do not defend the course that the water company bad adopted we earnestly in favor ot requiring the water company floating 0 besides this amount the ogden city school indebtedness is in bonds and floating weber county is bonded for and has a floating indebtedness debt edness of total COO of which the city must pay over 80 cent or the total of ogden present liability school indebtedness and percentage of the indebtedness is to add to this indebtedness the sum 0 which the people are asked to vote next tuesday the grand total would be it to us that it is about time that our municipality should begin to devise some method of finance by which our indebtedness should be decreased instead of continually increasing the same an individual who continues to go into debt 11 that be can must end in bankruptcy the rule applies to a community interest in public as well as in private affairs inevitable ruin must aeme from a continuous increase of debt our indebtedness ie now entirely too heavy the enormous interest we pay thereon increases the city taxes one third the public debt has driven down the value of to alvo up to its contract and that the city should receive in full all the damages due from the failure on the part of the company to fulfill its agreement but we do not favor a system of punishing the company by increasing the bar dene of debt and taxation on ourselves the remedies of the civil courts are at band let the city seek recourse there i but taxpayers should not be blinded into voting a proposition so full of danger to themselves and their by an appeal to ill will and prejudice against private corporation the company we are informed proposes to reduce water rates from 10 per cent to 33 per cent during the present hard times the people are groaning ua der the burdens of excessive taxation would it not wise to accept the proposition made at least until times shall have revl vad so that the people will feel more able to stand the increased burden of this immense additional debt it is urged that if the people vote bonds for it will not necessarily imply that the council intends to use the bonds but simply that it puts into the hands of the city council the power of action should it be deemed necessary history shows that where public bialt are given the power to spend money they will be likely to do so A condition condit ioa now confronts us the enormous indebtedness which the people must bear is appalling in its nature we 9 already bonded to the extent that we have practically lost our financial freedom shall we finally lose our homes and all we possess the important question therefore is shall the taxpayers of ogden city put a yoke of bondage about their necks which will make them the financial slaves of the class and which will enthrall generations to come As elated in the beginning we are and always have ben aa au original proposition firmly in favor of the city ownership of water works yet under present conditions aud circumstances we are as firmly opposed to any additional debt burden being placed epou the shoulders of an already overburdened and tax ridden people do the taxpayers of ogden city who will have this immense burden of debt to pay wish to increase their bondage not they should vote against bonding D H peery L W shurtliff J H 1 spargo joan isoble joseph james mack A kuhn bro ad kuhn ad james pingree david eccles J 0 armstrong R J tayloe theo get J kelly jehn S lewis geo H cateon mclaren boyle treas lorio farr aaron F farr sen 11 0 bigelow S horrocks john D carnahan barnard white |
