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Show MAYOR CANDLAND APPEALS FOR INTERESTS OF THE CITY Mr. Editor: Taking into consideration the depreciation de-preciation in the value of property because of the almost certain recur-rance recur-rance of disastrous floods, the loss to Mount Pleasant by floods in June and July, 1918 is well over one hundred thousand dollars. People who had lived here over fifty years never dreamed such a disaster was possible. But the worst part of It is that the same thing may happen again any or every day between June 15th and September 15th of every year. If this flood had so changed the face of nature surrounding the town that there would never be danger of another, we would get to work and repair the damage without asking for assistance. But with the knowledge that a recurrance is certain unless expensive protective barriers are built, and in view of the fact that the city is involved in debt to the limit, an appeal to the legislature, distasteful distaste-ful and humiliating as that course Is, seems to be the only one open to us. .We had an assessed value of one million dollars, with revenue limit from taxatin of $14,500. Now with increased expenses and -decreasing revenues, our vanishing point will not be far in the future. $25,000 wisely expended, say under un-der the direction of the State Engineer, Engin-eer, would make us safe, and would be a prudent business investment for the State. What happened in one part of town last year may happen in other parts of the town this year, so that the value of all property may be depreciated 50 per cent or a loss of taxable property result amounting to five hundred thousand dollars. Thus the State, county and schools would lose in two years the full amount of the appropriation. It is very evident that money wisely spent to prevent depreciation of property concerns the whole state and in time is returned in the shape of taxes. The Legislature, therefore, might well regard such an appropriation appropria-tion as a loan. In view of these facts and many others that might be presented, the City Council has determined to ask the Legislature for such an appropriation, appro-priation, in the belief that such action would be in the best interest of the State as a whole. Yours, W. D. CANDLAND, Mayor. |
