Wednesday, December 12, 1900
THE SUMPTER MINER
CITY CHARTERS
AND TAXATION.
Problems the Next Legislature
Must Solve.
In view of the fact that a movement Is
on foot to revise Sumpter's charter, the
following, from a state exchange, will be
read with interest:
There are three ways for a city to se
cure a charter. The first is by the leglsla
ture. Each city has a different charter,
changed each term of the legislature. In
states under this system the greater part
of a session of the legislature is taken up
by fixing charters.
Constant alterations are being made,
and when the time consumed in attending
to these Is deducted from the length of the
session, it will be seen that these ticklish
matters have used up a great deal of val
uable time to no particular advantage.
Cities want many things, and this opens
a way for contractors and politicians to
work schemes through the legislature for
their own ends.
One of the greatest evils under tills
system is that the charter is made by peo
ple who do not know the conditions ex
isting In a certain city. The legislature
fixes the salaries, orders water works con
structed, or something similar, creating
enormous obligations for a city to shoul
der, without inquiring whether or not the
city Is able to pay. This is the most de
plorable system and Oregon classes up
with the worst. Portland is subjected to
this form and all its evil consequences.
The second method is to have a charter
prepared by a legislature and then submit
ted to the people of the city for adoption.
The third method is known as home
rule In cities, and is in vogue in three
states. There is a provision by which,
under certain laws, cities of a certain sle
can form their own charter. This is an
ideal method.
There are states where special acts for
cities are prohibited by the legislature, the
people alone having the power to say
what they shall do. Some states have
certain laws for cities, the cities being
classified, and a general act covers all the
cities in a particular class.
Before Portland can have home rule a
constitutional amendment is necessary,
and a commission would have to be ap
pointed, or rather elected. The commis
sion would draft the charier and make the
people thoroughly familiar with every de
tail of municipal government before the
charter was adopted. There are many ob
stacles In the way of attaining such a
state, and one of the worst Is the amount
of time that would be required to elapse
before the constitutional amendment was
attended to.
As It Is In Oregon, where charters are
subject to change entire or are amended in
particular points at every session, it is im
possible to attain, a form of government
favorable to the people. If a provision is
good there would not be time to test it
thoroughly, because before Its advantages
could be ascertained another session of
the legislature arrives and a new charter
is sprung. We have no settled policy for
government.
When the amendments are being made
at Salem next January, an important dis
cussion will come up over street Improve
ments. Data is being gathered for the
purpose of changing the provision of the
existing charter on the topic. The Impres
sion prevailing is that there is room for
innovations.
CHANGES IN STATE LAWS.
Recommended by County fudge and At
testors. At the recent meeting of the county
judges and assessors of this state, held in
Portland, the following resolutions, sug
gesting changes In the laws, were
adepted:
"We recommend that all real property
be assessed by description or number, or
by legal subdivisions, or by metes and
bounds, or lots or blocks, as the case
might require, rather than to the name of
the owner or supposed owner, and that
the valuation be placed on the same only
every two years; and that the Improve
ments on all real property be considered
as part of the same.
"When errors occur in any description
of real property, the sheriff of tax collec
tor shall have the power to correct the
same, when satisfied of such error.
"We would further recommend that the
form of the assessment roll be made in
such a manner that it may be used for the
tax collector's roll and for the delinquent
tax sale, and tint town and city lots be
put In separate books.
"We also recommend that the first
Monday In January of each year be fixed
as the date of valuations, to be placed on
all property.
"We recommend that assessors be elect
ed for a term of four years.
"We recommend that a committee of
five be appointed to draft and prepare
suitable assessment blanks to carry these
recommendations Into effect, and that this
committee be authorized to employ legal
service, the county courts of the several
counties to pay for the same.
"That the treasurer shall be collector ot
taxes up to the time they become delin
quent; that the sheriff shall collect the
delinquent taxes.
"That if the present law is not ade
quate, it should be made so that levy for
advertising on real property for sale of
same for delinquent taxes should not be
made necessary.
"That all taxes should become due and
payable November i, annually, and be
come delinquent on January i, following,
and that a penalty of I per cent be then
added, with legal interest on same, after
becoming delinquent.
"A state board of equalization, consist-1
ing of seven members, to be appointed by '
the governor or elected by the voters.
The state to be divided Into seven dis-I
tricts, based on population."
F I IT R I El
If 1 U
I
FIRE!
R
E
OTJ R Sa w Mill and Dry
Kil n were totally
destroyed b.y fire, but
we still have a larg?
stock of Lumber and
General Merchandise so
wo can fill all orders
promptly.
e
Sumpter Lumber
Company
J. B. STODDARD, Mgr.
B
Delmonico Hotel
,M. M'ANCil I'M. I'mi-ilrlur
A l:irst-Class New House, Well l-urnished and Superior Tabic
Service. Transient Rates Reasonable Special Rates to Local Pat
rons hy the Week. Located One lllink hast of Depot, Comer Co
lumbia and Auburn Streets.
SUMPTER. OREGON
DEEP WELL AT THE DALLES.
Plenty of Water But Does Not Rise to
the Surface.
After boring through hard basalt rock
at The Dalles since last .May and reaching
a depth of 504 feet, operations have been
suspended by the board of water commis
sioners on the artesian well back of the
city reservoir, which was being sunk to
ascertain whether or not (lowing water
could be obtained so that it could he uti
lized and conveyed into the reservoir.
Extremely hard basalt ruck was en
countered from almost the lirst and con
tinued the whole distance, and the ex
perience has settled the question as to
whether or not artesian water can be ob
tained In that locality. It was shown that
there is any quantity ol water at the
place where the well was sunk. A hrge
stratum was readied at a depth o( 105
feet, and the water Immediately rose to
within 70 feet of the surface. Three
other large streams were readied before
the 500 feet were gone through, but each
time the surface of the water lowered, the
upper stratum of water (lowing away
with lower stratum eacli time one was
reached, showing that the downward pres
sure of the long column of water, as the
depth increased, ovrcame the upward
pressure of the water below.
The commission is well satislied with
the experiment, as there was consider
able doubt as to whether Mowing water
could be obtained. The well has cost In
the neighborhood of 2,ooo, an amount in
comparable with the benefit which would
be derived had a stream of good (lowing
water been obtained. The hole Is cased
and will be carefully plugged and pre
served for any future experiments. Exchange.
Avenarius Carbolineum
KKilSJIKH
BEWARE OE IMITATIONS'
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I GRAN'STROM'S NOTHING IN EASTERN
f A CC UREGON TO SURPASS
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VV-''1
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HIGH GRADE LIQUORS
AND CIGARS
Mining Men's Headquarters Next Door to Wonder Store