American Municipalities Volume 11, No. 5; Accounting, Paving, Street Cleaning, Sewers and Sewage, Municipal Law

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1909 Excerpt: ...over to the city would of course have been greatly augmented had it not been for the demands of the sinking fund and interest account, which will in due time bo wiped out. While American cities arc struggling with the problem of keeping abreast of the times, beautifying and bringing the cities up to date, without levying taxes that are too onerous to be borne, or burdening the coming generations with loads that can not be met. the wise municipal statesmen of the Old World, by taking over the great sources of revenue--sources that monthly and yearly increase in value, are securing for the people the necessary wealth for making more sanitary, healthful and beautiful cities. and also are securing tho meins for reducing taxes and making more efficient the public service upon which the people depend. It is one of the most important lessons for our people to learn--a lesson that would have been learned long ere this but for the enormous wealth and power of the great publicservice corporations. tirelessly exerted through the press and various other public opinion forming agencies. read at the opening session of the League of American Municipalities. Home rule has been persistently denied to most American cities by jealous legislatures. They have had to be content with enumerated and restricted powers. When new conditions have arisen and emergencies have had to be met it has been necessary for the cities to appeal to legislatures for an extension of powers. It has usually been given grudgingly and often peremptorily refused. The constitutions of some states west of the Mississippi recognize the right of cities to home rule. That of Michigan is the only one east of the river which does so. It subjects the charters of cities to the general laws of the state and leave...