“To the Editor of the
Times:
“Sir – A petition is being circulated
among the electors for the annexation to the City of Hamilton of all that part
of the Township of Barton lying east of the city limits and north of the
southerly limit of concession four and the brow of the mountain.”
Hamilton Times. January 28, 1915.
In early 1915, the
City of Hamilton was in need of property for suburban development, and city
politicians were under intense lobbying efforts by the local real estate
businesses to expand the city boundaries into the farming areas to the east and
to the south.
However, residents,
whether farmers or those who had purchased smaller parcels of land and built
their own homes objected. The objections to annexation were clearly articulated
in the following letter, published in the Hamilton Times on January 28, 1915:
“ (A) That the taxes,
assessments, water, rents, school and other rates to be levied in respect of
the said territory shall for the year 1915 be the same and payable in the same
manner as taxes, assessments, rents, water, school and other rates levied and
raised from time to time on the property within the boundaries of the city as
they existed on the 1st day of January, 1891, and the assessments of
the said territory shall for the year 1915 and thereafter be on the same basis
and made at the same time and in the same manner as in the said old boundaries
of the city.
“(B) That in the said
portions to be added to the city, the opening, widening, extending, grading, altering
the grade of, diverting, macadamizing, and improving the streets alleys; the
construction of curbing or sidewalks, in, upon or along any street or alley
shall be done on the local improvement plan, and the whole cost of any such
work shall be paid by the property owners and specially assessed upon the lots
benefitted thereby in the manner provided by the Local Improvement Act.”1
1 Burdens of
Annexation : Pointed Out to Residents of Barton Township”
Hamilton Times. January 28, 1915.
The letter writer
pointed out that the tax rate in Barton township was about 14 mills on the
dollar, while the tax rate within the city boundaries was about 21 mills on the
dollar.
The writer was of the
opinion that the annexation movement was
being advocated by real estate dealers who had acquired large amounts of
property in Barton township. As for owner of property in Barton township, the
letter writer said, “it is hard to understand why they should wish to become
part of the City of Hamilton and be subject to the increased assessments and
increased taxation.”1
As there was a
petition being circulated testing the popular support, or lack thereof, for
annexation, the letter writer urged all property owners to consider carefully
the impact that annexation would have.
The next day, the
Times carried an article on the Barton township annexation matter noting that “a
number of real estate men have launched a movement to get the City of Hamilton
to annex the mountain brow from the present line back half a mile to Fennel
avenue, or between Concessions 4 and 5, from the Asylum to Albion ravine. Also
a strenuous effort is being made to have the eastern section under te mountain
taken into the city.”2
2 “Annex the
Mountain and Wipe Out Barton”
Hamilton Times. January 29, 1915
The article repeated
the matter re city tax and assessment rates being placed on what would be
former township properties, while the local improvement act would have a devastating
effect on agricultural properties:
“Farm after farm will
be taken in and the owners will be called upon to pay for streets, pavements,
water, sewers.”2
The Times after
noting the bones of contention predicted that “Barton township will fight the proposition
to the finish”2
No comments:
Post a Comment