Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-04
vAoANrLors VS.. IMPROVEMENT.
Whom Does the Landhold.r Renes,t,
Why Tax Enterprise =
zeno DIseusse. the subject Further.

To the Editors Of the Union and American:
In our last we closed by saying that
houses, lands, ETC., represented men. We
mean by this, that they represent the pub
lie spirit, enterprise, or the selfshness of
their owners The only exception to this
rule Is misfortune or laziness
Here Is a vacant lot, owned by a gentle
man who bought, intending to improve it.
but he has SO far failed as not to be able.
He intends to do so just as soon as he gets
able. That is all night. Another owns a
lot and is too lazy to build He needs
help, and should have it. A few years of
rigorous tax would stimulate him exceed
iDgly. But these are not the men in ques-
ton. They are not the persons who are in
the way Of manufacturing. 1t is the man
who watches the beginning of each neR
enterprise, and just SO soon as he sees it
start, at once picks up all the vacant
ground in the vicinity, and then holds it
tor at least double what it cost him. He
improves nothing; perhaps buildsa few huts
TO get ground rent, or is sharp enough
to sell here and there a lot and bind the
purchaser to build, and then holds all
the rest for high price We ask the sim
pie question, what does he do for this CITY?
Whom does he benefit? And vet he is the
man that is sputtsring most about in
provemenf. He is the man that persuaded
the boy to turn the grindstone, and does
nothing bat grind. He is positive evil
IN regard to the prosperity of town-sn
absolute nuisance He is equal to the
plague or cholers. Pestilence kills few
who are here, and then it leaves. Bat this
curse stays Oh. 1t grinds every man that is
here, and prevents others from coming.
He ls sore on the rich as well as the
poor, and his name is legion. This town
breathes sensibly easier every time such
man dies, but the trouble is, the miserable
stump sprouts and brings 8 crop of the
same sort.
When lad, we had schoolmate whom
We sIrnamed Lazy Bill. His father was
men, and Bill had some good traits, and
others that we despised He was quiet
and amlsble, but was sly and plausible
rascal; fond Of fun, but never bore any of
the expense. He could always find hole
In the fence through which we could crawl.
and get apples from the farmers richard.
But aSwe would poke them through or
throw them over, he would eat and look
out for the dogs. If we gathered chest
nuts ne would push US up the tree, and
polut out where the best ones were, and
exhort us to shake hard, making more fuss
than anybody. Bot when we would come
down there was no nuts, and Bill was as
much surprised as any of us, and declared
ne never saw them so scarce, and of course
urge to try another tree. But We made a
man of poor Bill; we filed our pockets
With rocks, and when we came to the next
tree We gave him choice to take a peltine
or go up first. We did not dare to listen
to his excuses, but relied on the power
OF our pockets. About the second round
Bill took the tree, and how he did climb
We continued to encourage him occasion
ally until ne was at the very top. We
then followed and shook the lower limbs.
and when done we came down first and
waited for Bill. We had plenty of nuts.
II was good deed; it made man of our
friend. Oar sending him toward heaven
cured him. He became true and generous,
and was for many day our leader. We
changed his name, and called him Brave
Billy. We have many a Lazy Bill. and
nothing will cure them but few solid ar
guments.
This is a simple question, and you may
be tired oft, or wemay be trimming pretty
close TO some Of you, gentlemen newspa-
per men, hut we are not done with it yet
For 1t IS more important than any other
question connected with our progress
Let US see fair illustration. A starts a
Plow Factory in Nashville B has one in
louisville. A's,plow costs Sc. BIS SIS 80.
They both turn out one pillow to the hand
per day during the year. AS hand pays
twice the rent of BIS. He cannot
compete, aid after two or three wears
struggling A breaks and every man in the
city Is Injured. Why did A break His
| product was too high. Why was that
bis men needed cheap homes. And why
dld they not have them Lazy Bill bought
| up the ground and would not sell it. And
what became of him when the factory
failed. He suffered too. He injured him
self and every body else.
A few days since there was a sale of land
that belonged to the State. The first persons
on the ground were few men of moder-
ate means, who went to buy each a lot to
build on-a little home for himself. Most
OF them mechanics The land went low 4:
some for So or Sc per foot. Several Of
them procured homes. In the midst of the
sales up drove Bill, ready to spread him
self over the whole of 1t. But those in
charge told him it was going too lew,
could sell no more, and poor Bill got
none. That was good move. Next year
Will see six or eight neat little houses go
up there. and Of course the balance of the
ground will bring a better price; but the
profits will not go into Bills pocket If
he had bought the lots they would have
lain there vacant, or at best, have been
covered with miserable shanties such as
he has on all the rest of his lots
A comfortable home within the means OF
the poor man, whether he rents or buys
cheap and comfortable lving-is the first
and greatest point to be gained, if we ever
become a manufacturing town, and the
best means to gain this end should be
earnestly sought by every good citizen.
Bill must be made climb the tree or We will
never get any chestnuts. We say tax his
lots and he will climb fast. Who owns the
ground opposite the Maxwell on Church
street, or around those new buildings on
/ the corner of Summer and Church Did
they not rejoice wheel they saw those
| splendid ornaments to the city go up
What would they say to paying the same
tax per foot for their grounds that the
! owners OF these hne Improvements do
That is easy done by simply exempting
/ from tax the improvements on both. And
this is right, unless We adopt the rule of
taxing man in proportion to his industry
and enterprise. Every man in the city has
en- interest in every foot of ground in it.
and no man can keep it vacant without do
ing Injustice to every man in the city. We
don't say cut down this cumberer of the
ground, but we do say dig about him, close
about him, and bury him, and see what he
will do. If ever there was a community
where industry and enterprise needed en-
couragement, it is this one; and we have
men Of enterprise, but not enough of them,
and those We have need encouragement.
A resolute City Council can double our
population in five years by opening the
channels to thrift and prosperity, and re.
moving the hindrances to cheap and com,
Portable living. ZENo.
The Chapman sisters.
The Chapman Sisters Opera and Bur
| lesque Troupe open at Masonic Hall on