Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-10-30

r" tie Finance C1,an,ittse ~ tie Gig r3u,ri
rf Ateruairtu
notice that my petition to the Council ha.
been referred 10 you for consideration.
As the subject Elm braced in that petition is ont
in which every Taxpayer and citizen is interest
ed and entitled TO kGOw on what ground base
my request for subsidy for the flour ! propc>"
to manufacture l shall avail Of this chsnncl -
| lay before you the facts relative thereto
| 1t has been the desire Of many Of our citizens
to see established in Alcxandra such branches
! OF Manufactures rs would conduce to her pros
! perlty, and during he past few years various
! schemes have been proposed but none consum-
mated, that would lead to any practical results.
| The Council sometime since passed a rc$o!n-
ton exemptng for term OF years any capital
that might be used in establishing manufactures;
but, IN the opinion OF the city counsellor, such
| especial exemption Of taxes would be uncon>tl-
tutional therefore the action OF the City Council
! became nulllty.
| Recently An application WAS made 10 rnliev"
| the Pioneer Mills Of large sum annually du'.
the Corporation, provided the mill was pat II.
| operation. The promptness and unanimi;y
winch was displayed by both branche; q: the
Council in making favorable RESPONSE 10 til"
application evinced q Disposition - encourage
| manufactures when it could be legally done:
and as was about to engage in the same kind
| of manufacture supposed 1t would be the de-
sire of the Council to place me on an equtab"
footing with the Pioneer Mills, il there WAS ~,
| legal obstruction 10 SO dong.
With many Of our merchants and cilZruS |
| have been convinced that unless Touring n!itl
WAS established in Alexandria our grain trai.
would be greatly diminished, if not entirely lost
| To us in few years; and with that trade thu
! greater portion OF other sources of prosperity
| would go; for it is well-establiShed fact that
| most other branches Of business are DEPENDENT
! on the grain trsde-!or where the farmer finds
the best market for his produce lie will purchase,
his supplies and fertilizers
Being sensible of this important fact, | have
for several years past made various efforts 10 put
| in operation either the Pioneer or WheaLS ILL,
but have not been successful until very recently
when at last induced the owners of Wheat
Nj to accept the liberal proposition which
made sometime since which was, if they wou.T
agree to expcnd a certain sum towards lifting up
| the mill that | would ut my own cxpci:Se COM
plete it. and agree to pay fair annual rent for
the property and improvements and also, ri
| my own expense put in additional machinery
to increase the capacity 10 several hundred bar
rcl* per dsy.
When concentrating this arrangement | did
| not contemplate asking any aid or subsidy from
the Corporation, as I md> "tNinq 10 risk mn
MEANS and services "Haiii IN oi~nc"stng I"
duiH up Il bro&ch 4f manufacture Hat h"'i h,r"-
tciDre Prrrcd disastrous {" M"s, ""isrfGEI.y Il.
and which if successful would be II great benefit
to our city
After | had embarked in the enterprise and
leased the property for a term of years, learn
ed that the Pioneer Mills WAS about being sold
and put in operation. Subsequently the City
Council offered to relieve that property OF the
ground rent. provided il WAS put in operation
and produced $1,000 barrels Of Hour per year
ach;ch quantity wW req";re nearly the ~ho's If
the mhtat rrceired IN THIS morEet, unless there
be great increase over the receipts of former
years.
Thus to avail of the relief offered By the Cvan-
Gil, the Pioneer Mills must become competitor
for all the wheat offered in this market aad 10 Il
great degree monopolze business in which
have embarked my means, and which l am OBJ
ligated to pursue for number Of years. Wheth-
er profitable or disastrous TO me il must be bene.
fetal to the city, as every one must admit that Il
barrel Of -four manufactured by me will bc
equally advantageous to the community rs that
which the Pioneer Mill is 50 literally encour-
aged to make.
Therefore, as by the action of the Council ny
undertaking has been seriously jeopardized,
respectfully ask such relief rs it in its wisdom
may deem me justly entitled too.
But if the granting Of my reasonable request
should endanger the prosperity Of the city by
setting dangerous precedent, then would ask
that you report unfsvorahly thereon.
have 70 desire to embaraSS the finances or
retard the prosperity Of our city, l should
much prefer to be public benetnctor than a
beneficiary OF the public. Very respectfully,
GEO. i. WORTHINGTON.