Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-07
Economy and Other mauers-A lay SER


To the Editor Of the SPY; Suffer one of the
laity, who has listened to the words of the
preacher, preaching economy" while partially
admitting his postulates, to deny his conclu-
sions. 1t is ell to be prudent in incurring OBJ
legations, and it is still better to know before
hand how their cost is to be betrayed. 1t is
unwise to buy thing simply that we may have
it; as it is the extreme of folly to refuse timely
bargain merely because its necessity is not
imperative. Paved streets and sidewalks are
not absolutely indispensable, and those of us
who are parents could, upon pinch, take TO
gum shoes and the mud; but what we might
endure ourselves wonld not be tolerated Tor our
children, and therefore, as the city only sup
plies the curb let us try and reconcile ourselves
to the suferings of the abutter whose sole cause
of complaint is based upon the granting
| Of his petition. Probably no one whose opinion
is entitled TO respect advocates or wishes the
| erection of new city hail. at least until the
memory OF the Walnut street blunder has faded
| away, But equally unanimous is the depreca-
| ton OF any addition to the municipal barracks
/ at the northwest corner of the common, wasting
| good money upon a building which it were well
| patiently to outgrow. 1t mag not be sound pol
| icy to remove the meeting house of the First
| Parish from the common; and still it might be
| susceptible of demonstration that simplV as
pecuniary investment the city could do worse
thanito obtain exclusive possession of the seven
or eight acres constituting that all too meagre
tract. Possibly the ownership of Newton lin
would be yalueless TO the public; and
yet, when the hurricane is abroad and
the cOnhagration RACES, some remedy
for defective or inadequate water main
could be found in a storing reservoir upon
that convenient and slightly summit The
preacher does not commend the acquisition of
land by the acre in detached sections of the city,
Nevertheless, very little arithmetic is required
to illustrate the ECONOMY Of purchasing now
for $1,000 per acre, instead Of a few years hence
for 81 per foot. So much for the sermon.
Does not the error Of the preacher lie in this
nutshel2 The citizen dies; the city survives
The estate of the one goes to his heirs and is
divided; the estate Of the other remains intact.
There is not and cannot be a parity of argu-
ment between them, as there is not similarity
Of situation. The private property must
be held for the payment Of its debts.
The public goods and chattels are liza
| bic, it is true; but being held in
a perpetual trust, as it were, need at worst but
be sequestered for time until after the lquda-
| ton of all liabilities. Ii may not be wise for
| the individual TO attempt an enterprise whereof
| he is certain not to live unto the end. Just as
| surely should the city embark in an undertake
| ing whose ultimate success is as well assured as
| its own interminable existence. The past could
| nave paid as it went, but did not; nor was such
/ prOmptness then urged by the preacher. Poster
| ny WILL in like manner, do as Ii peases. Why
then, worry about its possible policy2 Our con.
| Germ Is with the living present, and one of the
the laity holds, in despite Of the preacher that
| payements and sidewalks, school houses aud
| parks, should be had and enjoyed in our day
and generation; for cash. if the people elect:
| upon credit, If the people prefer
Making all due obeisance to the preacher. has
| not tins while about the imminent bankruptcy
| Of Worcester, as often as she buys cart-oad Of
| cobble-stones been droned out long enough
| Ever since the election Of the first mayor we
| have been warned that we were upon the verge
| of financial ruin. AS rule, these dolelul vati.
! cinations emanate from class of men who are
too busy in heaping up riches to foster a noble
| enterprise or cherish a generous aspiration
Business will have its yicissitudes, and be more
or less prosperous; but cannot these huctua-
| tons be traced to some other source than the
improvement Of our streets and grounds2 The
| preacher speaks OF "m0Rey being tight"
| Has il never occurred 10 him that, ii we only
| had money, trade would prosper; and that il is
simply because we have il not, that all traffic
has become modified game Of chance?
The federal government emlts bond, promis-
ing to pay one hundred dollars. A number Of
| Persohsl styled bank, issue their promises to
pay witn which they purchase this bond, and
iot II, when deposited, they receive other. prom
ne 70 pay That are stamped and recognized as
ntyhtsB, me preacher goes 10 that bank, hands
M ms promise 10 pay, and If the hank u aneb
obtains, for q confederation, me PROMISES of tbe
corporation. II, however, the bank has already
loaned more than II il worth, the promise of
inc gfeucher ib not discounted; "monpvD heinz
"Hghtt mind you'll "Sonuyp said dCon,no,
dore' Vanderbilt to youthful bear, as he al
sucking his paws upon the edge Of the vortex