The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1873-10-01
The G,cnt watcrworI,s Of DaIias.

10 the Editor of The Dallas Herald;
A company composed Of three or
four gentlemen, under the c0gnOmcn
of "rhc Watcrworks Company' have
proposed to the city Of Dallas TO erect
such machinery and lay down such
pipes as are required to fdlnish the
town with water for certain cons'd-
crations. The considerations were,
that the city is to guarantee ten per
cent on soveaty-iivc thousand dollars
worth of their bonds, and that they re-
ccive for fifty hydrants rent Of one
hundred and fifty dollars per each
year; to begin WITH and they ave to
construct more hydrants when il will
be necessary at the same price; also
this private company Shall be exempt
from taxes for II period Of five years.
would think the privileges already
granted by the citizens Uh!oUah their
Aldermen were sufficient to crafty
any reasonable and WEALTHY cOrp0-
ration; but this company complains
that The town must be more liberal
with their funds and give them fifty
thousand dollars in bonds to establish
their credit. The above privileges
have already been given the company,
but tifty-.housnnd dollars cannot be
given without consent Of n two-third
vote of the people. The day for ta-
king this vote is the 9th of October,
and ii will be well for the taxpayers
to consider this. subject before they
cast their vote.
Viewing matters from my stand
point, do not think the city is able to
levy taxes to make such a donation.
She has, up to the present time, incur
cd such obligations as carry her to
the extent of her charter, and compel
her to bond her own warrants alta great
loss to those holding them. The tax
payers should consider, when they
vote, whether, by giving to this com
pany fifty thousand dollars of their
bonds, they get n due compensation in
the increased value of their property
and trade.
But how can it be possible that, be-
cause n town has good facilities for
drinking water, unless she has many
other accommodations that alone
would build up trade other than she
would always have?
Not ctizea of Dallas objects to
giving these funds when they can see
value received; but when heavy taxes,
and nothing TO show for them, are con-
stantly staring them in the face, they
do most assmedly object to issuing in
tercst bearing bouds for every private
purpose A city can do nothing better
to insure growth and enhQnce the
value of property than to make taxes
as light as possible.
Dallas has made wonderful strides
toward making n large and prosperous
city in the last five years, ahd she will
continue to do so in the future if the
people depend upon themselves, and
build up manufacturing interest, erect
Touring mills and elevators, cotton and
oil factories, tanneries aud foundries
and such Ike, but not start out first
with the idea that she must tax herself
to build gas and waterworks TO "give
her character and stability abroad
She will be vastly mistaken when 1t is
too late to correct the error; when she
has such enormous taxes that will drive
capital, enterprise and emigration
away from her, for most now corners
are from the down-trodden and tax.
oppressed portions Of the South, and
the first question they ask Is, "What is
your taxes~ and when they are told
that they are enormous, their answer
is, "This is no place for me-"
SO, sir, if we want to buildup large
city that will attract the attention of
the outside world, we must not encum-
Der ourselves now with unnecessary
waterworks (which with gas are noces-
sary auxillarics to a city, and will
come in due time, but build railroads
which will have Dallas for their ter
mini, which will feed the town and
the town support the country along
their adjacent lines with every article
of merchandise and farming nipple
ments manufactured here, thus max
ing the surrounding country depend.
ent upon Dallas, and ag is intended, by
her natural advantages make her the
metropolis OF Northern Texas. The
city ought, II every one wished water
works, to build them herself (as oil
other cities) and control and receive
revenue rom them fw the public
treasury, and especially ought sue to
1 DO 20 II abe u TO give $4,000 to boil.