Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-08
The New Onera Honse.

The Opera House enterprise is being
| actively prosecuted, and there can be but
little doubt Of its success. We learn that
work viii be commenced on the building
when the bill exempting the property from
taxation for a term of ten years, shall have
been fayo-ably acted upon by the City
Council.
Apropos Of this bill an article appeared
in a city paper recently, seeking to excite
| public opposition 10 the measure by saying
| that if il passed, the money Of capitalists
would be exempt from taxation for the
time indicated, while the dray and cart Of
the laboring man is taxed. Such narrow
minded and one sided reasoning is a dis
grace 10 this age Of enterprise and progress.
If the bill passes, a building costing $780,
600 will be erected, furnishing employment
to scores of mechanics during its cOnstruc-
ton. and adding that amount to the tax
able property of the city, to say nothing of
the increased valuation Of the property adj
Joining or the thousands Of dollars spent
annually in our city by strangers, all of
which largely increases our revenue and
reduces the tax on the dray and cart of the
laboring man.
II Is high time Nashville had gotten out
IF hei penny wise and pound foolish ways.
4 liberal expenditure of money, accom-
panied by the exercise of Judgment and
discretion, always pays. At the beginning
Of the war, Kansas City, Mo-, was small
village, known TO Western people as a sort
of trading post for the Kansas Indians. A
few years later the management of her af-
fairs fell into the hands of wide-awake, en-
teTprising men. A railroad connection with
l
Meeting the town with ST. Joe, Council
Bluffs and Omaha, was built and then an
other to kearney CITY. two hundred and
fifty miles west, tapping the great Union
Pacific road, which binds together the At
lantic and Pacific oceans. After these
Southern railway connections We're secured,
and inducements for capitalists to come 10
Kansas City were held out. Lots were
given all persons who would engage in
manufacturing, and the capital invested in
said manufactures was exempted from tax
alton for a term Of years. and the result is
that after an experience Of ten years
OF that kind of management on the part OF
her municipal authorities, backed by the
business men of the place, Kansas City
has grown from trading post for few
bands of struggling Indians, to be one OF
the most widely known cities on the con-
tinent, furnishing homes and employment
for thousands % labOring men. She has
more Inhabitants to-day than Nashville
with her three quarters Of acentury of dog
trOt. hum-drUm existence and is increasing
in population more than twice as fast.
She supports four daily papers, either one
Of which has a larger advertising patronage
that the two Nashville dailieS.
1t was push and enterprise which attract
ed attention to this little village on the
Missouri river, and if we wish to attract
attention TO our own city and give her the
position among the cities of the land TO
which she is entitled, we must not fold our
hands and urge, in opposition to measures
looking 10 the investment of large sums of
money, that ''the cart and the dray of the
laboring man is taxed" and, for that rea-
son, bite off our nose TO spite our face.