The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1882-03-01
THE OTHER SIDE.
what the Butchers and Those
Interested In the CityS
Credit Have 40 say.

Interested In the City's
Credit Have 40 say.
For some time past the market-house
men. butchers and other citizens have
been expressing themselves as agGrirvcd
1T the attacks made on them by "Waco,"
and at what they conceive to be an
effort to violate a contract and move
in the direction OF destroying the city X
credit. The EXAMINEK has not esSayed
to take sides in the matter, and III what
is here published only gives expression
TO the sen timents OF those who feel az
grieved and who differ from the annun-
Citations of Waco. In 1876 the city OF
Waco contracted with Hogan, Johnson
X Go. to erect mGrket-Opera- II
was constructed and when complete
was an ornament to the city aud a
credit to the enterprise of the builders.
Shortly after its completion, it sue
cumbed to the seductive Influence
Of the flames, and ere the
smoke incident to its burn
ing had ceased to rise, the city
council appointed n committee, com
posed of Messrs. Wiley Jones, Col. r.
d. Parrot and Gcn1 J. W. Speigkt, to
receive bids and contrac ut the best
figures for the erection Of Il market
house of capacity sutiiciea { to meet
the demands and Nigeucies of Il grow
ing city Sedwick, Stone i Co, made
the best and only bid and the contract
was awarded to them, they stipu'ating for
SIO.500 to erect "a house of which the
present is the eXamplification, the house
10 be the property of the city at the end
If II years, if she bad PAL for it, ana
the money invested to draw y per cent
interest. The contact made by the
committee was ratified by the council!
with Two DISSENTING voices. The pres
ent market-hou@e is the house that S.
5. Y Co. built and it was, when fin
ished, received by the council unani-
mously. If the committee paid
too much for the buildinE
no blalse can attach to the contractors.
The trade was one fair and honest, and
rs far rs the city records show has been
faithfully complied with by ). $. Il Co.
The effort now seems to he to anuu. this
contract and let this monopoly cease to
exist The opponents OF this course
argue that the committee pledged their
honor To Sedwick, Stone u Co, aud jhat
the city ratified the pledge; and that it
is equally as honorable TO plead the
statute OF limitation, as j. is to try and
take advantage of a tochnicalityt to annul
this contract, and that such q measure
1T the present would be Il reflection on
the committee and the city council IL
Office at the time the agreement
entered into. That Waco argues
that the city has lost much money
il taxes on account of the existence Of the
. J
they inquire: How could the taxes be
unless the market-louse existed? IN u
discussion Of the subject yesterday a
prominent capitalist Of this city re-
marked that If the suggestions OF Waco
were adopted and the contract annulied
it would seriously Ell ct the credit of
the city and that hereafter there would
be no indHcemeut for any party to con
tract with the city council for the cree
ton of any building that the wants of
the city or citizens might demand, and
that it would operate as 4 bar to the
desire to invest capital in public enter
prises. The market-house men are not
So attached to the market-house that
they are forced to continue
business there. and unless bet
ter arrangements for clean
illness and order are provided, few of
them are ready and willing to leave. At
present the city Is unable to provide a
suitable arrangement: the doors are
down, and not upfreqUently meats are
stolen or destroyed. They say that il
the vegetable vendors are forced into the
market, the revenue thereby ensuing
Will enable the city to keep the house
clean and in order. In reference to the
fifty dollar tax, they claim that it has
been declared unconstitutional by the
court decisions in the Hand eases, and
that it is beyond the power OF the city
council to levy such i tax And they
do not see why butcher should pay So
for selling brains, when lawyer is
/ assessed only Sl5 for using his. II
the Hand eases il VIII be rec
collected that after paying the tax 4
number OF times Hand sued the city and
recovered the amount Of the tax col
ltctcd. In regard 10 the city's inability
TO pay for the market-house at the end
Of the twelve years, i Is said that there
Is now due on the house $500, and with
the increasing facilities of the city for
taxation at the expiration of the twelve
years, she will be in condition to pur-
chase and take charge OF the house, and
that if such be not the state of affairs
the company Is Wiling to extend the
time OF payment ten years moro. The
butchers all say fhat they furnish the
best the market affords and al figure
and profit by 30 menus as great as that
thar accrues 10 the retail trade IN other
lines
.