Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-03

81
The Taxing nistrict Experiment
THE Taxing District form Of gov
ernment is growing in fsvorin business
communities requiring municipal or
ganization. 1t is always opposed at
first by the element uncer the
lead Of ward politicians. There are
men, very clever fellows personally as
a rule, who aspire to hold the little
places in and around a cumbrous, un.
wieldy double or triple headed city
government. They do not expect to
hold nigh positions, but when recog
nized as men Of "in hoc-ence' IN their
war Is. and able to control the distri-
button Of little party patronage they
seem to be at the top of their ladder
Under the Taxing District form there
is rot much =oom for such men to
exercise their peculiar talents. Their
ungrammatical eloquence is hdste ed,
and spiders weave their webs undis
turbed over the doors Of the City
aall. The Commissioners make no
speeches, will listen 10 none. They
meet ike business men, In a small
Office, talk over the matters in hand,
act promptly, generally sensibly, and
adjourn to look after their own affairs
Five men can do more aud do it bet
ter at two hours sitting than two
old fashioned boards could do at half
a dozen meetings projected far into
the night on account of long windei
discussions. The public mind is
taking hold Of this question, and il is
quite probable that Nashville, Chat
tanooga, and several other cities will
shortly adopt a simple, inexr ensive
and effective form Of government after
the Memphis plan. In making the
changes proposed, it will not be neces
sary, as was the case with
our city, to take any action effect
ing the status Of outstanding debts,
The creditors, large and small, will of
course have the same remedits, rights
and processes at their command as be.
lore. Our charter was repealed under
peculiar circumstances, not with the
intention of repudiating any honest
debt, but to get beyond the reach of
mandamuses and take a breathing
spell, 1t had been proposed to lay The
place in ashes and wipe il off the face
of the earth. This was wild, silly
proposition, but had its advocates in
othereitl nevertheless, More sensi
BILE counsels prevailed, and practical,
business like effort was made to save
and build up pthe place. This has sue
ceededin wonderful manner and now
we have a fairly prosperous city, we'll
governed, we'll paved and well severed,
healthy in a remarkable degree and
full of enterprise and confidence.
Much of our second growth and pros
perity is owing to an admirable system
Of local government. The only draw
back is the old city debt, which re
mains to be disposed Of. We are get
ting back into position to grapple
with this question The frsi
and most essential condition is to
have confidence in ourselves. This
is becoming generally assured,
We have, as a community, been tried
in the furnace of affection and come
out stronger than ever This is a
question peculiar 10 Memphis and we
propose to meet il like honorable,
courageous men. 1t is hoped and be
lieved that the present legislature
win tender settlement to the credi
tors of Memphis that will be accepta
bic on the one hand without imposing
harsh and unendurable cOnditionsup
on The energies, the muscle, capital and
brain Of tho people who will directly
and indirectly have 10 pay the take
The debt question once out of the
way there will be liberal Investments
made here in real estate and manu-
lacturingenterprsesa and Memphis will
have such another substantial boom
as hcs not been known since the
pllmy days Of 1883, so end go W.
propose to dispose of the old debt
Fcgsralass of the suits pending 10 the
courts,ii creditors will give us living
chance. We claim equities for our
selves as people peculiarly nnfortu
nate aud misgoyerned IN past years,
and at the same time recognize the
moral and legal claims OF creditors.
0,her cities thai may adopt the taxing
district form OF government will start
in free from any cloud or annoyance OF
this kind, and will find the new sys-
TEN infinitely preferable pad superior
The experiment has been thoroughly
tested in Memphis, and the people
would hardly return to tho former
way Of municipal misrule and slack
twistedness even if made present of
the old city debt
NJ. a