The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-24
For the People to Consider.

of any plan looking to the advancement of our
this end before, submit for your publication
the following communications
Every observant citizen Of Staunton will adj
nit that the depreciation in real estate value
in this city during the last few years has been
so rapid as to cause serious apprehensions as to
the future, real estate having gone down from
80 to 80 per cent-yacanJ stores. and vacant
dwellings being alarmngly plentiful while loss
of trade and business depression is perceptible
to almost every resident in the city With the
completion of the Shenandoah Valley and Val
ley roads large amount of trade from the up
per or southern end of Augusta and the county
of Rockbridge has been cIl of from stanton.
Another reason, owing to the lack of EN- erprise
and mechanical pursuit ,nitiiy mechanics have
left the city and sought homes i'll more prosper
GUS and progressive communities. The prosper
ity of every county, city and community is
largely dependent upon It's lthoring population,
ana tnose communities most densely populated
with frugal, industrious, wealth. producing me-
chanlcs are, as rule. most prosperous. We see
examples of this all through the eastern states
and the west. while III she southern states,
Georgia and-Alabama, notably the spirit of en-
Ierprise seems to have awaked. Cotton mills
and Iron furnaces are forming new avenues for
the Investment of capital, and those started.
bringing in bountiful returns. Seeing this and
having for 20 years yainly looked with longing
eyes for some enterprising Northerner to come
and settle here and b uild up our interests and
none having come in that 5th of q century, shall
we go on hoping and waiting? or wake up and
depend upon our own energy and brains and
snow me u world That we have enterprise for
which they had not hitherto given us credit
1t is unreasonable for the laboring classes to
say: Why don't their men, Mr.. A., b. c. start
factory? Nonsense! This community is and
always has been dependent upon agricultural
pursuits and the people of such communities
are as a rule, seldom very rich nor are there
many in abject poverty. But in common par1
lance the people are, as general rule comforts
able and well TO do. Hence the few men in our
city who have acquired comfortable competent
ces are not in the condition to take much risk
nor is there any Obligation legal political, So
money for the general good. We have seen
many feeble, spasmodic efforts on their part re-
suit in naught. Why? Not because they were
not willing, but because their number being
small and the amount of capital each could spare
from business Investments left the aggregate
stock subscribed too small to make success Teo
sonably certain. Therefore, let each and all con
tribute according to his means, and suggest
this plan.
In Norway and Sweden, Town or Citv will
buy, a ship and send it across the seas to be
tre1ghted by merchants in different countries
VINO need maratime transportation; The profits
from said ship go TO the support of the city lor
town owning said ship. am informed that pri-
or to the war the State of Georgia owned every
railroad within its boundaries, and that the
profits from said roads very nearly if not quite
PAID the expense of the State government
hence II there was any tax it was merely nomi-
nal. Having shown by these two examples that
this plan is within reason and possible | sug-
gest that ourcity council bring before the peo-
pie at an early date, for decision at the polls by
Inc people, an appropriation bill of 100000 not
Tor the purchase of ship railroad but for
the establishment OF two manufacturing enter
pr1ses 1nthe town of $4,000 capital each Sun
pose Two factories were started here with q cap
ltal OF $4,000 each, employing $50 hands each
week. a pay roll averaging IS per week. making
in cash paid out for the two factories viz. 3ol
hands at Ss, S2,400 per week, to be spent with
our QUE merchants every saturday. night, or say
S5OO,000 perannum, would not business be enli-
vened, houses rented, clothes, drugs and food
bought Physicians and Lawyers employed:
each mechanic would probably represent five
souls, a population Would be added amountinS
TO loO0 people, and class that spend all thew
tbrGr Another adyantage the pooro the city
most constant labor the year around while the
boys and young men would have an opportuni-
ty to learn useful trades. But some will cry
this will raise taxes. Why certainly it will. do
you get your food sand clothing for nothing
20, 20 you get anything. Of value for nothing
You pay for everything you get which
is worth having, and so with this. If trade is
increased, money brought here from distance
s your opportunities are enlarged
lor attqselflng money, you must expect to pay
something for those blessings. But we would
ask, what would be the amount of tax in propor-
ton to the advantages derived? You pay IS 90 or
SlOO 20 taxes now, you would then pay say 81 90
or $4,000 according as you possessed worldly
goods. Is 1T possible you havn't energy enough
TO make five or ten times that amount out Of
the increased population l have described? II
not move OUT we want no drones here! The in
creased tax will fall eqnally upon all, and the
advantages be in proportion to the increase of
taAatlon! Hence no one will bear an un-
much money. We would ask did not the people
OF this city subscribe 100000 to the valley rail
roaa' ana a.. II they could literally throw away
upon rich, INSCRIPTIONS, soulless millionaire
corporation which discriminateS against MS in
5 IL g rates such asum, cannot appropriate
shW,VoJ lot our own good That proposition
originated and was carried through by the elder
neadS, this one is advocated by a Young man.
let The people decide which is most in harmony
with common sense and good iudgmenti Rnt
VIII THESE doctrines necessarily increase taxa
Ilon suppose they declare dividends of rs per
cent yearly, not an unreasonable SuppOSitiOu
or expectation, since we see the southern cot
Ton mills declare dividends ranging from % to
oO per cent while rapid fortunes accumulated
by factory and mill owners in manufactnring
districts attest the wisdom of their in vestmentS
..nu SaIue OF such property, and we could rea-
aodiaoy expect q IKE success III such We're the
case instead of increasing taxation, the revenue |
uerlVed therefrom would reduce taxation |
ana now let us see what would probably be |
most likely to succeed with the least in vest |
ment OF capital. Staunton geographically is |
well located for manufacturing enternrises to |
be successful, at the junction Of two roads RIM
nlng north and south, east and west with the |
sIeat state OF West Virginia on the west, devel-
population, to the north the ever verdant rich |
ana beautiful valley, Oh the east the Piedmont |
south population ever in need and manufact-
urlng only such goods require cotton AS |
lor power, water power, we labor under the dis
advantage OF having little, but within hun
dred and fifty miles of the great coal beds of |
w esq virginia, steam power would be cheap. |
w ould q paper mill be q success? No. For |
WINE we nave an abundance of wheat straw |
we nave not sufficiency of clear spring water |
hence the establishment of a paper mill WonId |
be unWlse. How about car factory? Such an
enterprise would require heavy machinery
very costly TO begin with Its prosperity would |
De only during flush times when railroad con
'truct1on was, going on, and business through |
ne country at large, popularity speaking, boom
ny. Ihen again, 10 construct cars would re-
lulre several hundred thousand dollars capital. |
IND so on might mention many more.
hut OF those most likely in our judgment to
succeed we would suggest a wagon factory for
me and stove factory for the other. We sug-
sest these two for the following reasons: for the
OF wagons there is an abundance I
IL oak and hickory timber right here in our own L
county, The quality of which is unsurpassed in
me world, especially needed for wagon work
lHelf man fracture REQUIRES w No are
surrounded on all sides by an agricultural pop l.
t Ia AS long as crops grow and horses are
y grain, wood manures, &c. Hence there will l.
llways be demand, and in their construction L
As Iof the stove foundry, iron is made of the
,est foundry quality all around u.s. both on the
!. =. " .. and b. q o. roads, and within fifty
hlles, hence the raw material is close at hand. |
again as long as food and warmth are necessary
Q sustain life, people will use stoves, and nee
ssarily there Will be demand. which we could
upply:
Another factor in this question, and most
lnpQrtant one, is the effect it would have upon
" farmers. Butter, eggs, poultry, potatoes
seets and turnips, pork and beef fruits and ali
arm products would find ready market here
YOU'D become nucleus around which others
would spring up, and the town enter upon a
70 legal right 70 Issue bonds and incur
urther debt That the act of the legislature
pproyed March Goth, 1875 making it unlawful
Oh any city or town to create indebtedness in
Acess any time of II per cent. Of assessed
alue OF real estate and 10 per cent. of personal
roperty will prevent our people from apply
ng s This amount as specified. We grant this.
,ut 10 all such would say, the legislature is
. session let our representatives secure the
epeal of this act SO far as it applies to the city
Staunton, or better still, let them get bill
assed allowing the city of stanton to incur
bove. -
We would peruse this subject further and at
reater length butfor fear Of taking up too much
your valuable space. In conclusion we in
lite argument-let the question be tossed up
Ike ball, that we may view it from all sides.
n a multitude of counsel there is wisdom. Our
My purpose is to agitate this question, that
ometh1ng may be done looking to the prosper
" OF the city For as sure as sunlight, if we
ach and all individually and collectively set
round and expect some good Genii to start
lanufaeturiHg interests here and neither lend
ur minds, purses NOR energy to the cause our
elvss, some OF us who have tarried too long
ad better follow those who have gone, and let
ne Oldest inhabitants commence to put up
leir fence and lock the gates. More anon.
ERIE.