The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-27
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
rho street improvement 0uestioI

10 NuN i-hlloI ol lnc Appthls
SIE Seems 10 me the Committee OF
Fifteen are entitled to the sympathy Of the
entire community They were expected
10 do the impossible, |. G., TO suggest way
OF raising money for street paving that no
one would object TO.
Now that cannot be done. However
the money is raised somebody will kick
because he has TO pay, but II the tax is a
Just one believe the common sense Of the
people will sustain II. Would il not be
just for those who reap the benefit OF the
proposed improvements 10 foot the bill
necessary for those improvements? Aud
who does profit by good street pavcments?
On the corner of East Court street and
Lauderdale street is Gotten shed. The
shed is approached from Lauderdale street
30 the entrance on Court street by means
OF plank road put down by the owner OF
the cotton warehouse at his expense.
The shed is now rented by parties who
store their cotton there, and all day long
can be seen dnys and trucks loaded with
cotton rolling into the shed, and clerks and
laborors move back and forth over this
pavement to their duties in and about the
shed. Mr.. Editor, no owner of dray, no
owner OF a truck, no cloTk, no laborcr, no
merchant was asked 10 contribute one B.
cent piece 10 build that wooden pavement
which makes Mr.. IS cotton warehouse
accessible. The pavement IN question
was put down by the property owner. lie
knew that without that pavement his shed
was not "rcniablc,' and he knew that
with the approach % his shed in good
order his property would pay him many
hundreds Of dollars a year, and II
he gave the question thought
lac decided that Il was no Use 30 ask the
duymcn and the clerks aud the laboer
10 help him lay that pavement II was
no concJrn Of theirs. II that shed was not
accessible other sheds were, why should
they be- expected 10 pay for another mans
pavement OF course they were 90 use u,
but ii they did not use that they would
use some other, any other. wherever the
cotton was 20 20.
IL would not disappoint the workers IL
they were not 20 carry their loads 90 that
shed. but IL would materially injure the
rental value oi that warehouse II 10 were
inaccessible, aud inaccessible IL would DO
without the plank road lthc payemcnt), 40
like sensible man the propcrty-owncr
put down the pavement Why should not
the property-owncr in general through
out the city put down the pavement aud
pay for ~ lie, and hc alone. gets the
benefit II. for instance, all the build
ings On Main street, between Madison and
Monroe, wcro inaccessible because the
pavement Was a mud hole INSTEAD OF a
rock pic) how long would merchants con-
tinuc 10 do business in those stores. and
when those occupying the buildings 70.
moved 10 better quarters, who would be
the losers? II Is moro than likely that the
gentlemen who now collect the rents
would ho only too glad TO fix up II they
thought there was such n calamity await
ing them. am clerk, and in the name
II the clerks say, Gentlemen, pave your
streets. You are collecting taxes (rcnis
II YOU choose 10 call them sol. from tie
public Tor the use Of this or that particular
locality, now in Justice pay your debts"
/ am clerk but ! am also labOrrr
and in the name ui labor ! say do not put
any more burdens In the shape of taxes
upon the workers. Good streets will inn
provo the general prosperity Of oar city,
will bring new people here, will bring for
Clgn capital here it Is argued Well, more
than likely. What theu2 win merchants
make larger ptolih2 Will salaries be-
r,iscd2 VIII wages incrcasc2 On the
contrary will not the coming oi new poo
pie here make the competition grcntcfi
II forty printers want lob are not wages
likely to nmblc7 II fhy brokers buy
cotton where only twenty-five have herc-
ioiofc bought cotton, viii not margins wax
lcss2 Hut II good ttrccts mean prosperity,
new capital etc, coming here, does not
everyone know that ground rents will go
| up up, up and then down into the pocket
Of Improperly owncrl Come, gentlemen,
| put your hands Ia your pocEct aud come
down with the dust. The shortest SER
mon ON r,cord u whcrc Dean swift said
a. his congregation, III YOU love the Lord,
down with the dust" and Il was
well said. IL you want your streets paved
pay for Il property oNnCuA II h yours,
tie privilege ~ collect the tax lno, rent II
Is callcdl, IL is youu the right TO kccI
your property ~ order. II h unconstitu-
tional to usscss property according To II.
value per front iOoR Well, Is there an,
mason why the constitution should not b,
chnnrcd9 II would take sN years. 4
long umc truly but Il nj the end Of siN
wears the burden oi taxation wcrc place,
upon the value Of the land IL h worth IN,
wait. We, the people, want no bonds
nor do We want city property sold which
only means that We cruaic another prop
crly owner 10 tax us IN the future io
money 10 pave his street Who will he'll
place this butdcn OF taxation whore Il be-
long-1 nm ono 10 help. An there uiuu
othrmi II ~ answer "LinEWY.'