The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1890-07-03

convention the canvass Will be re-
ieved of personal bitterness and
abuse.
$4,000 for School Purposes.
In few days you will be called on
to vote the sum OF $4,000 in bonds Tor
school purposes; that is, for the cree
ton OF sufficient school buildings to
accommodate the children of the city.
Last year the scholastic population
was 7S9, and doubtless it is now more
than 1000, and the present school
house is not sufficient to accommodate
more than one.fourth OF the number;
hence it is build, or do without public
schools; and the best way to get the
means is to bond the town, as now
proposed, for the money to build pub
lie school-houses cannot be raised bv
private subscription, and to lay o spe.
cial tax for such purpose would be to
impose tax entirely too heavy to be
borne by the taxpayers for two years.
But to bond the town is TO give us
twenty years to pay the amount, and
the children who are educated at these
public schools will grow up and help
us bear the burden that has been ia
ken up for their benefit, and those
who may settle in our town in after
years will help to pay this expense as
we'll as to reap the benefits thereirom.
But you will be told that it will in.
crease your tax to such an extent that
the burden will be unbearable, and a
great many men will be persuaded to
vote so as 20 defeat the bonds. Men
who do not pay ten dollars tax, who
have large families OF children, who
need the public schools, will! be be.
seiged not to vote for the bonds be-
cause OF the high tax, the large in.
crease because Of these bonds. Now
let us see how much our tax will be
increased if we vote the bonds.
The taxable property of Johnson
City for the year 1890, as nov assessed
(leaving out Of the question the ad va
loren and privilege tax is, in round
numbers, one million five hundred
thousand dollars. A tax OF fifteen
cents on the one hundred dollars
worth would produce a revenue o.
81, $50. Now the additional tax to be
levied would be first to meet the inter
est on $2,250 at per cent. per annum
1t would be 81 500; amount necessary
for sinking fund to meet bonds at ma
turity, 1925; total, $2,025.
This for the first year; then an ad
ditional thirty dollars added each yeal
to the sinking fund would more thar
meet the bonds at maturity. So thai
we see the assessment OF fifteen cents
on the one hundred dollars worth O
property produces surplus of 1926
and this on the present assessment o
taxes, and of course, if the city con
tinues to grow, as we expect it to do
and as 1t has done in the past year, i
will be but a few years until the taxa
BILE property will be four times its pres
ent value, which would reduce The Ia,
for the purpose herein expressed to 80
cents on the one hundred dollars
worth. Will that squeeze anybody
do you Think
Now, in conclusion, want to say
unless the bonds are voted, it will bt
impossible to have any public schools
for two years at least. We must hav'
a house large enough to accommodate,
all the children, or the school canno
be taught. And we have no other wa,
of obtaining the means necessary t.
erect these houses.
We cannot afford to vote agains
the bonds unless we desire to kill of
the schools. We cannot afford t,
kill the schools unless we desire to xii
off immigration to Johnson City. w,
cannot afford to kill off immigration
unless we desire to kill the town; but
If we desire to do all these things, thei
the most effectual way to do it is t,
vote against the bonds. And whei
the outside world sees our antiquatet
way OF doing business, and sees tina
we will not have and do not want pub
lie schools, then they will certainly 10
cate anywhere else, where other ad
vantages are half equal to johnson
City. | have no doubt that our tow
would have had from two hundred ant
fifty to three hundred more inhabi
tants had we have had good public
schools for the last two years, whicl
we could not have for want OF a suita
BILE building or buildings in whicl
such schools could be taught.
Now, will we, when we have the op
portunity to do so, vote against thes
bonds and defeat our public school
for several years? | appeal to the la
boring man, who is raising family il
Johnson City, can you afford to defea
the bonds, and thus cut off the onl,
means we have at present and 70
some time to come to provide goo,
public graded schools? ] appeal to tn
owners of real estate, can you afford t.
vote against the bonds, and thus driv
away from our towns those who woul,
like to locate amongst us, those t.
whom you hope to sell your lots?
appeal to the large taxpayers, can yol
afford to defeat the bonds and hav
the bright little boys and girls of tn
men you have employed grow up il
ignorance for the paltry sum Of fifteel
cents Cor even three times that much
on the one hundred dollars worth O
| property you own. when you know, q
ought to know, that public school
will enhance the value OF that pror
erty and return to you ten-fold th
amount you payS
Let all remember July z, 1890
Turn out en- masse aud vote frs
last and all the time for the bonds
that is, I mean the first vote cast, tn
last vote cast and all the votes-le
them be for the bonds.
WILEY M. CHRISTIAN,