Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-04-18
DISCUSSED IMPROVEMENTS.
MEETING AT THR COURT
HOUSE LAST NIGHT.
A Good Crowd Turns Out to Hear
tine Discussion OF the Proposed
Improvements to- Ashe evilIe's
Streets.

improvements tO AsheviIIe's
Streets.
There was good crowd present at the
court house last night to hear he discus
sion for and against the bill passed by
th2 last legislature submitting to the
voters of Ashcyilc the question of apl
propriating $4,000 for the improve
mcnt of Ashrvillc's streets, water works,
etc.
Maj. T. {. Westall was called to the
chair.
CAPTAIN CARTER STARTS THE BALL.
Captain M. L. Carter was called for
and made a strong speech in favor of the
| i'll. All agree, said Captain Garter. that
| Ashcvllc's streets must be improved.
How should il be done, was the question.
Tw" methods were proposed: that
| named in the bill aud that the whole be
done by general taxation. Captain
Garter strongly favored the plan pro-
posed in the bill. He favored that system
because he thought it more equitable.
That system had been adopted by a
large number Of the leading cities in the
south, the west and the east, among
them Atlanta, Cleveland, Cincinnati and
Baltimore. Ono hundred million of tax
able property had moved away from
Cleveland, Ohio, said the speaker, when
it was proposed to improve that city by
general taxation. No city could stand
such a system. Cincinnati could not
stand the taxation necessary under that
system to improve town as large as
Ashcvillc. The system Of improvement
by general taxation, said Capt ain Carter,
gave to the owners of property Just
outside the city limits an OPP
portunity of having their prop
property greatly enhanced in value at
the expense of the taxpayers in the CITY.
and investors would go out of town in
stead Of buying and improving property
within the city limits. That system
would drive capital away, and keep il
from coming into city, and Clcveland's
experience would be Ashevillc experience
il it should be adopted here. have lots
i'll Ashevillc that willbe greatly enhanced
in value, should | not pay the most OF
the cost of this improvement. The i'm.
provcnlcnts heretofore made on the
streets have been made by general taxa
ton, and nearly all of the work has been
done on and around the public square.
The people of Doubleday and other sub
urbs got no benefit. Under the bill now
proposed a man would pay his money
and get his Improvement Work can be
prosecuted under this hill until the meet
ing of the next legislature, and if found
necessary, amendments can be made
Mr.. PEARsoN'S RESOLUTIONS.
| Mr.. Richmond Pearson was called up
on, but stated that he did not care to
speak. He introduced the following
resolutions
THAT it is the sense of this meeting
that the improvement bill, though de-
fcctivc in some things, is right in prin-
ciplc, and deserves the support OF all
progressive and public spirit, d citizens.
That in the selection of the advisory
board politics be ignored and that three
friends of the bill be named by the dem
ocrats and three by the republicans"
Mr.. Pearson heartily endorsed Capt.
Cartcr's speech, and said the whole mat
ter was whether the man most benefited
should pay most of the cost.
MUST FAVE OR DO WORSE.
Mr.. Tucker, ofPittcounty, who has Just
moved to Asheville, was the next speaker.
lie knew nothing Of the merits of the bill
hut he did know that Asheville must I'M
prove her streets il she would hold the
place she now occupies in the estimation
of the country. He had received letters
from Virginia, Alabama, and other sec
tions of North Carolina since coming
here, making inquiry as to the prospects
for making improvements, and he
thought that if this bill was defeated it
would be death blow to Asheville.
OPPOSITION
Mr.. r. A. Demons said be would oppose
the bill. He was opposed to it because
the voters had not been consulted about
it before it was passed by the legislature.
81 left my o oWn country, said Mr. Dcmens.
because laws were passed without con
sultng the people, and find the same is
done here" He said he would not discuss
the bill on its merits. He thought Ashe-
vile should be mproved-everybody
thought so. The method to be adopted
was the only question, Some cities had
adopted the plan proposed in the bill,
others had adopted the ad valorem sys-
TEN. Both systems had failed in some
places, and both had been successful in
some.
SOBER SECOND THOUGHT DID 1T.
Capt. Atkinson said that for a short
time he, like Mr. Demens, had been mad
because he had not been consulted, but
the sober second thought had caused him
to favor the bill most heartily. Asheville
must 60 forward or backward. She
could not stand still. She could not &c
forward through the mud. II anyone
thought she could, let him ask the people
from Maine to Texas who had been here
during the past winter and gone away
disgusted. He said the bill was prolix
but he thought it the best measure that
could be adopted for the Improvement o
Ashevllle. He was in favor of taking tn.
bull by the horns and put this bill
through. A working committee shoult
he appointed and every street in the city
thoroughly canvassed.
STRONG ADVOCATE.
Gen. Clngman heartily favored thu
, bill He thought the colored peopl,
ought to support it for three reasons
\ First, because they would have little o
the tax to pay. Second. because i
would put large amount of money into
y circulation and they would thereby &c
employment. Third, it would build u
Asheville, and they weuld be able to sc
cure permanent employment.
Judge Green said he could not make
speech, hut he could vote for the bill an,