Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1891-04-22
A GOOD STORY WELL TOLD.
THE IMPROVEMENT QUES.
TION REVIEWED.

EFT. &. w." Gsiyes "The Citizen"
Some Sensible Talk on the sub
Ject That Every AsheyiIlian is
Interested In.
EDITOR THE CITIzEN:-This question
that our people are now considering has
two sides. One is the improvement of
our streets and sidewalks according to
the requirements Of our city charter as
amended by the Improvement BILL"
The other side of the question 10 the
manner in which the amendment was
made and the acknowledged defects of
the bill. All agree that our streets must
be improved. There is no difference OF
opinion on that. Yes, something must
be done, and tie question is, how
Some say vote down-do not ratify the
law-and fall back on the privileges Of
the old charter and raise money as here
tofore by another bonded debt. Others
sav-and they seem now to be in the
minority-ratify the act OF the legisla,
turc, and require the owners Of property
where improvements are to he made to
pay two-thirds of the cost and the city
and the street railway company the
other third. Now, we all know we will
have to do one way or the other, or
nothing. As we cannot AFFORD to do
nothing, what shall We determine to do !?
Notwithstanding the defects of the bill,
will it be better for us to ratify it or not !?
The way in which the impro vement
bill was brought about made it unpopu-
lar with large majority of the people :
and when they found out that the per
sons who got it up had tried to get it
through the legislature without submit
ting i to the people for their ratification
they at once pronounced it Infamous
But the way it was brought about, and
the way il was tried to be forced upon
the people without say so in the mat
ter, are things of the past. and really
have nothing to do with the question
now. We have to do with a thing of
the present and let us take it on its own
merits and discuss it in that way.
|. bcing "poor man with one hun
dred feet front" would gladly accept the
offer of loan without interest to bc
paid in insallments at intervals of six
months or year between, to cover the
cost Of one third Of the improvements in
front of my property. Would it iniure
me to have it done, or would it injure my
property? There 10 no one foolish
erty. Then if am to be benefited
who should foot the expense but
me? The fact is, if we ever
get good streets and sidewalks raised
from the mud, the owners of property
will have to pay for it. If not, who will
do it? 1t is as much my duty to pay for the
improvement OF the street in front of my
lot as to pay for a new porch to the front
of my house when one is needed.
| But it is said by some that the "iorce
bill," # adopted, will ruin the mechanic
who has secured himself and family n
home. They say he will have to sell out
or be sold out to pay for his part Of the
improvements. That is barely possible
like many other contingencies of life. No
sober, industrious mechanic would he in
any danger of losing his home, but he
would be the better by the improvements.
We have just passed through more than
three months of rain and slush and mud
| On that account our mechanics have
been mostly idle because material for
their work could not he hauled through
the mud. The loss to them in the last
three months has been enough to cover
all they would have to pay on one-half
the improvements on the streets in front
of their homes. And for the same reason
the renter would be enabled to pay a
higher rent much easier than what he is
now paying.
liza man owna horse and is too triling
and improvident to furnish him necessary
corn and fodder to keep him in working
condition, any sensible man would tell
such as he to sell the horse; that he was
not the man to own a horse. So it is
with a MECHANIC or anybody else who
by any means has secured building lot
in the city of Ashcville, and is SO thrift
less that he is not able to pay his part
for the improvement Of the street. He
should at once sell out and leave. His
right place is somewhere else. Ashevilc
docs not need him. lie is in the way.
He came here when he was not wanted,
and before he was ready.
There are Others who oppose the i'm
provement bill because they own many
lots fronting on the streets that are not
improved, and which they are holding
for still higher prices. They would like
to have the street paved, but they want
it doue by an ad vaiorem tax. The
kind of ad valorem they are in favor
of is a tax on all kinds of prop
erty including purchase tax, income tax
and every other kind of tax. By that
means they know the burden OF taxa
tion for the Improvement of their streets
and their property will partly fall or
somebody else. Yes, under that kind o
ad vaiorem, the poor mechanic, whom
. they are irving to trighten, would hay'
to pay higher tor the necessaries OF life
to help pay for the improvements of ricl
= mems property. We see then, that it il
the duty Of the owner of property t,
pay, not one-third but one-half of tn,
cost of improving the street on whicl
his property fronts. lfit 10 not his jol
will some one answer, whose 10 it
If it 10 only his job in part, will som
wise head point out the man who shoul,
be compelled to shoulder the other part
= I. c. W.