The record-union., 1891-09-09
Sinking I'D the slInrians.

EDS. RECORD-CNIoE In communi-
cation to your valuable journal last May
I stated that this city had outgrown her
baby clothes, and that the time had come
when the one-man power, which we now
seem TO be blessed with, should be dis
carded; that we needed, and should de-
mand, q new charter, which should pro-
vide us with a Board Of Aldermen con-
sisting Of twelve or fifteen taxpayers TO
govern the interests OF this city.
| was laughed at then and called a
crank. The silurians, whom we are so
overly burdened with, and who rarely.
or ever, see farther than through the
compass Of their own eyes, poOh-poohod
the idea; but let them look ut the Waterloo
this city has just met through the action
of our city authorities, and then let thClN
confess that they were wrong and | was
right in this all-lmportant matter.
rs there a citizen III this city who will
ditler with me to-day when | say that il
we were represented in her Common
Council with a board OF men as l have
above specified, they would refuse J. II.
Henry permission to bring here and in
vest Sl0G, 600 in building and equipping
electric railroads that III time would add
hundreds of thousands to our taxable
property, open Up new territory, cause
new houses TO be built, ana give employ
ment to many hundreds of our me-
chanics.
And. while it is far from my object to
miSiudge the motives Of our City Fathers
in refusing so large an amount Of capital
to be Invested here, still, as = taxpayer, /
feel, indeed, sorry that they, in their
judgment. saw fit TO do rs they did in the
matter. But am not one OF the kind that
cries over spilled milk.
j. II. Henry can take his carpetsack.
filled with capital, and hunt for pastures
new. We don't want him and his clec-
trio roads, but / would like TO tell our
people that if they want this city 10 grow,
not as she has been doing in past years,
but grow like other cities, she must wipe
OF the dust which she carried here in
1S49, and inject a few drops Of young
blood into her veins. Let her offer some
other inducement than chin music to
manufactures to come here. She has the
field, and also the surrounding country
TO back her, and all that is lacking is to
get men Of money to see it as we do, and
TO make a commencement in this good
work.
l will offer to lease a lot 40 by 100 feet.
and well located, for the term of ten
years, free of all taxes, and with the
privilege, ut the end OF that time, of buy
ing it at its market value. to anv firm or
corporation who will agree 10 build Il
mandatory thereon. Now, how many
more of our citizens, so much better pre-
pared than l, will offer a like induce
ment?
This is not new idea with me; this
scheme was started in Omaha, Neb.,
some ten years ago. That city then had
something over 10000 population. and
about fifteen manufactures all told. To-
day she has 100000 souls. with over one
hundred manufactures, and this was
mainly caused by Offering ground rent
free for term of years TO men of capital
to erect works on.
We must be up and doing something
of this kind, if we ever expect 10 make
this city, and we can bemoan our lack Of
industries and wiring our hands till the
fir trees on the high peaks Of the Sierras
bears apples before manufactures will
come unless we offer them some induce
ment.
But what we most need now is new
charter. We want every section of this
city represented. TO the end that when
capital knocks again at our doors for adj
mission it will be welcomed, and not in
the interest of this or that part of the
town, but in the interest Of the whole
city. j. C. MAETINE.