San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-09

working hours any day OF the week, and
a thousand IDLE men will rush to the
scene. This is usual in all large cities,
but there are too many idle people in our
city. =, i
Careful, thinking men, are puzzled to
know Just how we are to come out; wheth-
er our city will become stagnant for want
of commercial life or whether the Ole, old
luck OF the town will follow 1t through the
decades to come.
Our local press with circulation limit.
ed 10 our cooperate limits, have periodical
spells at praising our climate and natural
advantages, and the great inducements
held out to capitalists to invest in our
real estate, and to establish manufactor-
les. sGlx
All this sounds WELL but like the talking
pbonograph 1t is not heard beyond the
block. Railroads have brought US the
stranger and the health seeker. Rail-
roads have carried the reputation OF our
city abroad.
Every foot of the outlying suburbs have
been sold to spectators and enterprisinR
men from abrOad-West End. Lakeview,
Laurel Heights. Alamo Heights, South
Heights, Grand View, and a dozen. more
additions have been established, and hum
dreds OF thousands of dollars expended to
make them attractive to purchasers, but
the purchasers have not yet arrived. To
the en- terpriSing dealers in real estate we
owe the growth of our city, and to them
we must look to large extent for future
development.
They will advertise all the glorious adj
vantages of our city to the outside world.
That we have an extravagant city gov
ernment Is plain to every observing per-
son; to keep up this extravaganza the rate
If taxation must be kept up; and one OF
The large items of tax revenue Is our sub
urban property that Is still on the hands
of enterpI Using investors. A liberal policy
should be shown towards all additions in
order to encourage their growth and i'm
provement; taxation should oe lowered.
The socalled equalization board of the
city council is in session and is likely 10
be for weeks to come: what are they do
ing? The papers say they are not doing
much else than allowing last years as
sessments to stand.
1t woud seem that a few days would
suffice to examine the Assessors work
anu dppTOfS IL, anu save JHc mCutJ
paid out to those equalizers,
A careful view of our city business
will show that great saving could be
made In expenditures without injury to
the efficiency of the city government.
And this should be one Of the issues in
coming election.
A radical change in the financial man
agement is also necessary, and this can
be done without injury to our interests or
credit.
Our city business should be adjusted
to the times and notthe run on Micawber
plan, waiting for flush times to turn up,
to jutifys waste and extravaganza.
The past administration proved itself
incompetent to deal with the emergen-
cies of the times. The last proposition
to bond the city for current expenses in
stead of bringing expenditures within the
| current revenues was In perfect keeping
with the'Wild and unbuSineSs like methods
Of the Callaghan rule.
Our city has been placed in the position
| OF the farmer whose crop is pledged in
| advance year after year to the cross roads
merchant, his position is simply ruin Gus
to his property and happiness.
1
| We have now few weeks of city gov
| eminent composed Of the faithful ten"
| they can do little good and not much
| harm; their main business will be schem-
ing to perpetua.e themselves.
| Certain private corporate interests will
control the ad-interim government to ad-
! vance their interests; purely selfish mo-
| tives will predominant. Yet, change of
administration based upon economy.
strict accountability to the people. and
| progressive measures consistent with the
ability Of our taxpayers and the future of
our city would inure to the benefit of all.