The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-04-12
THE PLACE FOR AUSTIN'S SUR
Plus CAPITAL.

month and builds himself small
home. The clerk and the young pro-
fessioual man who earns 500 month
does the same thing. They all III
their small way are wealth creators
for the city where they live, they are
constantly increasing its taxable val
ues and thus enabling it to more com
pletely fit itself with proper sewerage
water and light plants, parks ana
boulevards, etc And the merchant,
that poor unfortunate upon whom
most uujustly is always made the
first call In questions OIL
public moment-what of him? why
he moves into high rental store, ana
starting with little, by years OF So
briefly, honesty aud fair dealing, builds
up good line of credit, by means Oh
which he fills his store with n large
stock of goods, thus furnishing an
other taxable foundation for the city,
and also means through which MS
rich landlords taxes are scaled. But
what of the rcntal-dOes it grow lees?
Ahlno. 1t Is one of those things
that increase in geometrical pro-
erosion as the tenant struggles up IN
the world. Yet in all these cases how
much more really valuable to the
town are the day laborer, the
clerk, ard the merchant, than the
rich man? But let it not 30
said that we i'm the least degree lose
sight of the fact o. the interdepend-
ence OF capital and labor. The relI'
ance of tho merchant upon the man
who builds his store, just as the clerk
relies on his employer. But is not the
relation of the day laborer to his en-
ployer and the clerk to the merchant
q far more liberal and progressive re-
lation than that Of the rich landlord
to his merchant tenant? DO not
small towns and cities grow and pros
per more because of their day labor
ers, their professional men, their
small traders and merchants than
through the efforts of the landlords
and the rich? In the way OF general
public spirit, in the way Of each
man doing to the utmost
limit all he can for the public good,
do not the former classes far excel the
latter?
Now this is not written with pecu-
liar regard to Austin, These condi'
tons doubte exist here to no more
marked degree than in other cities OF
our size. But it is written to empha.
size the particular reason, why here
in Austin the monied men should take
a specially unwonted and vigorous
hold of affairs. The city has grown
to this time mainly because OF the
terribly hard work of the classes men,
toned. But we now have made a
new step forward. The taxable val
ues, built up through years OF struggle
to support the then existing
condition of affairs, werN sufficient,
but taxes on 81 100000 of new deb.
have to be raised. These taxes will
be cut to almost nothing because of
the new privileges derived from the
water and light plant, but the ad-
vantages held out a. supplemental to
that plant must be fully developed to
the end that the values created dur
ing all these years may not hear the
burden they have endured, and that
also the city may receive a revenue
that will enable her to equip herself
with modern conveniencies and adorn
herself as is no other city in the
South.
To accomplish this call must not
be made upon the day laborers,
the clerks and the profess
slonal men who have borne
the heat and burden of the day, nor
upon the merchants who are now
under full sail with ali the ballast
luey CdIl Cullyi buN uPOh viz hiNh LhSh
with their stores and houses and va.
cant lots and idle money in the banks.
According to official figures there is
s., O00, 900 of idle cash in Austin. The
city does not need this to be put into
the establishment of new banks, that
are not producers of wealth, nor
should it lie idle in existing banks-it
should be used not to swap around
among our citizens, pilipg up interest
for its lender to compound and not
improve, but it should be put to work
at creating real wealth-wealth for its
owner, for his neighbor, the commu-
rity and the entire city. This
can be accomplished by putting it into
a half million dollar company las a !
starter to locate and operate manu-
factories in Austin. This is the noble
field opened to our apitalists-when |
they have occupied it all Austin will |
rejoics at once, and they will them
selves rejoice over the increment of
all their values, from so many OF
which they now grumble at the small !
-. III, l..