San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-08-05
AS OTHERS SEE US.
An English Scholar Makes Some
Pertinent Suggestions for San
Antonio's Benefit.

A gentleman, writing from Lon
don, England, to a we'll known San
Antonio, says:
81 was surprised to read in the
DAILY LIGHT that your citizens
are proposing to own and carry
their own waterworks. 1t is an
evidence of intelligence and pro-
gress that did not expect to find
in Texas and 1 really hope to see
the project realized for l know it
cannot fail to be beneficial to the
citizens. AS you know Manches-
ter aud Liverpool own and control
their own waters, charging the cost
as taxes, and as a result the charge
is the lowest that is possible and
the service of the best both in
purity of water and excellence of
action; in fact water is so cheap
that no house owner ever thinks of
charging the water rate in the rent,
as in San Antonio, it being mere
bagatelle.
81 suppose 1 ought not to be sur
prised at Texas progress, because
even a better record than England
comes from India. In Calcutta, a
city of one million population, the
city makes the mains, manages its
water supply and conducts its rail-
roads. 1t has iron and brass found
ries, where all the necessary mate
rial is made. The result has been
a far better service in every way
and at cheaper rate.
"There is an agitation in London
now for the county council to con-
troll water and gas, and l am in
sclined to think that ere long the
people will wake up and see that
this is beneficial.
"People here generally regard
Texas as being lawless and
ssemi-barbarous state and this idea
has been fostered by the records
of crimes, lynchings, and by the
blood and thunder stories of the
plains and praries. These have in
a measure been dissipated by "The
Times" and photographs" San
dence | get is from the Daily
LIGHT, that from time to time you
have been kind enough to send me.
AS l judge nations by their litera
ture, even so | can judge cities and
countries by their papers. And
the Daily LIGHT has been a revela-
ton to me. 1t is ably edited,
newsy and full of good reading
matter-in fact it fairly rivals the
evening papers of the worlds
metropolis, London, and those of
the provinces. 1t does more than
this for, to the careful reader,
it shows a good state of socitry,
spirit of progress, a desired pros
perity, and general evidence of
law and order that can be envied
by many English cities. l have
often pittied you away from home
and friends, but when in the papers
and in your letters, read of your
glorious climate, your fertile and
cheap lands, the geniality of your
people, and the grand field that is
presented for enterprise in capital
and labor, | cannot but conclude
that my sympathy is misplaced.
"There is only one thing that l
am surprised att is this, that
with all your cotton, wool, hides,
etc, in your midst that you
have no factories. That is a great
mistake, and one that expect will
soon be rectified. Citizens, if prop
erly organized, could do this on a
cooperative principle, give work to
her citizens and build up her city.
England has bought American
cotton. She has given employment
to thousands, built up cities, made
colossal fortunes for her citizens,
and gained practical control Of the
market. II England could do this,
so far removed from the growth of
cotton, what ought you to do, in
the center of the greatest cotton
growing state, and with the mar
kets of America on one hand of
you, and of Mexico and the South
American countries on the other
hand? OF course, at this distance
and in the absence of positive data,
/ am in no position to form an ac-
curate judgement, but, it seems to
me that your people are making a
big mistake in not utilizing their
natural advantages to the honor
of the city and the welfare of the
people,"
The letter is from Mr.. W., Frs
kine-Lindsay M. A, l.. L. D., and
his suggestions are so logical and
pertinent as to command the seri-
Gus consideration of not only the
citizens of San Antonio but of the