Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17

show it to have been the most prosperous
OF the last ten years in the volume o1
business and the amount Of profits and
prospects we're never so good. Agitation
along reasonable lines is valuable. The
present discontent has something to do with
the poor weekly clearance reports. 1t is
believed that this is because South Omaha
appeared in our reports last year. but not
this year Certainly there is a large in
crease in business at both Omaha and South
Omaha. In our anxiety we are liable to
underestimate our present conditions,
which are certainly favorable, and over
estimate those OF other cities"
Ex-Mayor George P. Bemis: "That more
capital is not invested here in commercial
and Industrial enterprises is, think, due
! largely to the drought and panic from which
| we are just recovering. l believe we have
! too expensive a government, and high taxes
naturally discourage investment, not only
in real estate, but in commerce and in
dustrial enterprises. For my part 1 favor
the blending Of the city and county govern
ments for economical reasons. An active
revival in real estate will, l believe bring
many new investments in all lines of bus
mess. 1t would bring to those who are
loaded up with lands money which they
would seek to invest in other channels of
profit. Conditions are much better than they
have been and the prospect is encouraging,
but l cannot help remembering that our
taxes are nearly as much as they were
during the most prosperous years, while real
estate will bring only fraction of what
| it would at that time"
| w. H. Green of the Real Estate Exchange:
I 70 ic bo of oil ht,c
in every city, and backwardness in that re-
spect is reflected upon every other line Of
business Our laws are absolutely against
us here. They positively prohibit investment
in real estate by outside capital. II you loan
money on real estate you can't get 1t back
until you have worn the other man out
know what l am talking about. l have
been through it. l made loan of $4,000
on piece OF Omaha real estate and it took
me six years to get the property when the
loan was not paid. The man who borrowed
the money kept the house, big, fine one
in good location, for six years. He paid
no rent no insurance and no taxes. Why, it
takes six months in this state to eject
nonpaying tenant from a tenement house.
I Such laws are not going to attract capital,
We ought to have the Missouri law. Do
you know that they can borrow money in
Kansas City per cent cheaper under the
Missouri law than they can at Kansas City,
Kan, just across the river, under the Kan
sas law?
but Omaha real estate is picking up.
Omaha has struck lead that is going to
develop something of advantage. Deals that
have recently made personally and those
am closing up mean $250,00O worth of new
building next year. The sale of the north
east corner of Tenth and Jones to the Ames
Qfn m a.
building early next spring. When real
estate revives the rest of the marks of pros
perity will come along with the revival
OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 16-To the Editor of
commercial upbuildng and progress of
Omaha and this commonwealth should be
nearest the hearts of all the people living
within its boundaries.
Previous to the timely letter of Mr. 2. T.
Lindsey and your own remarks under the
head Hits the Nail Squarely," in The Bee,
December 49, a movement had been started
for the purpose of patronizing and foster
ing the manufacturing interests of this city
and state.
This movement was duly organized De-
cember 12 as the Home Patronage Bureau
of the Commercial club it's object Is to bet
ter acquaint the masses with the various
manufacturing enterprises that have sprung
up in our midst and to enlist the support
and patronage Of the public for these en-
terprises.
1t is taken for granted that all the people
here intend to be loyal to Omaha, but how
keen would be their disappointment If they
could only realize accurately how much help
they have been and are doing for some other
commercial center, perhaps far removed from
Omaha
If we want to live in large, up-to- date,
progressive, thriving and growing locality
our sympathy must be directed locally.
If we want Omaha to be thrifty the re-
sponsibility for such lies largely with the
masses and it can be accomplished by di-
rect conscientious effort on the part of every
one.
If the expenditure of cash by the good
housewife or the man OF the house were
made in the interest Of local enterprises,
even if for only one day each week, you
would not have to offer subsidies to any en-
terprise to come here. But that effort alone
would be the best bonus the people could
offer and would be bonus without a con-
tingent liability.
If this were done the local commerce
of empty downtown premises and event.
ually the city would have to borrow more
land to spread itself over. To show how
much good these local enterprises are, in
one instance it is estimated that 600 people
obtain from it their direct support, yet, prob
ably through it's unpretentiousness, one half
of the people here do not know of its ex-
istence.
direct effort for the good of Omaha will
rebound with good to both the city and state
and will strike the nail squarely on the
head.
The Home Patronage bureau is to bring
more closely to the consumer the advantages
they possess of pushing Omaha to the front !
and aleo the great commonwealth Of which
we have the honor and privilege of being
a part. Yours truly, e. ]. CHISSELL
Chairman Missionary Committee.
SOCIETY IN NATURAL HISTORY