The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-06-03

n new city hospital and sanatarium, now
building at cost of forty thousand dol
lars. attest the spirit of cheerful enter
prise pervading in this city since the rev.
olution. Labor has been employed as 1t
has not been for years and q general
activity exists in business not exceeded
by any previous period. Had it not been
for this revolution and its consequent
removal of the fear of negro domination.
not one of these new enterprises would
have been in progress. but there would
have been men actively engaged in bust
ness and representing large interests
who would have removed from the city
altogether. One of these men himself
informed me that he would remain Gas
he did remain and actively led in the
movement and join in a supreme effort
to settle the negro question, but that if
it were decided adversely to the white
man. he himself would remove from the
city Our population of white people has
increased. Men who desire, and are ca
pable of work, are employed The negroes
themselves feel, that a better condition
exists. They are more actively employ
ed. Any reputable negro will not hest
tate to admit that the change has result
ed to his advantage. He is relieved Of
the pressure of the politician, who cor
rallied and voted him as he pleased, and
in his best interests he realized that
his opportunities now are greater and he
himself better protected than under the
previous condition of affairs here.
The close of the fiscal year under the
present city government shows that
without any increase in the rate of tax
alton, or in the license privilege tax
except an increase in the liquor license,
which is Offset by othe reductions, the
collection OF taxes exceeds by >$2,31S.51
the amount collected the previous year
under the Republican administration.
The expenditures under the present ad-
ministration are in excess of those of
the previous administration, but this is
due to the fact that many permanent
street improvements and permanent re-
pairs to public sewers and buildings
have been made and to the fact that the
city authorities have installed machin-
cry for quarrrying rock, opened up the
quarry, and purchased modern crushers
and road engines for matchmaking the
streets.
Mr.. William z. Worth of this city, a
leading business man and but recently
president of the Wilmington Chamber of
Commerce, has, in a recent letter, refer
red to the changed situation in this city.
The writer takes the liberty of quoting
from that letter the following words:
with the changed conditions and the
advent Of the white mans government
came renewed courage, hope and deter
mination; cheerful and radiant faces re-
MI no
ing that we had a firm, honest and clean
government, we went to work with re-
newed hope to protect the weak and
curb the unruly. In few weeks our
city took on new life.
while it is admitted that the gen
eral business of the country has been
better than heretofore-it has been phe
nomenally so here, and due largely to
the fact that we have a stable and we'll
ordered government. In one year of our
citys history has the business of the
past year been exceeded, or as many i'm
provements planned and put through.
Our citys finances have been gotten in
good shape and we are no longer Dor
rowers. Street improvements have been
inaugurated on a scale never before at
tempted and we have the money TO carry
under discussion and will be carried
through. Numbers of new and handsome
buildings have been erected and others
are going up. both in the residential and
business portions of the city, which has
never been exceeded. There is not an
eligible piece of store property vacant,
Notwithstanding the many additions dur
ing the past year. The city and county
taxes have been paid in excess of any
other year and with a promptness that
indicates prosperity. The lumber mills
have sold more material in the city than
ever before in any one year. The de-
posts in our moneyed institutions have
increased over 100000 in the year Good
order is the rule and our streets are
new scenes of business activity. The inn
provement is almost without measure in
some respects. Where there was but
little hope, there is now full confidence.
and every business here is being pushed
to the utmost capacity, feeling assured
as we do, that from this time in the
Anglo Saxon race is going to rule.
IREDELL MEARES.