The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-02


money previously spent
We think 1T would be very unwise
to stop the Improvements in their pres
| ent condition. We have about S25 900
| invested i'm machinery and implements
/ for street work, which would be use
less and practically money wasted il
| the work on the streets is allowed to
cease. In addition to that the work
| which has already been done will in a
| measure go to pieces, unless it is con-
| tinued, because a good many OF our
streets are in an unfinished condition
and must be completed and projected
| in order to prevent injury and impair
| ment. Consequently to stop the work
now where it is would result in 4 heavy
loss to the city We have started the
work, it is now in an unfinished con-
| dit;on, and it will not take much more
to complete it. Can we afford to leave
it now in its present condition? 1t
seems to me it would be the worst
business policy we could pursue.
1t cannot be said that our tax rate
is too high, because our rate is lower
than almost any city of our size in the
South. 1t cannot be said that our
bonded Indebtedness is too great to
justify it, because We have a reasonably
small bonded indebtedness in compari-
| son with other cities of our size in the
| United States.
In conclusion, we hope the public
will bear with us for making a few
personal illusions. We do nor consider
this fight our fight: it is now the peo-
pies fight. Our fight was to submit the
! question upon its merits pure and sim
pie, and let them decide whether they
4 We hn
or not. If ior;tv Of the people Of
| Raleigh declare at the ballot that they
/ do not want to issue any more bonds
/ for street improvements, and that the
! time has come to stop the work we
shall accept that verdict in good faith,
and endeavor to carry out their wishes
to the best of our ability. We feel that
we have done our duty, aided by the
| best knowledge and information which
we could obtain. We have observed
the city as faithfully as we could, and
| our record is an open book
| Tt is immaterial to us personally
which way the issue goes, but we hope
i that it will be discussed upon its merits,
and that all bitterness and personalities
will be eliminated
We are accused of extravaganza on
account of the grading. / do not think
we have graded any street where the
property owners on the street did not
request US to cut deeper than we did,
or where it was not necessary to cut
in order to evenly distribute the water
flow with best results.
We believe that some DAY Raleigh
will be large city, and in making these
permanent Improvements, we had to
consider the future as well as the
present.
We are also ecensured because we did
not confine the improvements to the
principal business streets. To this
charge we plead guilty. In maturing
our system for street improvements
/ We allowed our vision to embrace the
entire limits of our city. 1t was our
purpose to fran plan which. although
it had it's beginning in the center of our
city would ultimately reach out into
the suburbs, until every street and
sidewalk in the city was improved.
We think it would be unfair to the
people on the unimproved streets to
stop the work now.
The records show that we are doing
the work on our streets nearly fifty
per cent cheaper than it was ever done
before and cheaper than the same class
|
else.
1t is said that we are paying too much
for grading. Before letting out the
contract we advertised in all Of the pa
pers for sealed bids. We received only
| two bids, one bid was 37la cents per
cubic yard, and the other was 24la
cents 1t had been costing US more
than 24k cents, so we gave the contract
/ fG tba UanflaraoT who hid
amount.
Every one knows that Raleigh has
! improved more within the last five
years than ever before in its history.
We know that our people feel a deeper
interest in their city now than hereto
| fore, which feeling of municipal pride
is SO essential to the growth and pros
perity of any city We Know that the
outside world looks at rs with more
favor now than ever before, and that
the people all over North Carolina feel
| greater pride in their Capital City
| than they did in former years All OF
| this is a. valuable possession Cor any
| city and we believe that this has been
| brought about largely by the improve
ments which we have been making on
| our streets. Must we stop these i'm
| provements after having advanced so
| far with them, and say to our people
and tho people away from here that
we are willing to begin an enterprise
| and stop it at a critical r1ornen1 when
! the best results will natJ ally follow
what has already been done?
/ do not believe that the business
men OF Raleigh are going to allow the
improvements to stop when they come
| to consider the question from the
standpoint of business expediency.
JOHN C. DREWRY.
Chairman Street Committee
De Wits Little Early Risers search
| the remotest parts of the bowels and re-