The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-03-28
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larger increase as number of tho
! factories that were erected during the
past year were only put in operation
during the last months of the year
and a number that were erected oil
partly erected were not in operation
during the past year which will be the
present year, and the operation oil
others now in the course of construc
ton will show the largest increase
in the number of men employed and
the total wages paid by any year in
Cantons history.
PUBLIC HIGHWAYS.
| The public highways OF Stark coun-
ty are about in the same condition
that they have been for a number of
years. They are not what they should
be, nor what they easily could be made
to be. When We take into consider
alton that this is one of the richest
counties in the state, having all the
material necessary to have the best of
roads, Stark county's roads are among
the poorest of any in the state.
During the past year at the request
of number of people interested in
good roads We inquired from various
sources as to the methods which the
people would most likely adopt for the
purpose of raising money to secure
good roads The most popular meth
cd that we have found is a wheel tax
of twenty-five cents on every whesl
per year; that is each bicycle would
he required to pay so cents per year.
a buggy and wagon dollar year.
That is, all vehicles would have to
pay tax of twenty-five cents for
each wheel in said vehicle; our in
quiries were sent out to people who
it would most effect and we have yet
failed to find a single one to oppose
SO raised should be used for perma-
nent street and road improvements
and could not be diverted to other
purposes. That is, that the tax raised
in the city of Canton from such source
would go to the improvement of her
streets and roads. That raised in the
township would go to the permanent
Improvement of the township roads.
MAKE PRISONERS WORK.
Some say that our penal institu
tions are not self-supporting. They
are not. 1t was probably never in
tended that they should be. That is
not their purpose, and since they are
not, convict labor should be used to
the best possible advantage to the
county and where it comes least In
contact or competition with free labor
This labor should therefore be used
exclusively for the purpose of better
ing the condition of our roads and
public highways. To this end We
would recommend that this body take
steps to bring the desired result
This is the only way taxes can re-
eeive an adequate return for the
amount paid annually to sustain these
institutions.
Canton is in need of a large hall or
auditorium where large audiences can
he accommodated; Canton is the poor
est equipped city in the state for such
purposes. We will soon have the best
hotel facilities in the state but 1t will
be impossible to secure different con-
ventions or large meetings of organ
i2aticns which bring delegations to the
city which necessarily brings money
to the city and finds its way to all
channels OF trade 1t is to be hoped
that some provisions will be made
by some person or persons for a large
hall for taking care Of conventions
and the like, not only political con-
ventions but conventions of all sorts,
manufacturers and business mems as
sociations and the like.
Everybody is well aware that the
people who attend these conventions
have money, and people always
spend more money when they are
away from home than they do at
home. Visitors Of this character add
much to the prosperity of city.
When at home You may not spend A
nickel day for street car fare but
every visitor rides everywhere and
will spend half dollar before he Is
through; 1t is the same of the restaur-
ant, the hotel. the stores, etc, the
more strangere come into the citv the