Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-24
MUNICIPAL EHoLuTLoN.

Among the marvels of the last half of
the nineteenth century and the first
decade of the twentieth century is the
phenomenal growth of cities all the
world over. The consensus of opinion
among practical observers is that the
abnormal growth of cities is due chiefly
to industrial revolution caused by the
appliance of steam and electricity to
labor-saving machinery and the estab-
lishment Of commercial distribution cen
ters by the construction of railroads.
There is, however, another potential
force that constitutes a factor of attrac-
ton to the large cities. Take, for eX
ample, the city of New York, that has
recently become, next to London, the
largest city in the world. New York,
in addition to its various municipal
branches of public service, maintains
vast system of public instruction, which
includes, besides the common schools
and normal schools, a college and estab-
lishments for the care, education and en-
tertainment of the deaf, dumb and blind,
geological gardens, botanical gardens,
museums of art and natural history,
public libraries, public baths, recreation
piers and museum features in the parks.
These special educational and amuse-
ment features involve an outlay of
$160O0,000 year, and the cost of police
and fire protection, pavements sewerage,
water supply, public lighting and SER
vice incidental to the various branches
Of municipal government will aggregate
during the, present year about SS6,OO0,-
600. All in all, therefore, Greater New
York taxes itself $11O0OO,OOO a year to
meet the expenses of municipal govern
ment and interest on the public debt.
The magnet that draws hundreds of
thousands of people to Greater New
York is undoubtedly its capacity to in
struct and entertain the multitudes at
the least cost while at the same time
the city presents unequaled opportunities
for brainy men and women who are
ambitious to secure remunerative posi-
tions in the highest walks of life. With
New York setting the pace for all Amer
ican cities, the natural bent everywhere
is to emulate its example in every direc-
ton, even when the public purse is
strained to its utmost.
1t goes without saying that the more
progressive, enterprising, public-spirited
any community is the nearer it comes
to attracting population to itself, but it
is one thing to attract and another to
retain population just the same as it is
one thing to make money and another
to keep it. A city can only retain the
population it can profitably employ in
struct and amuse Few cities in Amer
lea can subsist on their climate alone,
since comparatively few people in this
country can afford to remain anywhere
for any length Of time unless they have
ment. Fewer cities still can depend
wholly for their growth upon natural re-
sources.
God made the country; man makes
the city And it takes men of pluck,
push and superior intelligence to build
up large cities even when they have
capital to back them. This will apply
to Omaha as well as any other American
city. It's substantial growth in the past
has come through persistent effort and
indomitable pluck and perseverance. It's
upbuildng in the future must come
through the factors that have built up
all other great cities.