Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-03
OUR LETTER Box


FOR Greater Omaha.
SOUTH OMAHA, Dec. Ito the Editor
Of The Bee: ! have just read what ] con-
slider a poor argument against the an
nexation Of South Omaha 10 Omaha as now
proposed, and in reply want TO say that
the emily seemingly good argument that
I ever heard against annexation Is the
fact that property Immediately south OF A
street has always been a little higher in
price than the residence property immedi-
ately north Of A street But any man who
keeps in touch with the growth and de-
velopnlent OF residence localities in any
particular part Of any city knows that the
class Of people residing in any locality has
more to do with the value Of lots than
the real estate vendor or the name Of the
street or municipality. The erection OF the
car barns at Twenty-fourth and Ninton
streets has changed the price and class
Of property in that vicinity and done away
with this argument.
The South Omaha business men, espe-
cially those engaged in trade, depend on the
aboring people for % per cent Of their
business, and the one thing that will help
out the South Omaha people, whether bust
ness men, landlords Or professional men,
is to increase the demand for labor and
to quit hollering home patronage"
We have thousands OF manufacturing
sites and miles Of trackage, but we are not
heavy" enough, not strong enough to
maintain an organization, and therefore
have neither the money nor the influence
to cope with cities which are standing
open-handed, all over this country with
locations and assistance for any enterprise
that will employ labor.
r-,,.ray arfarrrfaa Of
which seeks a location in or around Omaha
wants trackage available. 1t does seem
to me that IL the business men Of South
Omaha would join In for Greater Omaha
and work with the Commercial club Of
Greater Omaha for manufacturing plants,
South Omaha would fast become the manu-
featuring center ii is destined to be and
all South Omaha men would be better of.
And 1 know that at the present time the
Commercial club IL endeavoring to locate
big cereal mill In the neighborhood Of
Peters mill, and just recently the Gate
City Malt company, made up Of Omaha
men and Omaha capital, chose the same
site and is putting up buildings and ele-
vators on a large scale. II the two cities
were consolidated we could then induce
the real estate influence to come south of
Vinton street and clear down in proximity
with South Omaha business interests. too.
DR.. McCrann realizes that annexation is
sure to come and grants that South Omaha
would have as many, and probably more
officials, excepting the mayor. Now want
to suggest that the South Omaha vote
would have considerable to do with the
naming Of the mayor Of Greater Omaha
every time.
have known South Omaha fifteen years
and have been in business here for, six
years. have been "on the fence" for a
long time as regards annexation, but to-
day I can see no better outlook for this,
the logical manufacturing end Of Omaha,
than to make II the real manufacturing
end of Greater Omaha. Let US quit fight
ing, look at things as they are rather than
as some would have them, and then, with
the united sympathy of the packing in
dustry and the money and influence of
Greater Omaha back of us, who can but
/ predict a better future?
We hear but little open talk, but believe
| the actual sentiment in South Omaha to-
day is largely in favor of the consolidation
of Douglas county, South Omaha and
/ Omaha into one economic government or
municipality; a unanimous boost for
2o,0OO population and to be a big part OF
/ metropolitan city whose name and place
on the map will stand for something.
A SOUTH OMAHA DRY GOODS MAN.