Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-11-12

appreciation. 1t would be a few mo-
nients wisely spent. as such an occa-
sion would certainly stir the people
to a keen sense of civic pride and
arouse them to more fully appreciate
Griffin's dawn of a new era.-Grifin
Herald.
Albany, Triton, Rome, Athens and
now Griffin. All of these five of the
smaller cities of Georgia, enterpris-
ing, pushing, progressive, are in the
paved streets class. Athens has ex-
pended 100000 in the improvement
of its streets. Triton recently Issued
bonds and has some good specimens
of streets in an up-to-date condition.
Rome has a considerable area of its
street surface covered with durable
material. Albany has recently in
creased its paved area and its main
business thoroughfare presents fine
appearance as result, And now
Griffin comes to the front and is about
to start laying brick In its highways,
giving it new impetus and convert
ing it from the village street period
intothe genuine city life of the Goth
century.
Americas Iags behind. How many
more towns are going to begin paw
ing their streets before we do it? Are
we going to wait until Dublin and
Hawkinsville and Fitzgerald and a
half dozen others, of less wealth, of
less business, of less population, put
us to shame by their progressiveness
in this direction? Are we forever
going to Chew the rag" to use an
| expressive, even though inelegant col
| loquialism, and do nothing? Is it to
be forever case OF talk and talk and
talk, and then a long silence?
1t is nighon to three years now
since the people of Americas by prac-
tically a unanimous vote authorized
the issuing of bonds to the extent Of
$4,000 for the paving of the streets
of the business section. 1t was the
deliberately expressed wish of the
| people as a whole 1t was realized
| that this was one of the most impor-
tant steps to be taken, that it was
really the next great step in the max
ing of a greater town, in the con-
version of Americas from a country
town into a modern city. The peo-
pie were enthusiastic for it. 1t is a
great pity that the bonds were not
issued at once and the work done. The
city that procrastinatien is very much
like the individual who puts off. It
never accomplishes anything.
But it is not too late yet to issue
the bonds and pave the streets. After
the matter had been deferred for a
time, the financial conditions OF the
country became bad and It was con-
sidered that the time was not then
opportune for selling the bonds. But
that condition passed away some
months ago. Then local conditions
became somewhat strained financially,
as a temporary condition purely, re-
sulting from the panic. That excuse
also no longer holds good Bonds are
easily saleable now at good values.
Local conditions are again first class.
Why, then, should not the bonds be
issued. the money used in street paw
ing-it cannot be used for any other
purpose-and Americas given a great
stride forward?
If there is any reason why this
should not be done the people at large
do not know it, There has never been
single intelligent reason given in
Council as to why it has not complied
with the demands of the people of
Americas except those enumerated
above, and they have lost all of their
force. 1t is clearly the duty of Coun-
Gil to do something, to show its faith
in Americas by obeying the behest of
the people. There is not the slightest
reason to believe that the views of
the public have changed so far as
this question of street paving is con-
cerned. The people are wise enough
to know that the city cannot be al
lowed to go on forever without street
paving. They appreciate full well
that Americas is not going to con-
tinue to develop il it stands still in
this respect while cities in its class,
and cities of smaller size, from one
end of the state to the other, have
either already begun paving or are
preparing to do so.
1t is decidedly up to Council to do
something. 1t hasn't accomplished
much in its career up to date, but
there may have been causes it was
unable to control bringing this about