The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-06-08
TUESDAY, JUNE s: 1909.
BROWNSVILLE SHOULD
CONSIDER THIS.

No more timely article on the sub
ject of the duties of modern munich
palities has been published than that
copied below from the current num-
Der Of the Manufacturers Record.
The Herald would commend a careful
perusal of this article to every citi-
zen and property owner, who has any
pride in his home town, or who cares
to promote its advancement. To no
place in Texas does this apply more
peculiarly than to Brownsville, stu
ated as it is just now, where the
brook and river meet" where it is
Just about to blossom from the coun-
try town into the city. The article
follows:
Increasing prosperity throughout
The South, the advance of towns and
cities and the necessity Of preparing
for larger growth in the future all
unite to make it important for
Southern communities to be active in
municipal improvements. While this
section is already making great pro-
gress in the building of water-works,
sewerage systems, the laying of better
pavements and the construction of
good roads and the building of court
houses and schools, there is need for
much greater activity. In the very
near future the South will enter upon
the busiest period of its history. Then
labor will be in greater demand than
1t was two years ago. With the re-
vival of railroad construction and in
dustrial activities, signs of which
are already seen, it will be impossible,
for municipalities to carry out their
improvement work except at a higher
cost than at present. There is an I'd
yancing tendency of prices, and there
viii soon be an advancing tendency
OF wages. In order to get. the best
results for the least expenditure all
communities needing improvements
liz the way of Water-wOrks, sewerage
systems or extension of existing
plants, public buildings, street and
road building, should get to work i'm
mediately. Fortunately, there is
widening demand for city, town and
county securities. so that every hon
estly-managed community with a
good financial history has no difficulty
in being able to sell its bonds to ad-
vantage The financial situation at
present makes it feasible to secure
better prices for bonds than would be
possible if the whole country was en-
joying a great business boom as it
did prior to the summer of 1907, be- |
cause as business increases capital is |
in greater demand and higher prices
must be paid for money There is
thus double reason why municipal
work should be taken up promptly.
On the one hand. it can be done to
much better advantage and at a lower
cost than when business is rushing,
and on the other hand, bonds can be
sold at a higher price than they would
probably bring if there was great bus
mess activity. There are thus two
points of saving to be considered in
favor of doing work now.
No growing community in the
South need expect to get its full share
Of the progress and prosperity of the
near future unless it does its full
share OF work in making every pro-
vision for the comfort of its inhabi-
Lants and the protection of their
health Good streets, good roads,
and comprehensive water
works and sewerage systems are all
essential, They are investments that
pay for themselves many times over. {
The South is already doing very con-
siderable work in these lines, but it
ought to double and quadruple what it
is doing. 1t ought to enter upon a
broad campaign of road building, of
street and other improvements which
would add to the comfort of living, /
to the attractiveness of every COM
and largely to increase the
prosperity of individual communities
as well as of the South as a whole.
The time for this work is now"