The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1909-04-16
Better Still

There seems to be an inclination on
the part of various municipalities and
counties in the State, especially in West
Tennessee, to improve the roads and
streets. Many of the towns are also
considering the paving proposition
The Legislature has enabled a number
of these towns and counties to issue
bonds to carry out the Improvements
planned Humboldt is to spend $780,
900 i'll street Improvements, Obion is
asking the Legislature for authority to
make $50, 900. bond issue for munic-
ipal Improvements, but more impor-
tant than these Dyer County has au-
thority from the Legislature to vote on
a bond proposition for macadamizing
the county roads,
The object in mentioning these facts
is to draw the attention of Union City
people TO our own interests. A sugges-
ton has been made lately that the city,
instead of going forward with the work
of matchmaking streets as originally
outlined, lay that work aside Temporal
rily and lnaugurate system of concrete
paving. The matter has been unoffi-
cially discussed at one or two of the
meetings of the Board of Mayor and
Aldermen, with probably a request that
the Legislature grant certain authority
for this line of work. No public meet
ing has been held and no general dis
cussion of the subject has been had
Two weeks ago this paper had some
thing to say rather encouraging the lay
ing of concrete walks 1t is a matter
however, that we are not ready to join
issue about with anybody. Either of
the Improvements will suit us, provided
the plans of one are as practical as the
other. OF course it does seem that with
the amount of good macadamized streets
we have the greater number of our peo-
pie would be benefited t present
with good sidewalks. But there is a
proposition which, if it could be made
practical, would be worth hundred to
one of either of the Improvements
named-and that is for Union City to
devise some plan of macadamizing the
main roads leading from Union City
five miles each way. Money expended
in this kind of improvement would
bring returns-substanti returns-as
well as conyeniences. The laying of
walks or hard streets in the city limits
Is of very little more value to us than a
convenience. As an investment for
growth and profit it does not compare
with the public road proposition. The
idea occurring to us is to do the macad-
amizing in sections of five miles each,
one road at a time, make provisions and
pay for same before beginning the next
five miles. Do this without issuing
bonds, much the same way, if possible,
as the streets are built in town.
There is no probability of the county
ever agreeing on a general work of this
kind. 1t is simply up to Union City to
start the ball, and we are here to say
that if it is not done in few years the
loss will be great-greater than some
business men can ever imagine. Don't
ever get the idea into your head that
you can remain Indifferent to these
things because other communities will
never build hard roads. That is a mis-
take. Neighboring towns will begin
this work in the near future, and when
it is done it will be TOO late then for I'm
ion City to draw the trade. The time
and the place are here and now. Build
five miles of good, hard road in one di-
rection, and the trade from that terri
tory begins to move to Union City right
away. Our business and population in
creases, and probably, almost certainly,
we gain so much advantage that it
makes rivalry impractical Let some
one or more of the neighboring towns
make the same start, and as sure as fate
Union City will drop out of sight as
business center.
So much for the kind of improve
ment, but what Of the means and prac-