The Detroit times., 1911-09-04
Times q Power for Good.

To the Editor OF The Times;
have been reading The Times for
some time and would just Ike to tell
you that your paper is great power
for good In this city You are always
a leader in what Is just and right.
You always take up the cause OF the
oppressed. and helpless. notice par
ticularly your anxiety to come to, the
rescue of those who are almost In the
hands OF the executioner and are
powerless to help themselves. I have
written In behalf OF the young boy
condemned to death. II Is unjust and
would be a blot on the fair name of
this great republic and I trust and
pray that such a sentence imposed on
that very young boy will never be
carried into effect. wish you pros
perity and contipuance OF that good
you are rdoing. Your power for good
through the columns Of your paper Ia
further reaching than any church
could possibly be-.
M. H. WATSON.
Detroit. Sept 4. 1911.
To the Editor Of The Times: Hav-
ing been absent and very busy for
the past few days, | did not see the
commentator my dirt road proposition
until today, and right here want to
take on my hat to my fair critic for
the courage she shows in signing and
standing behind her convictions.
To begin with, hardly think she
understands my proposition. She
speaks OF my asking the poor labor
ing man TO do work the city ought
to do. and I should Judge that she
thought l was asking him to do d
general fixing up of these roads, ir-
respective OF his personal interest In
the little patch In front of the little
home he may rent or own. This was
not my intent or suggestion.
Next. rs TO the labor required and
| the additional burden placed on this
little -cottager. IL would require from
half an hour 70 an hour two or
three times in the spring, after the
frost was out of the ground and
while the ground was in plastic but
not muddy condition to rub over his
little piece OF dirt and make II smooth
and firm after which about ten min
utes once or twice a month for the
balance OF the season would do the
business or course. II the victim liv-
ed on corner this burden would be
increased about throe times; but IL
not done his and his family's suffer-
| ings from dust and mud would also
be correspondingly increased. My
proposition did not call for the ex-
penditure or cent by him nor any.
one else UP to the point OF making
this little piece of road, at least, four
cr Ave times as good as 1t would have
been with the little expenditure OF
this tired MUSCLE.
Nov as to the cities or the depart
ment OF rhblic works doing ALI this
work it would be very nice II they
could and would, But ] wish to re-
mind my good critic that in this case
II would cost this little home-owner
or renter cash consideration. Q In
clude the home-renter here, as con-
tend that the renter is the biggest tax.
payer we have, he paying the land.
lords taxes. plus profit). had
hoped we might start this good work
on the tnitiative,of civic pride and
a general desire for better home con-
ditions. Most OF our little home-keep-
ers spend so much time on their
lawns, yards. and gardens that had
not thought how much more should
tax their tired muscles In the carry
ing out Of my suggestion.
note that my critic would like TO
draft the idle rich into this road inn
lprovement scheme, and she seems to
have II In for that clan good and
thard: but has she ever thought of
the special privileges they have for
4 taxing the people through tariffs and
lrents on m6nopolized opportunities to
work; and IL 30, has she or will she
show as much vim In cutting out and
curtailing those special privileges ss
she does IN discouraging the little
home-maker to better his conditions
and those OF his tired, busting wife
and possibly unhealthy babies by this
little Gequisite use Of HIS tired anat-
omy. am glad to note that my sug.
gestion was not entirely lost. and my
time wasted, as The Times feared II
might be.
"A. q. HOWE.