Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-02-06
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY ). 1913.
UP TO THE PEOPLE.

$3.50. -
If we are to believe the statements Of
the city council and others. the city
treasury is empty. There is nothing in
it except "a large hole in the bottom Of
it. And that can not be converted into
cash or made available for the city'S
needs. AS we said yesterday, there is
no money. available for the care Of the
pubic health.
The treasury is empty, and the town
is in debt, and can not get credit or PAY
current expenses: at least that was said
in the council meeting last Monday.
Why is there no money for the use Of
some of the city departments? Answers
there are afplenty, doubtless, to this
question, but zone of them seem quite
satisfactory. 1t will be no trouble iii
the world to get one political crOwd to
explain tito the detrimcnt of the other:
but the other fellow can always come
back witH a counter explanation. But
how lo~ngffareuthe plain everyday .peoplG.
going to be satisfied with explanations
and counter explanations that put no
money into the treasury, and leave the
public health endangered for lack OF
means to guard it?
Explanations can not change the
facts: that the city is in debt; that il
is out of money; that its warrants are
not hOnOred except at %ruinous discounts
if at all * that the mules of the Scavcn-
gers are ouflat grass, and the scavengcrS
have q%uitfheir jobs; that no taxes have
been levied !; that tho city loses some
thing like $1,000 in the way Of poll taxes
because of the failure Of the levy.
Is it not about time for the citizens
of Brownsville, irrespective of red and
blue club relations, TO get together and
look into these things? Perhaps a mass
meeting will be in order, SO that inquiry
NAV be had bv the citizens themselves
into the present situation. What this
city needs is less peanut politics and
more broad gauge business methods ap
piled to the affairs Of the community
We need a non partisan commission gOr
eminent.
~ IdNF INttl iN'l ~ punt NJ 1T ~ III Fi'
uatiOn is becoming iutolcrablc. Browns
vile in its richest DAYS has never had
enough money to pay for the life Of the
breadwinner in any family, for the life
of q mother, or for the life Of one little
child. t only takes a minute to blame
the other crowd, but it takes anywhere
from six weeks to the resurrection morn
ing TO cure one case of typhoid.
The Herald is not an obStructionist.
1t has always stood shoulder to shoulder
with those who wished to make the com
munity 90 forward. 1t has always fay
Ored a constructive program. But the
filthy au,i unsanitary streets and alleys
are not constructive, but destructive;
and a hole in the bottom of the treasury
il not constructive but disastrous.
1t is high time that some sane, reason
able business measures were taken TO
prevent the city from going into bank
ruptcy. 1t took a writ of mandamus
from the district court to force the
school tax levy and save the town from
the disgrace of having its public schools
closed for lack of funds. Will it require
another writ of mandamus to secure
a tax levy to keep the city gov
eminent going-at least, to keep the
town clean and sanitaryO
In any event, let Brownsville people
get together on some non partisan foot
ing and pull the town out of the ditch
into which it has fallen.
-O-