Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1917-04-05
BONDING ISSUES ALLOW
IMPORTANT CITY WORK
Enable Cities to Get Things
Which They Could Not 9th
erwise Secure.

The question of bonding for public
purposes of any sort is one which Is
likely to arouse d great deal Of inter
est at any time, no matter what the
issue at stake may be.
Through bonding issues many
things may be done by the public
which would be impossible to do with
out, or which would be years in the
making because of the fact that such
things would be done piecemeal, and
cost far more when the work was f.
nally concluded.
A bonding issue has several pur-
poses; it promotes great enterprises,
which otherwise would be absolutely
impossible. There is scarcely an en-
terprise in the country today that is
Of any consequence, which did not find
its origin in bonding issue. The
millions Of men who are employed by
the railroads, in our great factories.
by our steamship lines and other en-
terprises are practically all aided
through bonding, and are bonded en-
terprises. Without bonding these
would have been impossible, and
many working men would be without
employment and we would lack many
of the comforts of life, which we are
now enjoying. 1t is means by which
the world does business. Most of the
worlds business is done through cred
it, not with actual money.
Bonding for public as we'll as pri-
vate enterprise is simply another way
of borrowing money in a lump sum on
the credit of the local government in
order that some great public improve
ment may be made, such as the con-
struction of schools, Of sewerage sys-
tens, systems of water mains, paving.
construction of municipal lighting and
water plants. etc. Bonding issues al
low these needed improvements TO be
constructed at once so that the public
may have the immediate benefits Of
them
BY putting in such improvements
piecemeal the cost is added to great
ly. because of the need OF moving
machinery. men. etc. while by doing
an entire thing at one time, the cost
is necessarily less. When purchases
must be made, the buying for q large
improvement is made at much lower
cost for the whole, than when the
piecemeal Improvements are made.
Alma is facing the making Of i'm
provements in several respects, do to
the rapid growth Of the city The
only way that the growth Of Alma
will continue at its present rapid rate,
is for such improvements~to come, and
70 come in bunch. Every public
spirited citizen wants TO see the prog
ress Of Alma continue, and this will
mean a community spirit working
hand in hand with the officials Of the
city.
Alma needs lots Of paving, the worst
kind of way. Many of her streets
are mires, during wet weather, and al
most impassable This condition must
be remedied for the good Of the city.
The extension Of the sewerage is
greatly needed, and the water mains
need extension. The rapid growth of
Alma has created great demand for
sidewalks.
Such things are needed for COM
munity development. Alma cannot
advance further without them. They
are the demand of the hour. and it
behooves every citizen of Alma to
stand behind the administration, when
il asks for bonding issue within the
next few weeks, as it will.
The amount of the issue has not
yet been determined. This will de-
pend upon the report of the commit
tee appointed to investigate the mat
ter. IL will probably report within
the next week and very shortly after
the council will take some steps.
Alma needs TO bond now. Alma
needs Improvements. She can have
them while paying for them, hence
why not have them now. relieve the
need, allow Alma to continue To ex-
pand, and have other people here as
residents Of Alma, who will aid in
paying the amount of the issue, which
the citizens Of Alma now are enjoy
ing?