Newspaper Page Text
2 C
H KARST’S SUNDAY AMERICAN. ATLANTA. G A.. SUNDAY. DECEMBER 14. 1913.
PJIYKE SMS STREETS !
SOKE OF REAL WEALTH
<). ♦ ■lopmci.t j*
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to handle the
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no betetr n«»r
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tion, and >ir
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Continued From Page 1.
tion has to come into the city by way
of Ponce DeLeon avenue, to Peach
tree etreot, or go out Ponce DeLeon
avenue to Moreland avenue, and into
Dora tor street, to he able to secure
fairly graded etreels and smooth
navements and have to go out'of
their way from half a mile to a mile
and a half to do ko.
Make Stores Accessible.
In the first mile radiating from the
enter of Atlanta. If the streets were
of eyatematic. easy grades with
smooth pavements. It would enor
mously benefit every person doing
business In Atlanta, by making their
places m«»re accessible, and would
benefit every property-holder by pro
moting the business growth of the
city.
Before the building of the Peach
tree viaduct Atlanta was almost sep
arated into two big straggling towns
With the building of this splendid
highway Atlanta values have devel
oped by leaps and bounds, partlcu
larly whor*» property has been located
in tjie neighborhood of this improve
ment.
Other viaducts have rendered 1he
city more homogeneous and more Iik«*
one city than one would have imag
ined possible before the building of
the first of these structures. If we
regTade our streets and put smooth
pavements upon them we should re
quire every property owner who cuts
into the streets to replace the sur
face in the best possible condition
immediately, and after three or four
good rains to require him, in the
Judgment of the city engineer, to
again resurface that portion of the
street which has been taken up. This
<'ould be easily accomplished by re
quiring a deposit or a bond to be
given befofe the work is undertaken.
Careless Paving a Msitake.
The present method of claiming
that the city must do the work, as
only the city can do it properly, then
simply shoveling in the loose dirt and
letting the places stand as deep hoi
low’s Indefinitely, is a procedure which
is not good, either for the property-
holder or for anyone who drives any
kind of vehicle. These great sinks
across the roadway, both in the city
and in the county, aro very familiar
propositions to anyone who has occa
sion to drive over them in any kind of
vehicle. We believe that our city and
county officials could improve condi
lions in the future In this respect, if
they will put their minds to it.
Business never likes to climb up
and down hill, and avoids heavy
grades. Peachtree and Whitehall
streets need good side streets to
bring them to their highest develop
ments. Such streets act as feeders
to the main arteries, and when the
main arteries are overcrowded, they
give easy accommodation to the over
flow. We should not only put. our
streets In good condition, but we
should watch them continually and
keep them in good condition. Small
holes and breaks are easily repaired
but if left unrepaired they quickly
develop into larger openings or
breaks, radiating from the starting
point.
Atlanta’s crying need is for easier
grades upon her streets and smoother
pavements. Even the rough belglan
bloks, w’hen properly laid and undis
turbed, or relaid properly, are many
times smoother than our present die- |
torted highways. It is claimed by I
j some that tin- vibration of the trolley I
cars and t! »* shunt electric currents :
j from them cause the disintegration of
some of our pavements. If this i*
true we need pavements which are
not affected by such conditions us
quick transportation without smoke
and i inders is one of the great neces
sities of the modem city, and only
electricity at present meets this im
portant need of the people.
Easy grades have been recognized
is i no of the best assets of pro
gressive rities since Napoleon worked
such wonder with the streets of
Paris New York City has spent mil
lions for easy graded streets with
smooth pavements. In a day’s walk
from Central Park down to the Bat
tery and back again, one does not
realize that he la not walking on a
level surface, as the eight-mile trip
eemi uch an m I f om
Leu.on in Grades.
Yet a walk across the city from
East River to North Fiver, at cer
tain points whe.ro tiie city Is high
above both rivers, makes one realize
the magic of easy, even grades in
making distant points more accessi
ble. Seattle has recently cut down
43 blocks, which, In some places, was
cut down as much as 110 feet. This
city is growing by blips and bounds.
In recent years many municipal
contests have been based on the Is
sue of systematic, progressive ideas
in the treatment of the streets versus
indifference, and the street improve-
j merit forces have won in every case,
•as far as we know. The present old
! fogy argument that a street should
I not he Improved until houses are
built facing on it promotes the build-
■ ing of cheap structures, and hence
I low taxes, and Is contrary to the re
quirements of many progressive cities
| —that all of the Improvements must
; be done on a street before any build-
j ings are erected, which promotes a
| far better class of buildings and
i makes such streets far better income
producers for the city.
Atlanta has within seven miles of
her business center the most heavily
endowed female college In the State,
and within twenty miles she has
Htone Moutain, one of the greatest
natural curiosities in the world, and
yet there is not a first-class, smooth,
well-graded highway to either of
them.
State's Richest County.
Pulton County is the richest coun
ty in the State, nnd pays over one*
seventh of the taxes of the whole
State. Atlanta is the richest city in
Ufeorgia, yet In her Ninth Ward, whPh
comprises over one-fifth of the whole
city, she has not put down In its
western half, between the Southern
Railway and Moreland avenue, hut
one short piece of first-class pave
ment (on Highland avenue), and a
little dab on Lin wood street.
North avenue, the longest cross
street on the North Bide, should bo
open from Western Heights to bruul
Hills, but the Southern Hallway, be
hind Poncr DeLeon Park, needs an !
underpass before this thoroughfare
is fully available. Think of the taxes
many beautiful homes, such as Mr.
DuPree’s, on North avenue back of j
Ponce DeLeon, would be paying along
this street, nnd how the whole street
would improve and pay high tax re
turns if properly graded and paved.
Atlanta’s tardiness in such matt r»
ia uses cheaper
hence lower tax returns
We have an excellent
lb officials, both In the city an<1
the county, and the c*iy is not. grow
ing too fast for i
situation, as has
persons. There
more capable m
the people in
officials are the <
of us. hence no jj
ones.
Welt Offer* Example.
II ix “Hid tt.iii l.oth Sinttle and J.'H
Angelo* ure growing I i-1r tliari At
lanta, which Ih certainly K'dm? norm-.
Them- pet,pie are handling thnir
afreet* mictemfolly. and we can han
dle ours properly ;C*o ax toon as our
public Oflleers pul their minds to the
subject and fully realize that here Is a
great source of Inc,,me that they
should develop and make Atlanta
more of a metropolis Iban ever. Such
development I a business projmwl-
tlon as it doubles and quadruples
taxable values In most cases and
brings tremendous returns on tru*
amounts invested, and thus provides
a better and bettor income for hot
ter paid teachers, policemen, firemen
and all ether city workers, without
unjust valuations, f, r an unfair tax
rate. . ...
There are several ways to do this
work. One is a bond issue, to be
solely used for thi purpose and '-n!y
floated as needed. Thus safeguarded,
it could t»e secured by a vote of the
people, and If used as a well-secured
loan on such property (where 75 per
rent of the owners desired it) at 4
per cent, with twenty years or more
to run, and paid back in yearly In
stalments it would require only $7 a
year for each $100. At the ned of this
time the whole amount would be paid
Credit to Owners.
Then, if desired, one-half of the
increase in taxes each year, after the
improvements are favorably decided
upon, can be credited to each owner
utnll the improvement is paid for.
There will be u considerable reduc
tion in expense to each property own
er, as well as an unproved income to
the city.
Take, as an Instance, a 50-foot lot,
bought, on which to build a house, at
$1,000, with no street improvements
down. Let us assume, that said Im
provements cost $150. This property
will have been probably assessed at a
valuation of $400. yielding a tax of $5
a year. With street Improvements, it
will probably he worth $2,500, and
with a $3,500 house upon It, the city
will probably assess the total prop
erty as worth $2,400, which will pro
duce a tax of $30 a yera. This, with
the sanitary tax of $3, would he a
yearly Increased return of $28 to the
city. Half of this, or'$14, going to
extinguish the property’s street tm-
porvement debt, will extinguish It in
about fifteen years. The property it-
h« lf really lias nothing to pay In this
case, and the city secures on its in
vestment of $150 4 per cent interest,
on absolute security from the owner,
and the principal paid and an addi
tional yearly income <»/ $14 over what
it formerly received, which will be 9
per ' ent l’or fifteen years and the
borrowe I money paid and thereafter,
or over Jfc 1-2 cent annually.
Wiil Pay Anybody.
If the $l,000piece of property did
not Increase in value and a house of
only $2,000 value is put upon It, the
tav would Increase from $5 to $18,
with a $3 sanitary' tax; or if it does
not increase in value at all. and no
house is built upon it, which is very
unlikely, it will still pay the city back
in twenty years In full, with 1 per
cent yearly profit.
Even negro property, however, will
do far better than this last proposi
tion. and under such an arrangement
none can do worse than this. For
citizens to have to have street work
done and go ahead and pay for it
themselves is very unjust. Instead
of In most cases immoderately dou
bling and trebling assessments on
property and punishing those owners
who have improved the streets at
their private expense, the city should
not increase such taxes until the
owners who paid for the street im
provements have had a. fair oppor
tunity to get some return o nthe in
vestment, after the completion of the
work, or a rebate off of the increased
taxes until it reaches the amount ex
pended by them, because they are
preparing a way, at their own ex
pense, to enormously increase the
city’s income as soon as residences
are built upon the property.
City Could Pay.
Or the cit ycould put down the
Improvements at its own expense and
profit by the increase in values. Those
w'ho want to help build up a city
should be encouraged. If the city
borrows $5,000,000 and only uses it
on street Improvements, as above,
under a commission of three men,
acting under the act of the Legisla
ture and elected by the people, the
Increase in values will be such that
most of the property will toe doubled
and trebled in value, particularly
where homes and stores are built.
Suppose the money was used only
where double or more Increased val
ues are practically assured. Toke
downtown property, such as Spring
street. Wast Peachtree, South Pryor,
Oourtland street and others (Court-
land street) now held at say $280 a
front foot, this would be $13,000 for
a 50-foot lot, and if the city spends
upon the street $10 for each running
foot, or $250 for each 50-foot lot, and
the property doubles in value, there
is, on a 40 per cent assessment basis,
a change from the assessed amount
of $5,200 to $10,400, or a change from
an Income of $85 to an income of
$130, or a yearly increased income of
$85 on an investment of $250, which returns can.be assured, and even 15
Is 26 per cent. to 26 per cent can be obtained easily.
10 Per Cent Assured. Even 10 per cent on $5,000,000 is half
Any way we look at it 10 per cent* a million a year, and 20 per cent is
a million a year. Besides, the people
who wish the work done would as
sume the debt on a fair basis and
for it in twenty years.
For
Quality
Gifts
Rightly
Priced
FROM YOU*,
TO “HIM”
FROM THIS STORE
LAW BROS. CO.
Comes
From
Law
Bros. It's
Right
f f
“1 ee Store With the Spirit of Christmas
“The Spirit of Christmas” is filling our store—showcases, shelves and wardrobes are packed with at
tractive and appropriate merchandise—practical and useful gifts for men. It is none too early to make your
seleecions. Chnslmai is less than two weeks away. You can have them delivered uoW or later. Ladies are cor
dially invited to choose gifts at ihis store.
GIFTS FOR MEN AND YOUNG MEN
KEELY CO.
DOLLS?
Neckwear (Silk and Velvet), remarkable
assortment, at.. 50c to $1.50
Silk Sox. all colors (boxed) per
pair 50c to $1.50
Handsome Belts, wiih initial buckles,
.at. .. . .$1.50
Men’s Initial Linen Handker
chiefs (fi in box) per box ..75c
-<inen Handkerchiefs
(6 in box). per box .. _ .$2 and $3
Leather Collar Boxes,,
at $1, $1.50, $2, $2.50 and $3
Knitted Silk Scarflers (in boxes),
Ladies’ Umbrellas
Complete line of Ladles’ fine Um
brellas in great variety of beau
tiful handles of Gold. Pearl, etc.,
at 43.50 to $12.50
at $1.25 to $3.50
MeMn’s Handsome Umbrellas
at $3.50 to $12.50
Men’s Lounging Robes at . $3.50 to $8.00
Men’s Silk Lisle Sox (4 pairs in box), per
box $1.00
Men’s Shirts at .. . $1.00 to $5.00
Men’s White Silk Handkerchief
at 75c to $1.50
Combination Sety
Lounging Robe and Slippers $5 to $10
Silk Sox, Tie and Handkerchief (in
box $1.50 and $2
Sox and Tie (in box) ...75c, $1.00 and $1.50
Silk SoxTie and Reefer (Full Dress,
in box) $3.50 and $5
Suspenders and Garters (in box) $1.00
|
t
$2.50
$2.00
$1.50
OcTrtkawati's brown or black
Kid NrriHfiers, clastic sides.
$1.75
S1.50
$1.25
$1.50
Gentlemen’s navy blur or gray-
felt “Comfy" Slippers, soft soles.
$ 1.00
Air
Ladies’ best blaek, red, purple,
green or gray felt fur trimmed Slip
pers—soft leather soles.
Ladies’ black or red felt fur trim
med Slippers.
ifi
Ladies’ linest felt “Comfy” Slip
pers, soft soles; colors, red, wine,
pink, purple, taupe, blues, old rose,
lavender and brown.
Gentlemen’s real Alligator Slip
pers, in dark brown.
$1.25
Gentlemen's Black Felt Num
bers, $1 50 8125
Same in gray felt, $1.75.
Boys’ gray felt. 81-50
$2.00
Gentlemen's fine brown or
back Kid Slipper, kid lined.
Men’s all pure felt Slippers, fell
soles.
The celebrated “Nun" Fleece
I Soles for crocheting. Men's, 40C ;
Misses', 30*“ Ladies', 35«'
— "V/ j Child’s. 25e*
Be a “SPUG” This Christmas
1 hat s short for “Society for the Prevention of Useless
Giving”---Come to BYCK’S
For your sensible and inexpensive Xmas Gifts—you will find here the largest assort
ment of serviceable—as well as useful—styles of seasonable Footwear that are ideal
for this purpose. They will give more real happiness to the recipient than anything
you could spend double the price for. All members of the family can be pleased here.
= MAIL ORDERS — -
b .’led immediately. We pay Parcel Post charges when orders are accompanied by
money orders. Expert mail order clerks carry out your wishes intelligently and with
a care that renders distance no barrier to successful shopping
YCK BROS. & CO.
27-29 WHITEHALL STREET, A EL ANT A,, GA.
Ladies’ fine black Kid Slippers,
leece lined, fur trimmed.
Old Ladi e s ’
Lace Comforts,
kid vamps, felt
tops, fleece
lined.
$2.00
adies’ all-
ace, soft
e r soles.
$1.50
Plaited felt fireside
comfort Shoes, fleece
lined, soft soles.
Men’s, 82.00:
dies’.
Gentlemen's black Kid Slipper, j
v.idc toes, kid lined. Sleeping Sox ^
25c
i.
< icntieincn s fine brown
I.H'-k Kid Slippers.
Men's or Women'
Shoo Trees, $1.00.
Golf Shoes, $5.00.
Gift Hosiery, 25c up.
Ballet Slippers, $2.00.
Cut steel-rhinestone Buckles
iiul Tango Sets. $1.00 to $9.00.
$1.00
$1.75
$1.00
Ladies’ Boudoir Slippers, black,
red, blue, pink, tan and lavender,,
8125
Same style in fine brocaded
silk, black, red, blue and laven
der. $2.50.
$1.00
OhiCUs or Misses' red felt, fur
trimmed Slippers.
Child’s red, pink or
blue felt. fur.trim
med Slippers, soft
leather soles.
75c
Black felt House Slipper, leath
er soles.
-iE.v-.rmrw r., i- ■ ,-«.iraj-3gTPnnr