Boom The Town

Tbere ia a tide in the aflairs of cities, as of men, which taken at the ilood leads on to fortune. Evcry twenty or thirty years oome the hard times, their regularity being such that shrowd business men couut on the periodioal "panic.1' Between these times of depreesion are times of prosperity. In one of these we now are, statements from all directions agreeing ia the report. If Ann Arbor or anyothertown is to grow it must do ït in one of these times of prosperity. If Ann Arbor or au y other town wishes to grow, in the time of the present ation of business tneüi it must do it NOW. To gain any good thiug coste time and money. To gain the new court house or the new station house cost money. So of the Toledo R. 11., of the jail, of the firemen's hall, of the water works. Who would see any of them removed? A few months ago citizens contributed $2,500 to buy a lot for the Student's Christian association. Now comes the report that an $18,000 building will be built, the fumín all coming from without the town. Did that not pay? Later, the supscription papers have become more numerous. To save the fair grounds required an outlay of $4,500; to retain the capsule factory has required another amount of $4,000; a few days ago another paper was circulated and $2,000 signed in a few hou, time as a guarantee fund for the erection of a boiler shop and starting of work at the foundry. Here are more than $10,000, raised largely through the activity of members of the Business men's association within a few months time. Some have signed all of the papers, many have signed two. Shall this continue? Shall certain ones do the labor and expend the money, while others do nothing and reap an equal benefit? The members of the Business men's association are pleased to learn of any advancement of the universitys' interest but believo the time has come when we should not depend wholly upon the university's prosperity. The second, third and fifth wards of Ann Arbor can never be materially affected by any growth of our educational interests. Their only hope reste in the establishment of manufaetones. That a little money wisely expended either as a loan or a bonus will work wonders as the experience of many other towns has abundantly proven. That the establishment of such manufactories benefits all, no one disputes. Then let all willingly join in the payment of a tax so small that it will be burdensome to no tax-payer, being but one mili on the dollar. That the money may be spent wisely, let a committee of our most conservativa business men act with the oouncil or recommend to it proper measures tor ite expenditure. We wish it to be guarded from extravagance by the means which will most surely accomplish the end, thongh we have no fears that the counoil will misappropriate the fund. That body is already entrusted with the expenditure of from $20,000 to 830,000 annually, and to arfjue that it would be unsafe to entrust it with 85,000, is manifestly absurd. Then let the tax be voted. Let progress go on in all directions. When the time comes for building a schoolof music, we, as an assooiation will be found ready to do our part. Let thosewho are most interested in educational matteres also remember that many advantages will be gained by increasing the size of the place, by reason of manufactories or other legitímate means. Ann Arbor is scatteringly built. If the vacant places are built over, taxes for street work, for street lighting, for water, in fact, for all purposep, would be lessened. And if we could say as does Kalamazoo that our manufaotories bring yearly $6,000,000 into the city would anyone dispute their addition?