The City Improvement Fund

There is a tide in the affairs of cities, as of men, which taken at the flood leads on to fortune. Every twenty or thirty years come the hard time?, their regularity being such that ehrewd business men count on the periodical " panic." Between these times of depression are times of prosperity. In one of these we now are, statements from all direotions agreeing in the report. IE Ann Arbor or any other town is to grow, it must do it in one of these times of prosperity. If Ann Arbor or any other town wishes to grow, in the time of the present generation of business men, it must do it now. To gain any good thing costs time and money. To gain the new court house or the new station house cost money. So of the Toledo R. R., of the jail, of the firemen's hal!, 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, thefunds all coming from without the town. Did not that pay ? Later, the subscription papers have become more numerous. To save the fair grounds required an outlay of $4,000; to retain the capsule factory has required another amount of $4,500; a few days ago another paper was circulated and $2,000 signed in a few hours' time as a guurantee 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. Soaie 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 advancementof the University's interest?, but believe the time has come when we should not depend wholly upon the Uciversity's prosperity. The second, third and fifth wards of Ann Arbor can never be materially affeeted by any growth of our educational interests. Their only hope rests in the establishment of manufactories. That a little money wisely expended either as a loan or a bonus will work wonders, the experience of many other towns has abundanlly 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 conservative business men act with the council or recommend to it proper measures for its expenditure. We wish it to be guarded from extravagance by the means which will most surely accomplish the end, though we have no fears that the council will misappropriate the fund. That body is already entrusted with the expenditure of from $20,000 to $30,000 annually, and to argue that it would be unsafe to entrust it with $5,000, is manifestly absurd. Then let the tax be voted. Let progress go on in all directions. When the time comes for building a gchool of music we as an association will be found ready to do cur part. Let those who are most interested in eduoational matters also remember that many advantages will be gained by increasing the size of the place, by means of manufaotories 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 purpose?, would be Iessened. And if we could say, as does Kalamazoo, that our manufactories briDg yearly $6,000,000 intohe city, would anyone dispute their value? Com. of Business Men's Associatiox.