Show i r o OUR ST ST. LOUIS LETTER JETTER r rhe The Nicaragua Canal Canal Basins Canal Undoes Unimpaired paired Iro Matter Matters Matera C Sr Louis Louts May 30 Great Great Interest interest Inter inter- est is felt in Ia tho the Nicaragua Canal convention convention con con- which meets here the tho first week in ia June Juno and antI for or which great preparation is I being or made St St. tt Louis Luis having the tho bulk of the tho wholesale trade trado of Mexico and Central America is ia especially especially es es- es- es interested in the tho canal project and that thatis is why thy the city was selected for the convention Iho he Canal com om company pany pony wants a subsidy from front the government govern govern- ment meat and the convention is to meet June in Su order that tho the national national conventions con con- of both political parties may maybe be petitioned lo to to put in their platforms in- in in- in of the tho comp company ny and il its re re- re- re quests quest Morrs M. M Estee the hcan lican leader of California will wi be J here ere ana will wi afterwards go go to t Minneapolis t ta tn urge ure the claim of the tho company before before before be be- be- be fore that convention and Don Dickinson Dickin DickIn- son of ot Detroit Detroi will wi do the tho samo same thing before the Democratic convention rhe flie fall fal of the water in the Mississippi lIssis- lIssis sippi shows how immaterial has as been tim tho dam damage ge to St. St Louis Lous although there Lave have been scares of water and I coal famine in abundance the last few I weeks As a matter of 1 fact the flood food I touched ouche the thereal real business life of the city very ver lightly People who live lve out of ot sight of ot the tho river iver would voul have known nothing of oUt it but for forthe the papers and anti to many it was simply a spectacle to lo be wondered at from the tle big bridge and the decks of f the excursion boats boats Thousands of f dollars have havo been raised ried by bythe tho Mei Merchants Merchant chants Exchange and the tle newspapers to relieve the distress of at the thc poor river dwellers whose whoso homes have boon been inundated and this prompt ity has prevented much suffer sutTer- ing tag The Ilio damage to the tho railroads and the tho Lla levee s bas been ble Railroad men say that the do- do i dc-i posit of earth left len by the thc river river when it Ii i recedes will wi strengthen all al tIme the em em- and trestles that have bave been overflowed It I is remarkable that the only Duly accidents that h have ve occurred on the jt Louis roads since the since the flood food beh be- be afi h have ve been caused by the carelessness careless nest ness nes of conductors who ran their trains n against orders and not by the water The of the city will ti profit profit pro pro- fit ft by the overflow for every cd d laborer here will wi be kept busy for tor weeks cleaning off of the levee and digging out the 1 switches tIle the manufactories along Iong the tho river front front Corrupt politicians who look on en a city elty as something to be taxed and plundered plundered pun pun- dered would not und at atal all the tIne contest that has bas been going on in the time municipal assembly of SL Louis in the thelast thelast thelast last few da days s The comptroller wanted 10 cents on taken from the tax late rate believing th that t the city would in increase increase in- in crease so rapidly in the tax tax values during dur thur ing the tho next few years ars that it could afford the reduction The he house bouso sustained sue sus sus tamed him lm but the council counci wanted the surplus money applied to the payment of or the time city's cilY's debt debt Time The comptroller won and the tue tax tax rate rate- goes down In Inthe Inthe Inthe the discussion o of the question in the assembly assembly assembly as as- it was developed that the city ta taxable able property is s increasing at an average rate of a year The increase next year according according to the statements of Assessor OBrien O'Brien win will be bo The solid sold prosperity y of the city can cin better be when understood itis it itis is explained that this tax reduction is un undertaken while the city is is' is building build ing lag a city hall hail hal to cost a million d dollars lars and a vater system a-system of oj wO cost Ost m millions million's i nS n'S S |