Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1910-03-04

fine thing for big cities like New York
or Chicago or Boston. 1t really ought
to be done some time. But the cost is
terrific!' The points which 1 wish to
make strongly at the beginning are
that any kind of city improvement is
absolutely practical and profitable;
that it is not only for big cities but
for the smallest town or village; that
| it is needed by every suburban real
estate development; also that it is not
costly. 1t need not mean huge debt.
Moreover, city improvement in any
form is easily inaugurated A few cit
liens of any community who have the
right standards of life can start on
its way a movement for city better
ment that will eventually bring num-
berless advantages to all the citizens.
"City group plans and all schemes
for city improvement have an ideal
and also practical side. 1t is for
tunate that there is this combination.
1t is the ideal element that brings
about the demand for them, but this
demand would rarely be fulfilled ex-
|cept for the fact that the achieve
ment of the ideal is through a line of
action that is practical and means
profit from business point of view.
he CT oi+ ,,1o in
means the making of center of
beauty by grouping the buildings, get
ting parks and Fairgrounds for the
children, correlating parks, and pre-
serving ancient landmarks. In rela-
ton to the last mentioned | must
point out that all plans for city i'm
provement have in view, first of all,
preservation of the city's characters
tics, its historic points of interest, and
any places of beauty that, in the
hurry of its commercial development,
it has managed to keep. These form
the natural starting point, and it is a
rare problem in which some such
good foundation is not to be had. City
planning means likewise the best
method of forestalling evil tendencies
and controlling the development 1of
suburban additions to the city.
"On the practical side, city plan
ming means simplifying traffic and
transportation problems by widening
and Strengthening streets, preserving
lines of communication and increasing
real estate values. 1t can be easily
understood what a tremendous lever
age this latter point gives to those in
terested in achieving the ideal city.
The city improvement is not half
tried-out experiment. 1t is succeeding
splendidly in Cleveland, where four
fifths of the land required has already
been bought and many buildings have
been erected or are in process of cree
ton In Washington, D. c. it is also
far on its way and it is progressing
satisfactorily in many large cities,
such as Baltimore, Rochester, Grand
Rapids and Denver.
Every good plan for city better
ment is at bottom plan for economy.
1t means saving Of energy and time
for every person who lives or does
business in the city. 1t means less
time for every manager and clerk
going to and from his business; swift
er passage of street cars through the
streets; less time on the road for
every merchants delivery wagon
and all of these mean money saved.
In addition to these advantages there
comes about an increase in the value
of real estate in the immediate vicin-
| ity of definite improvements, and
general increase in values all over
the town that means a larger total to
the city assessment roll. and hence
greater city revenue. City improve
| ment can and should be made to pay
directly for itself. but it is literally
true that it pays for itself many
| times over by these merely collateral
results"