The Pensacola journal., 1910-05-07

Take care Of this immense volume of
business of which a large portion will
pc certain to pass through our state.
The past decade has been a very
prosperous one for the state Of Flor
ida, not withstanding the financial
panic which began in October 1907
and from which our country has not
fully recovered as yet and you, gen
tlemen of this association, have con
tributed largely towards the success
and prosperity of our state within
the past ten years.
No wperhaps it would not be amiss
Tor me, upon this occasion, being
mayor of the city, and having been
connected with the city government
for a number of years, to make
few brief remarks regarding the pro-
gress of our city in the past decade
In the year 1900 according to the
national census our population
amounted to 1900 and the most con.
servatiye estimate today gives US
a population OF over 10000 and | may
be optimistic, but, gentlemen, l firm
ly believe that when the census of
1920 is taken that the population of
the city of Pensacola will be over
100000. And not only Pensacola but
all the cities in the state of Florida
will increase in population according
ly. The assessed value of property
in our city in 1900 amounted to not
quite $3,500,000 and the assessed
valuation of real and personal prop
erty last year amounted to nearly
Sl4,OO0,000, giving US an annual av'
erage increase of s1,000,000 for the
past ten years. Our city has begun
and completed within the past four
years a large number of municipal!
improvements; we have constructed
so miles of sewers; we have COM
pleted city hall and city jail and We
have purchased the water works
plant and taken possession of it the
first of July, 1908. paying $1S0,000,
and since that time We have spent in
betterments about $4,000, giving the
most complete and up-to date water
works plant of any of the cities of
the southern states. We have also
completed ten miles of street paving
and twenty-five miles of cement side
walks within the past year and we
have just now let a contract for not
less than twenty-five miles more of
cement sidewalks for the coming
year. There is now pending before
the city council an ordinance for the
issuance of 100000 improtemen.
bonds and believe that the tax pay
ers of the city will approve this
bond issue and when they do, within
the next twelve months we will have
at least twenty-five miles of street
paving, seventy-five miles of sewers
and seventy-five miles of new cement
sidewalks
And the commercial improvements
of our city have kept pace with the
municipal improvements. Within the
last four years the magnificent Blount
building and the Brent building ad-
joining it; the magnificent white mar.
BILE building of the First National
Bank; the ten-story, steel structure of
the American National Bank and last
but not least the magnificent hote!
in which you are assembled have all
been completed.
Gentlemen, I thank you for your
kind attention and again welcome
you cordially to our city and | hope
that your stay with us will be pleas
ant and enjoyable one.
The mayor was literally applauded
at the conclusion of his remarks.
President Hardee then stated that in
the absence of Capt. c. E. Garner,
of Jacksonville, who had been Sc
Iected to respond to the address OF
welcome, that he would call upon
DR.. E. S. Grill, "a gentleman who not
only has one of the best banks in
the state" said the president, "but
a man who has left his impress upon
the statute books of the state"
SENATOR GRILL RESPONDS.
President Harde then announced
that it had been intended to hear
from President C. e. Garner, of the
Florida National Bank, Jacksonville,
in a response, but conditions were SO
that President Garner could not at
tend. He therefore introduced Hon
z. S. Grill, of Paiatlla, Fla.
Senator Grill spoke with much fer
vor of the welcome that had been
extended, and said that, coming to
Pensacola after an absence of TWEEN
ty-four years, he saw new, risen
CITY. and one which showed progress
on every side. The city improving
! helped Florida, and he said that there
could not be a paper picked up now
adays but what was not sounding the
praises of Florida and the state was
! getting it's share of the southern i'm
migration and the western section Of
| the state was not being overlooked
! He said that every new settler Is
valuable and would rebound to the
| good of and for the state, and Pen
! sacola would get her share of the in
! fuence brought on by the immigra
| ton The city of Pensacola, the sen
ator thought, was destined to be one
of the greatest Of highways for com
! merce, and in the upbuilding of the
! city. the state would be benefited il
the rapid pace for progress and de
velopment. Il was here last jus
twenty-four years ago." said Mr.. Grill
but this morning when walking
! down the street, I saw so many sign!
of Improvement so many magnificen
buildings, and this hotel. Pensacol;
now has hotel that will vie witt
any on the east coast. It is well tha
/ Pensacola should take pride in sue!
a hotel. That bay. that harboT. Ne
ture has done much for Pensacola
but man has done more and the gov
ernment is making a practice alway
of helping those who help themselve
every time an opportunity offers. TIL
best thing possible is to foster anC
encourage progress, for any kind o
progress in the state benefits all
| Every dollar expended for the pee
ple brings in good returns. In thi
city | note the new paving the side