El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-23

x
of the two republics. and afOrding suit
able entry to the ancient empire.
Using the Natural Beauties.
Another great undertaking OF prime
importance under the Ilrst mead IN the
schedule is the replatting OF. Alexander
addition, and all other outlying sec
lions of the city where 1t is possible
to do so by reason OF the comparative
absence Of valuable permanent improve
ments. So far as possible, all the add
lions having very uneven surface
should be repIatted to conform to the
lay of the ground, thus saving vast
amounts in future street improvements
and private grading, ana making a
more attractive city every way.
Improving Chihuahuita.
Under the second head IN the
schedule comes general care for sani-
tatiOn, but the special work before US
in this connection is to improve living
conditions in Chihuahuita- 1t IS vitality
important to the health, welfare, and
to give the Spanish-American pOpula-
ton adequate areas for recreation and
breathing spaces, as well as decent
quarters and decent environment to live
in. This is especially necessary Tor the
thousands Of children Of Mexican
parents, and for the women who are
charged with the duties Of bearing
children and caring for the young. The
conditions under which these people
live today are not only disgraceful, but
they constitute a positive menace to the
health and welfare of the entire COM
mUnity.
be standardized with so foot rOadwaysi
and curbs 20 feet from the lot lines,
except on main thOrOughfareS. Then
the narrower streets should be decently
graded and kept clean
Parking the Canal Strip.
Aside from this general work, the
greatest boon that could be granted to
Chihuahua, where nearly haI FL
PasO's population lives under disgrace
fuI and even dangerous conditions,
would be the parking Of the canal
through the whole length
or width Of the city. The running wa
ter in the canal most Of the year would
make the park more attractive and
also reduce the cost Of up6eep to almost
nothing The canal strip should be
planted with grass and trees through
out its length and width, leaving only q
narrow walk along the front Of exist
ing houses.
The proposed park would be about
two miles long. 1t would be within
lean section Of FL PasO-just a few mo-
ments' walk from any home in Chihua-
huita, to a part OF this canal parkway.
Similar problems have been successfully
met in other cities Not only would
this canal park best serve the entire
Mexican population, better than any
other plan that could possibly be de-
viSed, but its beautiful vista would
tourists and others bound TO Juarez;
it would make a splendid impression
upon all to see such evidences OF
thought and care for the comfort, pleas
ure, and health OF our Spanlsh-Amerl-
can population
Free Bathing Pools
As a natural and most desira bic adj
iunct to the canal park, free bathing
pools should be constructed, to serve
the people Of ChihuahUita- The pools
could be cheaply built, and supplied
with water and cleaned at very little
expense, using small electric pumps
and taking water from the canal
The Most Important Work.
The great features Of this proposed
parkway are two: first the extreme
cheapness Of construction and main
second, the ract that the park
would be within a few moments access
from every dwelling and tenement IN
Chihuahuita- Bearing on a point Of
this nature, Mr.. Kessler in his report on
a park system for Cincinnati, says; 1t
often happens that so acres in the form
of a parkway may be of more actual
value than 200 or 800 acres IN single
spot"
So impressed was Mr.. KessIer with
this project when he visited Ell PasO
some years ago, that ne wrote The Her
aid: If 1t were mine TO DO should
first of all improve the entire canal
strip; then do that which is nearest at
hand within the city, especially con-
tinuing your street parking; and fol-
low it up as quickly as possible on the
A Standard Street Plan.
Under the third head in the schedule
comes the establishing of wide curb
parking and 80 foot rOadWays as the
standard ali over the city except on
main thOrOughfares and business
streets. The full acceptance of this
plan, with the principle OF complete
public control Of street parking, lies at
the very basis of all general city plan
m ff7-ir in
up to the standard OF the beautiful
progressive cities Of the west and north.
The 80 foot roadway has been adopted
as ample for residence streets in all
cities, no matter how large. Some cities
go even further with the parking. One
of the most beautiful and progressive
cities on the Winnipeg,
Canada-uses but 16 feet for paved
ing the remainder up 10 parking; while
Denver ana other cities have
many streets a feet wide, and Roches-
ter n Y with 225 900 pOpula ton,
width of paved roadways on residence
streets, throwing The remainder into
The extending Of our curb parkways
is the most important detail in the
work of making FL PasO d more at
tractive and more comfortable city.
Cheapest and Best.
The first cost of parking, including
penses, is very much less than the cost
of paving an equal area The cost of
maintenance is only a few cents per
month for the average frontage, and
under the cooperative system 1t is not
over a third or fourth Of
what it would cost individuals
to maintain their curb parking.
The cooperative plan adopted on
Rio Grande and MagOffIn streets
COmpels unwilling or nOnreSl dent prop
erty owners to contribute their share
to the general benefit. The general
adoption of the wide curb park would
transform FL PasO into a beautiful city,
that need not be cOntras ted unfavOrably
with the California or northwestern
cities, or with the new suburbs OF the
big northern and eastern cities
Value of Curb Parking.
1t is a mistake to pave as wide as
we are paving most Of our residence
streets now. The cost of doing it right
is less than the cost OF our present mis-
takes Wide curb parkWays make liY-
ing more comfortable, relieve the glare
from the paved roadway, make 1t cooler
in summer, set the street traffic farther
away from the house, discourage auto
mobile speeding in quiet streets, vast
" reduce the dust nuisance, break the
winds in all seasons, moderate the win
ers, trees, and grass in adjacent pri-
Vate yards conserve moisture, and fur
nish an ideal place for the children to
play without going away from home.
Adds TO Property Values.