Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-01-12
CONVENTION HALL
Safe Investment
CARL {. MAGEE GIVES IONNlNC-
ING ARGUMENT F\NOiiING
BIG BOND ISSUE
Will Be A BOOST FOR TULSA
S175,0O0 Bond Issue Not II Burden
city Needs Contemplated
Improvements.
(BY CARL G. MiGEE.)

(BY CARL &. MiGEE.)
wish to address that great mass Of
taxpayers who are loyal to Tulsa and
desire to do what Is best for the city
but are in doubt about the wisdom OF
voting for the bond issues now pend
ing. Let me meet, first, the argument
Of those who, through a desire to play
politics or who, through genuine fear.
profess to be afraid to entrust the ex-
penditure Of this money to the present
city administration.
am in accord with those who de-
sire honest, economical and wise eX-
pendltures Of public money. l hold
no brief either for or against the pres
ent city officials. But the withhold
ing of money for needed public Inn
provements, cannot accomplish the de-
sired end. To stop feeding horse
that may be disposed to run away will.
without doubt, ultimately break the
horse OF running away, but it is
trifle hard on the owners investment.
To stop the city's revenue might break
city administration from running
wild, but It is trifle hard on the
property holders, who are the real
owners of the city. A Jay Eye See bit
is better precauton in both cases.
How to Curb Extravaganza.
Detailed publicity of public eXpen-
ditures is the only logical curb to Of
ficial extravaganza. This publicity we
should have. No private citizen can
honestly say today whether our public
funds are being wisely, or .uHwisely
spent, because no private citizen
knows. or course, we should know
and without doubt the present city
administration has no objection to our
knowing. We should have good
healthy Tax Payers League or kim
dred organization, to find out and
tell us.
But the question we are called upon
to answer now is: "are the public i'm
provements asked for really needed ?"
If so, we should vote the bonds and
then scrutinize the expenditure Of the
money.
Convention Hall Needed.
Is q convention hail needed? No
community can pass through the tran
sltlon from town to city without such
structure. of large size, either pub
licly or privately owned. Lack of ade-
quate earning power practically pro-
hiblts private ownership. That Is, the
profit from such a building accrues
to the city generally and not to the
owner Of the property. For instance,
the state Teachers association, II held
here next year, would use such n
building three days, at a return to
private owners of about one hundred
and fifty dollars. Yet that same asso-
citation would, and annually does.
leave $15O.000 with the merchants Of
the city where 1t meets. That amount
Of outside money, brought into any
community the size Of ours, can not
fail to trickle down through the usual
business channels. until some amount
of 1t, directly or indirectly. reaches
every man.
Give Tulsa an adequate convention
hall and fifty conventions big and
little, will be held in Tulsa every year.
The outside money left here by these
delegates Will be large factor in max
ing money easy" instead Of tight
in our city.
VIII Boost City.
Then also, delegates OF means at
tending these conventions. will become
enamored of the town. and will invest
their money in brick and mortar in
our city
Let us not he so unwise and mar
row as to involve the issue by rails
ing questions of detail. This Is not
the time nor place for that. Let us
answer the question as to the need for
convention hall by vote Of "yes'
at the ballot box and then discuss It
later. We agree on the main ques-
ton. Why jeopardize obtaining what
We all grant Is needed by minor is
sues upon which we cannot. in the
nature of things. agree. The questions
of location; of whether or not It shall
include a market place; Of whether or
not II shall include city offices, can
be settled later when delegations may
appear before the city officials and
contend for their peculiar views. To
wait for a building until we agree
unanimously on these matters, means
that we shall never have a convention
hall. Let us act as the stockholders
Of any great financial corporation
would act. that is. let US agree on the
policy and leave details to our board
of directors, only fixing the maximum
limit of price beyond which We cam
not go.
Parks and Boulevards Needed.
No town can become a city without
adequate parks and boulevards. Good
| schools. good sewer systems. good
streets. good boulevards and good
parks. largely make a city desirable