Arizona republican., 1913-06-29
Business Men Give Many Reasons Why Phoenix Should Get in Line With Modern Cities and Follow Definite Plan of Growth
SOUND REASONS
 BY SOUND MEN
The Plan is Economic and Furnishes the Best SoIu- tion of Problems Which Will Be More PerpleNing if CnSOlVed

Apropos of a civic center of which much has been written l find the Ob- jeCtors of two classes. First those who believe that q change from pres ent conditions would injure them financially and to such there is no argument and a second class who seems to be under the impression that a civic center for Phoenix means a large outlay of money Except for these two classes all Phoenix cries for d grouping of our public build ings if the particular place for q civic center can be agreed upon I d. not care to enter into a contro- versy with any person who from selfish motives wishes the civic cen ter to occupy some certain portion of the city: I wish to appeal only to that larger and saner body of men and women whose only desire is to give to Phoenix that which will beautify and prosper her most. and 10 such persons I submit that there is no block more suitably located than the Central school block The civic center could not be more cen tralIy or more faVorably located for the city of Phoenix as whole The only legitimate opposition that can exist is the cost. Let Us see: Dis trict No 1 owns the Central school block It is proposed to sell this block to the city of Phoenix and the county of Maricopa for $25O,000. The city of Phoenix and district No l are. for practical purposes. the same, while this same district No. con stftutes about 1-3 of the county: then after this transfer has been made let us see who owns this block. -T-1 r45 fs~ia Wiu still own the half bought by the city and these same people will own one-thIrd of the one-half bought by the county. or the people living in district No. l and who now own the entire block would in the event of this transfer still own tWO-thirds of this sama block and would also as sume two-thirds of the $250.000 bonds necessary to purchase
 If the electors of this school dis trict do not approve this plan they will be asked in the near future to vote a large bond issue. probably as r7uch as S250.000 for the buying of school sites and the erection of school buildings. So it is not ma teriaI as to cost whether we issue bonds for the buying of Central block or for the benefit of the schools direct: the only question is the result obtained. In the one case our public institutions are scattered all over the city in the other they are grouped as is the tendency of all modern up to the minute cities; and in each case the people continue to own the Central school block and in each case the same people are bond ed for approximately the same amount
 |. is held by some of our best at tornoys that school property in this state cannot be leased. If this be true and the electors do not vote to sell Central block it simply means that it will be continued as d school building for an indefinite time, necessitating a large outlay for re pairs on an old unsanitary and poorly located building
 L. D. DAMERON.
 Many other business men, prOfes- sional men and residents were seen yesterday a very large majority of whom were for a civic center.-the purchase by the city and county of