South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-11
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LETTERS OF THE PEOPLE =
BUY OLD VI. f. CHURCH SITE.
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ne lelleT Dy DlAOn w. race, Wnlcn
appeared in your paper Sunday morn
ing under the head Consult Peoples
Interests" calls for an answer 1t
is significant of the South Bend lack
of public spirit that is keeping the
city in the background; Of the per-
sistent disintegration of public inter
est that fOrbids any forging ahead,
and keeps public Improvements at a
minimum.
Ii seems TO be chronic with South
Bend that whenever a public improve
ment is suggested a wall must come
up from some source about consult
ing the peoples interests'-just as
though those interests do not demand
improvements. That is the reason
the old Nj. +. church property was
not bought years ago when it could
have been had for $4,000. 1t was
the same cry then as now. too much"
and I'VE don't need it."
1 contend that S95, 00O-the price
recommended-is not too much con-
sidering the fabulous figures at which
downtown property is selling for bus
mess purposes, and while the county
should, Of course, get ii cheap as pos
sible, $4,000 is less than the owners
actually have in it in investment. in
terest, taxes and preparations TO
build; the taxes, interest, etc, accumu-
lating since the county influenced by
such men as Mr.. Place, failed to pur-
chase it for $4,000 less.
L also contend that we do need
the property and that we can afford
to buy il much better than we can at
ford to be without il.
Public buildings and grounds. in
live cities, look beyond present needs,
when it comes to points of actual
necessities, else there would be very
few Of any of them. 1t is the rule
OF progressive cities to make the pub
lie buildings and grounds a public
eXample-sOmething that everyone
can point to with pride. To talk
about building the court house out to
the Washington or Main St walks,
when more room is needed, is silly al
most to the point of impudence. Look
at our ultra-impOSing city hall for
an example. Perhaps the Fort Wayne
idea looks good to MIR. Place but Fort
Wayne was driven TO its close quar-
tiers. which South Bend has not been
as yet, nor will il be unless the board
Of county commissioners see fit to be
sweyed by such as the Place argu-
ments.
Possession of the old NJ. T.. church
site by the county, and kept vacant, is
worth the price in the influence it will
have upon public spirit, and in rem
dering that public spirit observable.
Then when the city does grow to il,
and needs 1t, is has il. There is as
much reason why the county should
have a good front yard, as there is
why an individual should have one,
and even more so. Few people care to
live in house stacked up against the
sidewalk. Neither does it look we'll.
A committee consisting of Chas. p.
DrummOnd, Jas. A. Jude, VIM. Mix
i
New Carlisle banker, and myself,
went into this matter for the county
commissioners. We have found that
the county might at one time have
had this property for virtually what
the owners paid for il. We are in
disposed 10 say that the owners should
lose the interest on their investment,
the taxes, and their additional eX-
pense, in making ready TO build. Such
penalties are frequently paid by COM
munities for listening too closely to
the apostles of stand STILL" and this
is only another example. South Bend
has had previous experiences OF the
same kind.
Indeed, il appears that with regard
to this same property, it might have
been purchased some 20 years ago for
5000, only at that time it was sup
posed that il must be forever used
for church purposes or revert to the
Taylor estate. The site has been
dragged through several political
mires also. notably the campaign OF
last fall, and I understand some of
the opponents of the purchase are
echoing their campaign thunder
against it now, but this is a matter
OF public improvement and not of
political claptrap, and politics should
never have been allowed TO enter into
il.
We need more of the pull ahead and
pull-tOgether spirit We have a Splen-
did city, and We all know il, but we
need more of the sort of thing that
will apprise others Of il when they
chance TO make us a call. The com
ment has been heard for years how
hnice il would be if that church were
somewhere else and the whole
grounds were a court house lawn"
The church is away now, and we have
a chance to see just how nice il is,
and if the commissioners are wise.
and satisfactory arrangements for
| payments can be made, they will keep
it that way.
AS TO the office building proposed
\ for the site there are other sites in
! South Bend for office buildings, and
| the purchase of these grounds need
| by no means put a stop to another
\ sky-scraper If anybody wants 10 build
one. The thing TO do is TO save the
/ church site to the county as a public
\ Improvement. Very truly.
GABRIEL r. SUMMERS,
South BEND Aug 10. 1914.