El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-25

Dortant things Ior any city anC
4 should think that FL Paso
located out here in the so called des-
ert. has greater reason to desire parks
than almost any other city in the
country" declared r. J. Tlghe, superIn-
tendent of FL PasO public schools, be
fore the Alta Vista improvement club
Tuesday evening in the Alta Vista
public school.
"Now is the time TO start your parks
before the land becomes too valuable
he continued You people in the sub
urbs some day VIII have parks, re-
f-ardfess OF the cost so it is better to
buv them now while they can be Sc
cured at q reasonable figure I don't
see why every addition that comes IN
to the citv does not leave park reser-
vatiOns. This was done in London and
the parks there are the most valuable
assets of the people.
Park the Streets.
'If you can't have parks, the next
important thing is Pathways on your
streets Build them wherever you can.
The parked spaces for trees and grass
on each side Of the paving should in
no case be narrower than SIX or elghu
feet. Many Of the older cities have
had much difficulty in making their
streets beautiful because Of the front
fences. They are trying to tear these
out and present a park appearance all
along the street. Ell PasO in It's wis
and it is q great factor in helping to
make the city beautiful.
PLANT all the trees, grass and
flowers you can The public school
board is going 10 encourage the chill
dren to do so We have made arrange
ments TO distribute flower seeds free
to them, to plant in their yards, along
the sidewalks, anywhere they can find
room
schools Advance Art.
%
TO advance art and create a love for
the beautiful in this country We talk
to them of the beautiful things and we
teach them drawing and to love art
and music. A few years ago only rich
mems children were able to get edu-
cations. Today all the children are
being educated and the education is
not confined to the three RS. The
United states today spends more for
good music than any nation in the
world and it is rapidly accommodating
the finest pictures in the world.
schools As Civic Centers.
1.-THE school is getting closer TO the
people and the people are getting
YOU meeting here tonight in this pub
lie school building; the school board is
glad to have you use it for your meet
ings. The time is coming when every
school building in the country viii be-
come the social and civic center for
the community want to see that
time FASTENED.
Public PIaygr0unds.t
IT am glad to see the interest the
parents are taking in the schools and
In healthful exercise for the children. I
The establishment of public play
grounds is enc OF. the greatest needs
of every city. It is absolutely dan
gerOus for children to play upon the
streets these days. Fairgrounds, prop
er1y supervised, are the needs. Every
school ground should be 2 public play
ground, with sandpiles, seesaws and
proper apparatus for the enjoyment
of the children These should be en-
closed with fences so that they can be
locked I'D at night to protect them
from marauders- If you want TO do
great service for your children, create
a public playground here on the Alta
Vista school property. Statistics show
where public Fairgrounds have been
created, that there has been a decrease /
Of from 10 to 25 percent in crime
among the children. is It worth the
cOst2 I say it is, many times.
II am glad to say to you that the
school board sees your wisdom In in
sisting on such a building as you sue
ceeded in having erected here. The
school is now half filled and during the
coming year. the other four rooms will
be made available and do not believe
it will accommodate all the children (
in this fast growing neighborhOOd-
Conserve Water; Erect Fountains.
An idea came to me the other day
as I stood looking at old mount Frank
lin. I wondered why it would not be /
possible to erect a storage dam some {
where uD there in one of those canyons {
and conserve the flOOdwaters from the I
mountainside and then use them for {
irrigation and for fountains. A series 1
OF fountains could be erected on di1- /
ferent levels. so that all would be Op-
Grated by the same stream OF water I
from the reservoir. Rome has such a /
series OF fountains and the cost OF /
their maintenance IS very small
The Meeting.
n. s. Corbin presided over the meet [
ing and the purposes Of the Organiza- !
ton were explained by Atlas Jones'
RecitatiOns were given by Frances !
and Amelia Harper and sew /
eral choruses were sung by the pupils /
of Alta Vista school
Miss Constance Pateman sang a solo !
and Miss Pateman and Kenneth Mccall /
lum sang a duet. Mr.. MCCallum also /
sang a solo. Mrs. J. J. Pearce pre-
sided at the piano
Mrs. Eunice Payne, principal Of Alta 1
Vista school, together with several of 1
her teachers, was present. Mrs Payne !
gave the audience several selections on
the schools VictrOla.
Refreshments Served.
After the exercises, refreshments
were served to all present by the /
women folk Of the Alta Vista neigh
borhOod- 1t was real gettogether, /
neighborhoOd gathering and proved t
very enjoyable.
Announcement was made that the /
school would give a performance Of 1
THE Land Of Nod" at the Crawford I
theater on March 2 for the purpose
Of buying more records for the school j
Victrola- Mrs. Payne declares that the