Graham guardian. [volume] (Safford, Ariz.) 1895-1923, 1916-04-07
THE PRIMARY ELECTION

held Monday. April Oath, at which
time those who are ambitious to be
city fathers will have an Opportun-
ity to be nominated, if they are
lucky enough to get more votes
than the other fellow. and every
citizen should have this ambition.
During the past six years much
has been accomplished by the several
common councils in Office during
this time to bring Stafford to the
front as the leading town of the
ella valley. New streets have been
opened, cement sidewalks laid, q
successful election held to bond the
town for a town hall and Jail, more
electric lights have been placed
where needed and the streets have
been kept cleaner and in better con-
dition for travelling.
There has been better feeling and
greater desire on the part of the
business men and citizens generally
to cooperate with the common
council in its effort to make better
town, and there is no doubt but
that the next common council will
meet with the same hearty support.
There Is much work yet to be &C.
complished in keeping Stafford to
the front as the lesdlng town of the
valley, and the next common council
will have plenty to do in carrying
out plans for this purpose.
One improvement of vital interest
to all the people is the building of a
town hall and Jail. The bond cleo
ton for this purpose was success
fully held, but it has been found
that the amount of money secured
from the sale of bonds was not suf.
ficient to build the kind of building
needed now for a town hall and
Jail and fire headquarters.
Stafford has grown beyond the
plans for the small structure the
bonds would build. 1t needs a
larger and better building and one
that would be centrally located.
The town hall should also provide
for the town library. A building
for all these purposes, such as SAT-
ford should provide for now and to
which the town has grown, would
cost double the amount secured
from the sale of the bonds. The
building of town hall will be a
most important work for the next
common council to take up.
There are many other matters of
public interest in the making of a
better town that will keep the new
common council busy.
AS all matters of improvement
naturally lead to the expense col,
umn, the new common council
should prepare a budget. covering
all the expense for the things needed
to keep Stafford in the lead, and this
budget should be submitted to the
people for their consideration.
Another proposition that should
be decided by the people in the
town election next month, is the
one in regard to the purchase OF
Wickersham Park. The town needs
this park badly and Mr.. Wicker.
sham's proposition to sell the park
to the town on terms that are SC
easy that there is hardly any doubt
but that the people will vote in
favor of purchasing the park.
The first payment would cost the
taxpayers about one and a third mills
on the dollar, and the second and
succeeding payments would cost less
than three.fourths of a mill on the
dollar; thus the payment could be
easily accomplished. And Mr.. Wick
ersham goes farther with his PROPOSE
ton by giving the town $4,000, il
the people decide to buy the prop
erty, the money to be placed in the
library fund, and to be used fol-
library purchases.
The proposition to purchase Wick
ersham Park should be placed or
the ballot of the town election.
During the past year much gooC
work has been done by the prcscn
common council and during thi
time Stafford has come into its owl
again and once more has lecOmC