The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-05-05
Penny Wise OR
Pound Foolish ?

In anxiety TO save 10 the city the State
Far which institution hangs in the bal
ance at the bond election next Tuesday
the Far has been given more prom-
ncuce in discussion OF the coming cleo
ton than has the city park idea Yet for
eleYcn months in the year the city would
have the fair grounds as park on the
twelfth it would turn in and mste the
State Fair merely one OF the city parks
attractions
The business men have been thinking
mostly about preserving the State Fair
IN Oklahoma City, securing IT for all
time against the encroachments of Mus
kogce, whose activities keep getting
more pernIciouS each year and, what is
more alarming. whose efforts 10 skid il
under Oklahoma City appear TO bear
some fruit. Goodness knows. that's is
sue enough next Tuesday, 'said a Grand
avenue merchant Yesterday But what
the people who buy goods in my store
want to know is. where does the small
taxpayer come in on the City Park
| PLAN What will it cost him what will
he get; what assurance has he that the
$4,000 voted will go to the benefit OF
poor people" ?"
Here's the answer-it has been adycr-
I tlSed IN one form or another so that the
statements following may be considered
| the sworn promise OF the State Fair di-
| rectoratc
The new city park will cost n cents
a year additional tax on every $1,000 Of
assessed valuation
The poor man gets for his family the
very sort Of playground the year around
that he has been wanting; all the out,
door facilities for play that he can only
afford collectively; stadium, a track,
a ball ground, a lake, temps courts, a
municipal golf course, a regulated dance
hall where he knows his daughter will
be safe from contamination supervised
theatricalS. a convention hall a course
in gardening; loo acres. every foot OF
which will be his own to tramp, use ant
claim
Besides the day the fair grounds pass
es t0 the city that day many times 2
cents has been added to the value OF hi
home tina, he owns however humble; Il
the vacant lot that he has been scrapin,
20 hold onto all these years. There's tn
true answer to any bond issue. whethe
for parks or schools or for any publ,
institution that will bring people an,
fame TO Oklahoma City. 1, simpl,
amounts TO bringing up the value .
every mans holdings its spending pen
nes to get dollars II doesn't take /;
real estate man to figure that out ever,
worker understands it, no doubt ever
better than the big fellow who is ful
OF theories.
Now TOR the answer TO the third quer,
in The Wage earner's mind concernn,
the bond issue iS--what assurance vii
he have that the $4,000 will be uset
as vo,ed' Simple enough il can't b
used otherwise That is what voting is
You couldn't start to sell the bonds
couldn't ge, a cent unless the buyer ha
all the machinery oi law back OF IN
: purchase clause which says how IN
money shall be used So whatever ha
been promised by the city when IL sub
mits the question will be carried out,
After all, this is the poor mans op
por,unity, Every time any city acquire
foot OF interior park property, tina
2 city is recognizing the rights OF every
body without regard to his proper,
l qualifications ns-Adv