Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-04-16
INTERESTING VIEWS CURRENT NEWS.
Editor of The Graphic.

You have been graciously permit ing the use of your columns to dis
 cussions of the memorial to the boy from this county who made the su preme sacrifice that our countr, could be made safe for people to live
 in, and the subject is one that should and will, have not only the considera
 tion of all people, but meet witt sympathetic response to patrioti, duty. It is one that l am going te ask you to permit mo to say a wore about.
 l have thought of it almost daily since the armistice was signed, and l have read many columns devoted to the matter issued by patriotic so- cieties in this and our allied coun- tries, and the tendency seems to be, and l think rightly so, that this me- morial should take the form not of the formerly generally accepted mon- ument in public square but in use- full and educational additions to so- ciety.
 The suggestion of Judge kerwin, in your issue of the 18th, is the one generally advocated by those who have given the matter their undivided at tention and time. A public park, li- brary, steel and concrete bridges, broad and permanent thoroughfares, and such class of improvements are the ones generally agreed upon, and something on this order is what Pine Bluff should do. The writer has been opposed to public park for one reason only and that is there has been found no way, under our Constitution to build, beautify and maintain such an institution.
 l have suggestion to offer that over comes these obstacles. We should not consider building park unless we first obtain the services of an expert landscape artist who has fitted himself for such work, and than only after we have found ways, financially, to carry out his plans and to employ a care takcr to main- tain such park, if that is selected, and to continue adding to same, as, for instance, is done in the City of Memphis, and by the way, that City lcvies 15 mill tax, per annum, to care for this park, and geological Garden which is second to but one, probably, in the United States, and it is doubtful if one per cent of the people of that city would consent to abolish this extra taxation.
 Now for the plan-undcr any oth- CT circumstances l believe my plan would be objected to seriously and fought to a finish by majority, per haps. of our people. l would suggest if the law permits, that an improve ment district be formed of the en- tire city, and if thought advisable possibly the entire county, thru which a hundred or two hundred thousand dollars, or as much as need ed to carry out the scheme be raised thru the sale of bonds, and thru which a small levic, of probably not more than quarter of mill be assessed for the building and maintenance of such park. It will cost money, and lots of it, to maintain park of this kind, which, of course, should in- clude driveways, public fountains, birds and animal houses, reading and rest rooms, any many other atrrac- tions and convcnicnces. This park might be found convenient, by the ex- perts, to include hundreds of acres of land running East and West or North and South thru parts of the City and county, but, at least, thru the City.
 This would be memorial to which future generations could point to with pride and would be fitting tribute to the men and women of this County who have died to the cause, and for that reason l doubt seriously that any property holder in this city would object.
 From the way the contributions are coming in. thru our daily news papers l doubt that as much as dollars will be raised. and if so that anything more than sim pie and small stone monument could be erected which few people would see or take the time to inquire about.
 I offer this suggestion believing that at first glance many people will say it is impossible, but, if the va rious organizations who have pro posed the monument will consider this plan or similar one, they will finally come to the same conclusion that have, that this is the most feasible and best plan to adopt and certainly lasting monument of these heroes.
 E. B. BLOOM, Secretary,
 Pine Bluff Chamber of Commerce.
 April 14th, 1919.