The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-01
IheP public Be SerUed
PUBLIC DISCUSSION

In other words, there is a different in
centiye in this respect commercially for
Memphis than for C%rittenden ounfy
This article says that the city Of
Mempis contributed $3.50 for ap-
proaehes to this bridge, and this O
was spent on the Arkansas. side.J
Thanks. This is the first anthentic in.
stance in the history Of Memphis thar IL
has ever directly contributed one semi
to the interest OF Crittenden comfy
and if the editor is perfectly fair / he,
lieve he win agree with me that thjs
$4,000 was not contributed in any snIrit
CT generosity toward Crittenden county
but for the benefit, in the end, Of Mem.
phis, Tenn. l presume the people Of
Crittenden county win be forever in
debted and reminded Of this SOS. 900
gift 10, and / propose a monument to
commemorate this wonderful exhibition
Of generosity at the approach OF the
Harahan bridge.
Memphis has given literally and gem
erously to all war n patriotic causes
In the first Red Cross drive the citv
Of Memphis. with a population of $780,
900 and an assessed valuation of prom
erty in the neighborhood OF 81, 900. 900
600, was asked to raise SIS, 900. Mem
phis did 1t. C~rittenden county in the
same first Red Cross drive, with $4,000
population; black and white, (mostly
6laek) n an assessed valuation Of only
s 1000, 900. was asked to raise SIS, 900.
besides.
Scarcely a week passes that emissa-
ries, representing all manner Of philan-
throplc and benevolent enterprises, do
subscriptions for something to be
founded or erected in the city Of Mem
phis. There has always been a generous
response by the people of this county
to repeated calls of this nature to foster
some enterprise in the city of Memphis.
In SO far as the building of a sub
stantial permanent viaduct to connect
with the Harahan bridge and the city
OF Memphis are concerned, Memphis
and Crittenden county are vitality in
financial way, The above article pro-
poses that Crittenden county shall take
upon its back the financial responsible
ity Of the gigantic debt necessary to
build and maintain. this structure. This
is one of Crittenden county's "fiAan-
cial' interests. Memphis is Financial
ly" interested, but only in extracting
the milk from Crittenden county, and
is enthusiastic for it only provided she
has to pay no part of the bill. This edi-
torial has aroused considerable discus
sentful.
I dare say the city of Memphis, an
nually through its Chamber Of Com
Der of Commerce and other civic bodies
which are constantly on the alert to in
- NDoS NV SbN9 VI tllO
city, raises perhaps several hundred
thousand dollars which 1t donates to the
location of sites for cantonments and
industrial enterprises. The stream Of
traffic that a proper and substantial
causeway would bring to Memphis
would be almost i~ncalculable, financial
ly, to that city. If the city of Mem
phis and its people and the Chamber OF
Commerce and civic bodies will studi-
ously think this over | believe they will
frankly and candidly admit that a fine
road and permanent substantial viaduct
connection to the Harahan bridge would
mean ten times more financially to
Memphis than it could to C%rittenden
county, When Crittenden county has
to pay the taxes and shoulder the debt
for the building OF this structure, and
Memphis to reap by far the largest and
most beneficial results therefrom, 1t
seems that we ought certainly to be
allowed to have something to say about
how it shall be built, constructed and
maintained and paid for.
Marion, Ark. RUDOLPH ISoM.