Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1919-02-07
INTERESTING VIEWS
: ON
CURRENT NEWS.

To the Editor:
! l have read with interest the two
or three. communications published in
your valued paper from possibly
half dozen of our citizens with regard
to the proposed annexation of certain
territory to within the present city
limits.
vi course, proposition of this
kind, especially one that imposes an
additional taxation, be it ever so small
could not be expected to receive unani-
nous support. There are people in
every community who would object to
anything that would better their
conditions if by SO doing there would
be the smallest percentage of addi-
itional cost. This being the universal
condition among people we cannot
complain seriously that we have them
among US.
AS the proposition of annexation
originated in the Chamber of Com
merce l feel that it possibly becomes
my duty to attempt to answer some Of
the complaintants who desire to know
what benefit will accrue from this an
nexatior, altho this has been stated
several times in the. daily papers in
our city. The principal advantage is
one of pride and commercial import
ance. 1t is conceded that there is a
very close race between Pine Bluff and |
TT. Smith for the second place of i'm
portance commercially and as to popu- |
lation of cities in the State. According !
to the last U. S. Census report there |
was difference in our population
and the cities of Hot Springs and Tex !
arkana of only few hundred. Where
as, any unbiased person would safely |
estimate that our population exceeded !
those cities by at least one third. |!
Those two cities have extended their
corporate limits so as to include a
large suburban population and if we
do not follow their example the next |
U. S. Census report will show the |
population Of cities, as to their |
standing, as follows: Little Rock. first |
Fl. Smith, Hot Springs, Texarkana |
and Pine Bluff, making us fifth IN
size when we really should be second.
This condition will be shown in the
U. S. Census report and in all COM
mercial directories including Brad
streets and Dunns and such important |
publications as those published by the |
Chicago Association of Commerce the
New York Trade journal, etc., and !
will be damaging to this City, to the
extent that only one connected with |
some Organization, such as the Pine
Bluff Chamber of Commerce, can be-
gin to estimate the damage.
This one reason alone should cause I
every person within the confines of |
this territory that has one spark of |
what is called "Home Pride" within |
his "make up" to cheerfully endorse
the proposed annexation. The addi-
tional taxes to the property except IN
possibly half dozen cases will not ex-
coed $3.50 to the individual,( it would |
simply mean an additional five mills |
tax.
Now, as to what the inhabitants of
the proposed annexation would obtain
take it that they should feel as we
do, pride in the honest patriotism
and good business judgment of our
City Council and Mayor Elect, who !
will extend the Public Utilities to the
annexed territory with the least pos
sible delay and commensurate with |
their just demands. This has been
done before and will be continued as is
the policy of all fair minded admins
traitors. There are still living hundreds
of our citizens who paid city taxes
cheerfully for many years before they
had electric lights or any water works
conveniences, sewers or streets all of
which they eventually obtained when
it was found they were entitled to
them thru the revenue they were pay
ing and the density of their popula-
tion.
Practically all the citizens in the
proposed territory to be included are
now enjoying the privileges that the
i citizens of Pine Bluff are paying for
and some Of them out side of the city
limits are close enough to obtain fire
protection and lights tho they do not
contribute a cent to their mainten-
ance.
| There is nothing personal in this
matter as l see it. AS private citi-
zen. hope there will be no serious
objections to the proposition. Person
/, ally | desire to see Pine Bluffs popu-
lation correctly reported in the next
u. S. Census and | cannot dwell too
much on the Importance of that fea-
ture.
Yours >very truly,
E. B. BLOOM,
Secretary Pine Bluff Chamber
of Commerce