The Natchitoches enterprise., 1920-06-24
people pay them with interest.

took me nearly seven years, singI
handed and alone to get thi
charge removed. | succeeded i
1918.
; AS to improvements, we allrec
o.n!ze the need, but who vii
undertake to secure them? A
the advent of the recently retirin.
administration much was promises
along these lines, but nothln!
done; at the heavy cost of $25 {
; day to the companies, for the com
) panies pay the State Bureau ex
penses (Which l think a wron,
prlncip'e-tllc State should ap
point and pay these oticials),
secured the service of the mos
expert authority in the State an(
one OF the best in the country, OF
fire protection and prevention
from the Bureau, vino spent +;
week here, making a thorough in
ve,tiyation, and submitted re
port showing every detail of i'm
prOvements necessary to give bet
ter protection and reduction ir
rates. Nothing more was heart
of it, and no one knows where the
report is.
Our new mayor, Mr.. PoIeman,
has been discussing the subjec,
with me. l have assured him,
and l stand ready to deliver, that
| will get a copy of that report OF
secure another as competent En-.
gineer to make a new one. but
want to be assured that something
will be doing before acting and
imposing this expense on the
companies again.
i 1t is to be admitted that ''old':
Natchltoches, and we are the third
oldest in the Union, is not in the
same class with new" De-
Ridder. We have many old Gus
toms and conditions which do not
conform to he modern day under
writing requirements; we still
burn trash in our strccts-an ugly
fire hazard; we still permit weeds
to grow in the vacant lots, wnere
the thonghtless smoker may throw
a lighted match Or burning ciya-
rette and start prairie fire; we
still permit dry-goods boxes and
trash to accumulate in the rear of
the stores, for which a charge of
Csc, or - 20 per thousand, of in
surance is made, not only to The
party offending but to the crtlrc
block; we have many old s.ylc
buildings which according to the
new idea are fire traps" still
they stand unburned, whilc many
new ones go up in smoke and
ashes; we still permit the building
of non..standard dangerous fues,
which adds another $3.50 cost to
the building containing and to the
risks. all of which / hope
to sec the new administration cor
rect, in part if not in whole.
We have Fire District by
Ordinance: it is constantly violated
by construction of prohibited
buildingsn within the district.
The failure to enforce the ordi-
nance We lave, prevent our getting
the low rates we would have If We
lived up to and enforced the laws,
We have many ''old foy,cs''
who attest the bcalthfulness of The
old town. and We prefer to have
them remain with US than the new
idea of progress attended BY
typhus and smallpox epidemics.
We have not been on the main
line' of a great railroad system
until recently; we have no grca, ,
lumber interests with fabulous
weekly pay rolls to put ''oollcs"
Of money into circula,ion-buti !
why. compare further 1t is useless.
Bnt VIZ are now On the luain |
line Ola &: eat Continental System. |
The Texas s. Pacific, witt, seven
passenger trains day, and count-d
ess treights, and are the terminal
If another, which is destined to
become second to none-the L. &
n. w., with one daily in and out.
We have a Commercial Associ
ltion, not as progressive as some,
t's Young, givo 1t a chance, it will
show DeRidder a trick or two.
We will soon have the jefferson
from the Pines to the
oalms-sometlling DeRidder can
lever have.
We have the finest fish preserve
n the whole country wide, right
through the city, to which people
ome from all over the State and
Without to ENJOY, and even thel
.ood people of DeRiddcr come
nd fish in it.
We have the best paved side
palks of any town in the State
nd have just voted unanimously
tax OF $500 900 to hard-sur-
ace our streets, build sewerage
nd improve our water and li,ht {
owned water and l;ghtl I
liant, which will give US improved !
re protection and splendid streets. |,
We have the best drinking
'ater in the State and by analysis Z
he third best and purest in the I
United States. K
We have a live, active. growing
,lks Lodge. You know what q
nat means to any community. e
We have the most unique social c
extant-OHr Comusl t
luh tho moral atmocphoro ofi +