The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-15

Cleveland, Ohio. July 12.-Clevs-
land n Z city Of municipal foresight.
Il believes in looking on the opti-
mistic side Of life and seeing things
not ~ they are, but Is they will be
In the future.
Thus when the recent census fig-
ures were published. showing De-
troit to be leading Cleveland BY
several thousand population, Cleve-
land merely shrugged its dignified
shoulders, cleared it, throat sig
nificantly, and said: wait and see
what happens in the next i've
years!" :
This remark is typical Of Cleve-
lands attitude toward most OF its
shortcomings. Not that it has more
than other cities. but It gives one
the impression Of Just having dis
covered them. Everything in Cleve-
land fs just in the process Of be-
ing surveyed or has Just been sur
veyed, and as it will be several
years before the recommendations
resulting from these surveys are
acted upon, Cleveland naturally
looks to the future for perfection.
In fact, many Of the citizens Of
Cleveland have looked in this d.
rection 90 often that they have come
to take the future Cleveland for
granted.
For instance, one of the things
that Cleveland likes to boast about
is its famous group plan Of public
buildings. This group, as everyone
will tell you, includes the union
passenger station, the city hall. the
library building, the federal build
ing. the municipal auditorium, and
the county building, extending in a
neat and orderly plan from the
fringe Of the business district to the
shore of Lake Erie. Well, SO much
has been said and written concern
ing this dazzling feature of the city
that few months ago a city plan
ming expert arrived from Belgium
for the sole purpose of inspecting it.
With some reluctance, small dele
cation from the Chamber of Com
merce led the Belgian gentleman
down the street and showed him the
city hall, the court house and the
massive steel skeleton of what is
some day to be the auditorium.
Sim On Paper.
But the library and the station ~
inquired the city planning expert,
consulting an ancient pamphlet on
the beauties of Cleveland.
I'VE regret to say" explained the
delegation, that they are still in
the form of blue print"
Since this incident occurred, the
bond issue for $l5,000,000 which
was to be raised in order to build
the station has been rejected by the
people of Cleveland in favor of a
large number Of new hospital beds
and the group plan appears to be
farther from completion than ever
Nevertheless, it is accepted as a
reality by Cleveland.
OF course, this municipal futur-
ism is better understood when you
consider that Cleveland's slogan is
Tell the World About Cleveland!
Unfortunately, in order to make the
world listen, you have to have some
thing interesting to tell, SO Cleve-
land cannot be blamed if it turns
to the future and uses its imagina-
ton.
Cleveland's past is not Of the 70.
mantle or lurid variety which the
world prefers to read about. 1t was
/ quietly and peacefully founded by a
man named Moses Cleaveland, who
was head surveyor for the Connect.
cut Land company, which acquired
most of northern Ohio at the price
Of 40 cents an acre. We are told
that one acre in Cleveland today is
worth $4,000, 900, but we don't know
which acre is referred to.
The influence Of the ealiy Con.
necticut Puritans still predominates
In Cleveland, which continues tt
take itself and the world ve,y seri.
ously. In the outlying farming dis.
| tricts, moreover, there are Villages
which, to all appearances, NIGH