The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-09-22
Editor Pensacola Journal:


In regard to the proposed two mil
lion dollar bond issue, l shall, in the
first time in my experience of Sc years
of voting, vote against this issue; for
the following reasons:
Pensacola has other more important
things to do at present. The first of
which is to complete the ratproofing
and plague elimination till Uncle Sam
says that we are safe. This will strain
our resources to the limit.
The next thing is to finish the i'm
provements of our school system so
that our children will get as good or
better an education than other towns
Of our size and resources. And Pen
sacola is far from having even TIE
beginning of a practical and vocational
training which the modern industrial
age demands. The writer has been
hammerng along this line for years,
urging the development of school gar
dens and manual training. St Angus
tine, a city of about quarter our
population, has been having manual
training instruction in its grammar
grades and high school for about eight
or 10 years. Hundreds of our hest and
most talented boys and girls have
either left Pensacola to get a practical
training for life. or have GONE WITH
OUT 1T.
The other important thing is TO i'm
prove our waterfront with the belt
line railroad and docks that we have
been talking about and dreaming about
for years. We will never get shipping
enough to fill our harbor until we pre-
pare for it properly.
If the main idea of the new bond is
sue is to attract more tourists here
and more permanent residents that will
help boost Pensacola, will venture the
assertion. based upon years of contact
with tourists and homeseekers, that we
will have to offer them~a substantial
welcome first. 1t will be necessary to
make them feel at home when fhey
come here. Treat them well enough so
that they will come back the next
year and bring their friends along with
them. The recent unfortunate earth
quake at Los Angeles will induce many
tourists to look elsewhere for a win
ter home. This gives us a golden op-
portunlty to attract them to the Gulf
Coast. Besides, railroad transportation
is more expensive now than ever.
Inc plain proposition is this, if we
want to attract a better class of tour
lists we will have to improve the city
IN many ways. We will have to en-
force the various ordinances in regard
TO sanitation and garbage removal. We
VIII have to fix the downtown streets
so that every hard rain does not loosen
ana float away several wagon loads of
paving blocks, In Birmingham they
had the same problem last year. and
they anchored the wooden blocks down
into bed of cement, in order to make
them stay put"
IL we want the tourists TO come who
nave money to spend, we must not of
!ehd their good sense and cultured
!eeiinSs by having drunken Ioafers
IosIlng against them on the streets
now ana Miami go about it to attract
N,ooO tourists per winter They cleaned
up Ihe town from all standpoinfs
Dooze' garbage, social uncleanness etc
now dId Los Angeles attain its won
uer growth up to $4,000 ponuIation
cnslly IN the last 90 years? nv
LEANING UP. There is no ROYAL road
~ success for cities any more than
there IS Tor individuals. If Won want
decent citizens to come and be glad
tiIeE came, you have to offer tbom
SoIIieUing and deliver the goods.
- Inc writer has been planning tho os
adjustment Of a special asthma sapi
Idriuin Tor the last two years. The eli
nlate mere is ideal for the purpose. but
80 lar the right class OF tourists have
not Deen attracted here, to make such
venture reasonably successful This
winter IS the last one that the writer
proposes to remain here in the effort
TO see what sort of cooperation win
greet his efforts. II the right Kind of
people do not come here this winter.