South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-02-14
KEEP WALNUT STREET OPEN.
Feb. is. 1920.

rapid strides IN its growth Of popu-
lation and business we must take
care that mistakes are not made in
the grand rush for magnitude that
will later rise up 10 plague us and
make Us feel that we are penny-wise
and pound foolish. our ideal must
be 10 build a city that Is a desirable
place 10 live in. our principal aim
is TO have a contented community,
city or good schools. good streets.
good utilities, and reasonable taxes
rather than a hodge-podge OF lot
OF everything Of medDcre quality
and nothing above the average. IN
the expansion OF factories we must
not lose sight OF the fact that il is
primarily a city we are building and
not merely n factory adjunct. With
no comprehensive plan we drift
along and each individual person or
business uses the city as an incident
a TO his ambitions, rather than as
an institution 10 be developed and
grown FOR the mutual benefit of gen
crations yet 10 come.
Right now the city is presented
with a proposition that requires ma
ture deHberatiOn and q foresight in
TO the future. instead of snap
decision on the plea Of q single pc
titioner whose motive is entirely one
0f "A personal interest rather than
an action based on the broad view
OF the welfare of the city at large.
refer 10 the petition for vacation
Of Walnut street by Mr.. J. d. oliver.
Through streets are The arteries OF
trade along which run the traffic
life OF the city. We have TOO few
such arteries in our city now. and
especially in the west part OF the
city is the absence of such north
and south streets uncomfortably evil
dent Olive street on the western
border is one. Walnut street three
fourths OF a mile east is another and
Chaplin street a half mile further
east is the third and last Three
through streets in the distance OF
over a mile show a lack OF interest
in the public welfare by private in
stitutions and now comes an indi-
vidual with the audacity to ask the
city to vacate one of these.
Before forming an opinion on the
proposition one should first look at
a city map, then think Of south
Bend of the future and then try TO
answer these questions What did
the interested property owners pay
Mr.. Oliver $4,000 III 1917 for if wal
nut street is to be given back TO him
gratis now2 What did the city pay
good round sum for the half block
between Ford and Poland street in
1914 if that action is TO be check
mated now? Why did the city obli-
gate itself to the extent Of $4,000
in the purchase of Rum Village Park
in 1916 il 1t is 10 spoil its value by
throttling its approaches for the
benefit Of a special privilege?
Some Justify the vacation by say
ing it is a factory district and viii
never be anything else, without a
thought that arteries of trade must
cut through factory districts, rs well
as residence districts if their value
is to remain intact We might as
plausibly justify the closing or Olive
street where il cuts the Singer plant,
/ of Lafayette blvd. where ii cuts the
StudCDaker plant. Can anyone con
ceive Of Studebakers asking the clos
| ing Of Sample street? Can anyone
! conceive Of the city listening TO such
request, even though the Stude-
/ baker corporation has hut a small
| fraction of space available for eX-
pansion compared with that avail
able 10 the Oliver plan,2
-
\ the future With a 60-tocc paved
( roadway from Lincoln Way west TO
Ewing blvd could anyone at trait
/ date approve the blocking of Walnut
! street because it ran through "a fac
/ tory district.
South Send is large enough so
4 that 1t .lOcs not have To take its hat
| In its hand ana dance Al the richest
OF any private interest. This com
! n.unity IS Just as important - any
! ln~tt.diIru as anv insti'l On is o
/ the commuu'ty. The inv has lie sPr
Ocen eXCeI tio.ally - 1rr) - about
! inducing now il stitutiD IS II locate
| here and need feel under no special
/ obligation 20 the industries that are
/ here. especially not 70 the oliver
| Chilled PiOw works which has been
a consistent opponent OF broad civic
/ Developments since its organization.
| It's relation 10 the city has always
/ been that Of a contestant as IS physi-
! cally evidenced by the mutilated
streets in its neighborhood as well
rs being recorded on the pages OF
/ the legal history OF South Bend
Future south Bend demands the
/ preservation Of the arteries OF trade
which we now have. our city ad-
ministration can serve the cCmmun-
ity much better and can stamp its
name more creditably on our city
map. by opening streets where need
ed than il can by closing a street
that cost tho city time. mOney and
energy 10 secure in the rIrst place
I The oliver Chilled PIow works can
! 40 more for south Bend as well rs
for its standing in the community by
accommodating its expansion TO the
present Walnut street than IL can by
Z proceeding regardless OF the city s
welfare Their interests are mutual
but the city is greater than any Of Us
factors and should come first al
WAYS. Vision is necessary in build
ing the city. Here Is a chance 20 use
some vision.
c. 4 PERKINS.