The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-02-17
SALIBA'S IDEA OF
| AN IDEAL CITY
A Physicians Ideas of the Com
mon Benefits Our Municipal
ity Should Provide for Us
BY DR.. JOHN SALIBA


vey of the ideal modern city.
An ideal city can never be founded
on any other basis than the intelligent
idealism, foresight, and local pride of
the citizens. In this respect, Piety
takes a second place, for knowledge is
broader than piety. Men may be relig-
ious, may be the salt of the earth as
far as personal goodness is concerned,
and yet may be, in some respects, bad
citizens. Like Tennyson's village wife,
they may attribute the effects of their
poisonous drains to the "Will Of the
Lord" B.
Elizabeth City has the power of self
management. 1t should value such pow
er highly, so that all its affairs should
be matters of keen general interest,
and that it's best men of business
should be willing to undertake the ad-
minstration in a spirit of hearty local
pride. If this object is realised there
is no reason why Elizabeth City should
not gradually improve itself into the
position of an ideal city, supporting
vigorously every institution that is nec-
essary from either q local or a national
point of view.
The preservation of health is the
first object of an ideal city. And very
properly so, for health, important in
itself. is inextricably interviewer with
almost all other subjects of high civic
Importance, as. for example, with ed
ucation, housing, recreative exercise,
transit. wise and adequate feeding, as
we'll as with formal sanitation. Indeed
half. or more, of the necessities that
go to the making of the ideal city
might be discussed under the heading
of health.
Open space is the first of all de-
sirable things. In Elizabeth City, the
| Aldermen should concern themselves in
ftown planning arrangements and allow
changes to come gradually through i'm
provement schemes. They should not
fold their arms and become inert on
grounds of expense. There is no eX-
cuse for saying that any attempts to
Improve, render sanitary and beautity
our city are impossible. The possibil-
jity exists here in our city, and ex'
lpcnse is not n bar. The things needed
are will-power and Il ideas. As a mat
ter of fact, corporate action for the
Improvement of our city is invariabl!
4 paying enterprise. The bogey of cost
is only a bogey of the scheme be vel
devised in view of local conditions.
Why should not every Ward in oui
city have a lung to breath fresh air
Il happy playing ground for the chill
dren, pleasurable space adorned will
shade trees, useful as well as ornamen
tall
Is it not needed? Is it not less cost
" to begin now Pause and think
what the cost would be decade iron
now to acquire playground in the
first ward opposite Pennsylvania Ave
nue.. in the second ward on Cedar
street. in the third war on the Ehring
hans property, in the fourth ward, the
Riverside Avenue water front.
Further. does not the future progress
and development of our city demand
business space. public dock for boats
I'm unload? Valuable sites have beer
overlooked in the past and the onl!
ones that are possible to obtain al
present are the properties of Robinson
and Sharber on Water street, betweer
fCommander's saw mill and NJ q
Wright's property.
Honorable Alderman! Intelligent cit
izen, Pass not those ideas by. Oul
bonded Indebtedness does not exceed
S154,OOO. | am reliably informed tha
our sister town of Tarboro, with pop
uIotion n third of ours, with geo
graphical position less favorable thar
ours. with a bright future unequal tt
ours. has a bonded indebtedness of Ont
million dollars.
Is it not a curious comment on the
slowness of our citizenship, even IL
these heading days, that we have moi
only failed to give our city needed oper
space. but we have not even under
stood the value of space. Only Dit DS
bit we are learning its tremendous I'M
port and we do not yet dare to looR
twenty years ahead.
The next subject that concerns an
Ideal city is it's public utilities which
should be municipality and not private
" owned, not only as regards water
light, sewer, but also gas.
It should be impossible in any city
TO build house that does not have
daily bath of sunlight, an abundant
flushing by a thorough draft of air, an
ample supply of water for drinking and
baths, an available electric light, wat
er-carriage for sewer and refuse, a
pipe to receive gas for cooking and for
warming a meal.
Anything short of this means danger
to the community, and an absence OF
the conditions which make education in
health preservation possible.
In this city of ours we have been
so hide bound by Indifference and GUS
tom that we do not see Immediately
the need for bringing these public util-
tiles into our houses. The demand will
soon prevail, and applaud the effort
our present board of Aldermen has ta-
lken to defend the citizens interest.