The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1922-05-16

no building ordinance that requires
a permit for the erection Of build
in9s there Is no definate way 10 get
at the volume Of construction IN the
city at any one time or 10 sum up,
In actual figures the construction
during any period Of time. But %
is au evident fact that more than
S1.Oo0.OOO worth of construction
was ompleted in the city during the
year 1921.
The program for 1922 has started
with at least a fifty per cent ln-
creased volume for the first few
months and the year 1922 viii rec
ord the greatest volume Of con-
struction in the city ever recorded.
just what this win amount to in
dollars and cents there viii be no
way Of determining in addition
90 the five lumbgr yards that deal
in building materials there arc sew
eral contractors that handle brick.
cements. roofing and other building
material and no separate check is
kent of the mar rial sold witHn
Che Ctr.
The Quanah Cotton Oh BID p.an,
under construction wiIl rln into the
thou and of dollars before compile
Han. Tna Cilcr0-emilh iHmhcr Go.
making considerable aid.'0u
t0 iheir storage sheds 0n Thirteenth
root The Community Auditorium
usirg rerera' thousand fcet W
lumber and other material he
100000 building program ol
hoo board Wil move car .o-d .i.'r
car load of building ma'erin' Of er-
cry Kind The remarkably modern
plant 0f the Texas Utility Company
now under construction is taking
more than a hundred car loads of
building material for its construc-
tion. Some of the basement church
es win be completed before 1923 ac-
cording 70 present plans and that
will mean more construction. more
building material and more labor
These are just the outstanding,
major construction jobs already in
sight and do not include the dozen
retail brick stores recently completed
and under construction and being
planned for the immediate future.
Not does 10 include the 10 nice resi-
dcnree now under construction m
the city and the more than 100
such homes that have already been
completed this year. The nopuia-
tion ~ the city increased BIZ ucrcen.
during the past two years by actual
count. That it win increase another
83 percent during the next one year
Is a reasonable prediction based up-
on the present indications.
Take any afternoon off and drive
around over the city and try Co fig
ure how many new families are CONF
ing here TO take the hundreds OF
new residences recently completed,
now under construction and mater
ial for which is being placed on the
different lots in the city. Figure
again the amount Of money that Is
going into these new buildings for
material. for labor and other inn
provements that go with modern
home-and then try to howl hard
times.
The water main and sewer exten-
sion bond election must be called
Immediately and passed if the city
hopes 10 stay in sight Of its duty
towards the citizenship that lives
here. The City Officials are ready
and willing 20 do more than their
part in keeping things up 20 the
demands Of the town If we vote
them the authority and capital TO
work with. Il is fool-hardy 70 in-
vest million dollars in new homes
in the city and then blow up on
voting eighty or ninty or hundred
thousand dollars for protection OF
these buildings ncs TO mention the
conveniences Of living that go with
this protection.
At least a half mile Of new side
walks have been put In over the
city during the first four months
Of this year. This lacks about ten |
miles being as much as must be put
i'm to keen the walks of the city up
to the rest of its development. There
is an ordinance requiring the con-
struction Of sidewalks in front Of
every lot in the city. OF course I
the ordinance should not be en-
forced in those sections Of the city /
where there is little need for a side
walk-but in the thickly settled |
parts of the city. these walks should /
be put in. The city j. handicapped 1
in enforcing this ordinance on ac-
count Of the fact that the walks must |
be put in at the city's expense and l
charged on the tax rolls just as the 1
regular city taxes are charged. That
ties Up a lot Of money for from one
to three years and just now u Is in
convenient for the city to do such /
work upon an extensive scale. But
every cent Of available money the /
cIer can spare should be put into
such sidewalks past the lots Of nom
resident property owners aHa .hel 4
enough pressure be brought 70 bear
upon the resident property owners
that they viii build sidewalks them
selves instead of forcing the city o.
do Il Tor them and charge q %
taxes.