Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-15
PUBLIC SPIRITED CITIZENS
The Civic Center, an Organization Formed
in This City.
Attention Paid to Matters of Public
Its Aims and Objects.

The revival of the old town meeting sys-
tenn which was, and is, a feature of local
government in the New England states is
found, or, rather, it's spirit is, in various Or
ganizations of citizens formed In a NUMBER
of cities. There Is a Civic Federation in
Chicago. a Civic Club in Philadelphia and
Civic Center in this city. The latter Or
ganization Is composed Of public-spirited
men and women, and although no public
meeting has as yet been held, the member
ship numbers now over one hundred. The
purpose of this association Is to bring he
fore the community. from time to time. ty
public meetings. by the public press. &C..
the various matters affecting the public
welfare which should have attention. thus
giving an opportunity for public opinion to
express itself. ...~-
1t is non-partisan, non-sectarian organi-
zation to promote the public good In fhe
following departments: Municipal educa-
uonal. charitable, industrial, public health,
public comfort and public morals. The as
ISOLATION aims to make and maintain
complete sociological survey of the inter-
ests, condition and needs of the city In all
the departments above named. 1t Is the
purpose to take and keep account Of all the
agencies and organizations, public and
private, at work in any of these depart
ments. The work of forming additional
organizations, as may be found needful to
cover fields not yet occupied will be car
ried on. The attention Of the public is to
be called to the wrongs and evils to be sup
pressed. to public good to be attained. and
aid is to be given in the formation Of public
opinion and the enlistment Of all good
citizens in the work. .tr 81
Associate Members.
The civic center Is to consist OF a center
council and as many civic committees as
~, go IL H. Lat 49,
not to be less than one for each OF the
seven departments named. The center
council. according to the constitution. shall
consist of the chairman Of the several
civic committees and nve councillors. and
an additional councillor for any precinct
that may be found unrepresented In the
council. The officers in the center council
shall be elected from among its own men,
bers.
Provision is made for a class Of asso-
ciate members and the following are
named as eligible: The Commissioners of
the District and the chief officers of the
District government, including the Judges
and magistrates of the District courts;
the school trustees, superintendent Of
schools. officers and faculties of universe
ties and colleges, all librarians of public
libraries. curators of art galleries and
scientific museums, the officers of all scien-
tihc and literary and art societies, institu-
lions and clubs or circles; also the clergy
and pastors Of all churches In the District
the superintendents Of Sunday schools and
missions, the officers of the Young Mems
Christian Association and the Women's
Christian Temperance Union, and all SINH
lar organize tons; also the superintendent
of charities, the board of children's guar
dams. the officers of the Associated Chart
ties, and the officers of other charitable
societies and institutions. of childrens aid
societies. orphanages. homes and reform
schools: the members OF the medical So
N Lao n
Of the hospitals and asylums, the men,
bers of the board of trade, officers of all
citizens associations, and of all societies
for municipal reform, and the officers in
charge OF public parks and grounds; the
officers of trade unions and other societies
Of working men and working women.
The Various Departments.
|. As soon as practicable 1t Is proposed to
form committees for each of the several
departments, as, for instance. in the mu-
nicipal department a committee on civil
service and one on street extension and
street cleaning; In the educational depart
ment, committee on schools, which shall
take up such subjects as school accommo-
dalton and attendance. enforcement Of
compulsory school attendance law, women
on school boards, hndergartens; a COM
mittee on industrial training, including
manual training, cooking and sewing
mote increased facilities in the way of Ii
braries, reading rooms and lectures.
In the charitable department a committee
will be formed on specialization OF private
charities, and visitation to the poor; an
other on public charities, including the
Washington asylum, the reform schools
and jail. In the industrial department q
committee on Industrial conditions will be
appointed, including the subjects of wages,
hours and at what seasons work is most
brisk; another on industrial agencies, such
as public employment bureaus, savings
banks ard societies, building associations,
mutual benefit societies, etc.; another on
Industrial methods, such as cooperation.
profit-sharing, arbitration and labor organ
cations.
In the department on public health q
committee on public sanitation will be
appointed, such as removal of garbage;
also one on caring for the sick, including
hospital dispensaries, physicians to the
poor, etc. In the department on public COM
fort a committee on housing of the people
will be appointed, including enforcement Of
building and sanitary laws; committee on
public parks and Fairgrounds, especially
In new parts of the city.
In the department on public morals
committee on religious organizations will
be formed for taking cognizance, among
other things, of the number of churches
and missions, church attendance, the num-
Der of the churchless population, and To-
calities most needing churches and for Sc
curing the more perfect cooperation of
the various religious organizations in
tablishing good conditions; a committee
auxiliary to the association will be form
ed, to be known as the national union for
practical pre- less, the field of whose opera
tons is not local only, but general also a
committee on suppression of vice, gambling
and pool selling, and one on reclamation of
victims Of vice, criminals, etc.
Some Of the Members.
The members OF the Center Council are
DR.. John NJ. Gregory. formerly president of
the Illinois State University, chairman;
Mrs. A. l.. Woodbury., B. Pickman Mann,
DR.. Theobald Smith, Theodore w. Noyes,
Rev. Alexander Kent, Col. Weston Flint,
Gen. John Eaton, Rev. S. NJ. Newman and
Miss X. r. Hosmer, secretary.
Although this association has as yet had
no public meeting, it numbers over one
hundred members, among whom are Rev.
DR.. Sunderland Mr.. and Mrs. H. B. +.
Mcfarland, Mrs. Carl Barns, Miss F. P.
Spofford, Henry Spofford, Rev. Albert NJ.
Hilliker, DIR. N. II. Egleston, Rev. Frank
Sewall, Mrs. Herbert Owen, DR.. j. o.
Adams, j. II. Kaufman, Prof. G. Brown
Goode. Prof. Lester F. Ward, Miss Alice
Fletcher, e. NJ. Gallaudet, Mrs. A. w.
Greedy, Mrs. John Walker, DR.. e. r. Peters,
Rev. Howard w. Ennis Crosby 8. Noyes.
Mrs. r. e. Chadwick, Mrs. r. T. Hill, Paul
Il. Bowen, Miss Patterson, Commissioner
Ross. DIR. Arthur Mcdonald, r. F. Hill and