The record-union., 1896-12-22
Weather Forecast.
Northern California-Fair Tuesday;
Night, generally northerly winds.
A LOCAL AND IMPORTANT sUG-
GESTION.

More than twenty-five years ago DIR.
gressive, broad minded and fearless edi-
tortal writers the Nation ever devel-
oped, treated at length and frequently
in the periodicals to which he contrib
uted, and in the magazine Of which he
was editor-in- chief, and in lectures, Of
the benefits and aims Of what were then
termed village improvement clubs.
In their utility. their moral influence
and progressive character he was
profound believer. He had before him
some Of the best examples Of such
England States. DR.. Holland in more
than one able paper pointed out how
these clubs should be organized and
managed, and measured the scope OF
their labors and results In material i'm
provement of sections Of towns, in mu-
inequalities as a whole, and indicated
their success under proper direction In
the correction of abuses, the promotion
of economy and the betterment Of con-
ditions that go to make town life desira-
Bile, pleaSurable and heaIthful. Some
of these interesting papers by the great
journalist have been preserved in his
volume entitled Everyday Topics"
All that DR.. Holland said of the ad
vantages Of village Improvement clubs
in his day applies with equal force In
these times Indeed, as we have intro
duced so many conveniences into town
life, of which he had no distinct ex-
amples to study, it may be said that
the village Improvement club is more
necessary and valuable to-day than it
was a quarter Of century ago, when
the competition Of town Life Is more ac-
centuated.
We have now the Introduction of elec-
tricity generally as a motor and light
ing agency; improved f1re-alarm sys-
TENS; better devices for the suppression
of conflagrations; better methods OF
purifying town water supplies; better
methods Of making permanent streets
and sidewalks; distinct advance In pub
lie sanitation; improved methods of
rapid transit and of easy communica-
ton, by the electric car In one case and
the telephone in the other. We light
our streets better and more easily and
reach suburbs more rapidly. All these,
with postal collection and delivery sys-
TENS. are time savers to the people
now, as we'll as town conveniences, the
value of which can scarcely be overesti-
mated.
With these and many other aids the
village Improvement club is now more
potent for good than 1t was at the
period of its inception. Such organiza-
tons have broadened In purpose, inn
proved In methods have extended TO
large towns, cities, and nearly every
METROPOLITAN center in the land. In
cities. as in Philadelphia and San
Francisco, for instance. they are
formed for wards or sections, and es-
pecial1y for the outlying regions, those
sparseIy settled districts upon the
borders OF the city.
In some cases they limit their efforts
to single streets, In others to park
work. in some to economy in public
construction, in others to highway
building, and In still others TO reciama-
ton of streets and sections from the
competition of other streets and Sec
tions which appear to be congesting
business and residences.
In most cities all such clubs federate
and form a central body composed OF
delegates from all the clubs. In CON-
mon counselings, in exchange OF views
and by har4nonizing interests, they thus
conserve the good of the whole commu-
nity and the general betterment of the
city in ornamentation, economic i'm
movement. and In watchfulness over
official administrations against waste
the uneconomic. misdirected and unde-
sarahls municipal output Of energy.