The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-07
Weekly Letter on
Municipal RtfairS
V-"THE WORK OF CIVIC Or
CARNATIONS"

Copyright, 1900, by william S. Crandall)
II HE past decade has witnessed the organza-
tion or more than score of national asso'
Il Citations, whose chief object for existence is
the bettermcnt of civic condition They
cover the entire field Of municipal affairs, and
open the door for the reformer and the politician,
the stcrnly practical and the idealist. Among the
most important Of these are the National NUM-
cipal league, the American Society for NUM-
cipal Improvement and the American Park and
Outdoor Art association.
The national organizations have led TO the
creation of countless local improvement asso-
Citations, whose work in the aggregate has
been quite as beneficial to the general civic con-
dition, even though each coniine its labor to
narrow boundaries.
From every section of the country letters of
inquiry asking for information as TO the best
methods of organization and work have been
received by the secretaries Of the national
leagues The past year, particularly, these
have been so NUMEROUS as to assume the form
of an epidemic of organization among men,
women and children.
movement for the organization of the
school children of Springfield, Mass, resulted
in their becoming the guardians of the street
trees and in public sentiment that demanded
Of the city council en- appropriation OF $4,000
for their care.
stance of enthusiastic work by the school chill.
drcn. The superintendent of schools has awak
ened this interest by frequent excursions TO the
woods, where the children are given practical
lessons in arboriculture--taught the names of
trees, shrubs and flowers, and how they grow.
The superintendent, in the spring. issues what
he calls Mature Study Letters" as follows;
"To the Pupils of Carthage Public Schools.
'Dcar Friends:-Shal we not do our part
J,,rir tIa m 10
Carthage a more beautiful city? We can do
this and at the same time have lots of fun and
learn many things about the soil and plants y
This work has led 10 the Offering of prizes
for the most artistic planting, arrangement and
trimming Of vines on house, veranda and out.
buildings, for the best flower garden and the
best vegetable garden. All this work has
made Carthage one of the most beautiful little
| cities in the country.
The public schools Of Minneapolis have thir.
ten improvement leagues organized and we'll
| established. Each league has its own separate
| organization and list Of officers, which proyokes
| them to friendly rivalry The members OF
| these leagues keep their own premises and the
immediate neghborhood, including the streets,
neat and orderly. Besides this, last season,
they cleaned twenty.eight vacant lots and su.
| peryiscd the protection of streets trees in the
| vicinity.
| labor during last season:
| ASA pieces Of paper burned.
| l,20s bushels of leaves burned or buried.
| 23i7 tin cans buried.
| ljl pieces of wire buried.
| 033 bottles luried.
| l2S old boots burned.
| 80 old dishes buried.
81 carcaSscs buried.
| $50 rags picked up
80 barrel hoops destroyed
| IS yards cleared
$50 pounds OF old ubbers, collected were
sold for S7Gj which was invested in picture
| for the school.
| The chairman Of the flower committee Of th'
| Minneapolis leegue reports over ll,0O0 cmldrer
from twentynine Schools who were provided
| with seeds last spring, Both flower and yege
table seeds were chosen with special reference
| TO the nature Of study being pursued in thu
schools, that the children might have the ad
| ditional interest of raising in their gardens a
home the same varieties Of plants that thel
study in their classes. Little pamphlets oil