The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-04-04
Village Improvement Society.

Eben Rexford contributes to the
April number of Lippincott's an arti-
Gle on ''Our Village Improvement So
ciety." 1t differs from the Belfast I'm
provement Society in that it was COM
prosed of men, but the same influences
called it into being that have operated
here, and it differed but slightly in its
methods of work from our local organ
ization. For example: Membership
was conditional on an agreement on
our part to devote at least one days
work, spring and fall, to the improve
1lent of the house grounds, and to give
one days work, spring and fall, to the
improvement of public grounds and
vacant places belonging to non-resi-
dents if called on to do so.' Each mem
Der pledged himself to the payment of
one dollar semi annually the money
thus received to constitute general
fund to be drawn on in meeting the ex-
penses attendant on the improvement
of public places. At first it was not
proposed to admit women to member
ship but finally it was unanimously
voted to admit them. Mr.. Rexford
says:
| Let me say right here, for the benefit
of those who may decide on having an
Improvement Society, that in my opin-
ion it will not be what it ought to be
unless it admits women to member
ship. Let this be honorary member
Ship if thought best,-by that l mean
exemption from the payment of dues
and the performance of manual labor
but by all means let women come into
the society. Their opinions will be
found valuable and helpful, and they
will do much by their enthusiasm to
encourage good work.
Here the women took the initiative
and assumed the laboring oar The
membership fee is one dollar per year,
and no distinction is made on account
of sex. Though only organized last
summer the Belfast Improvement So
ciety has accomplished much, and there
is much more for it to do. Its work
has met with general approval, and no
doubt will continue to do so. 1t ought
not, however, to be called upon to do
work which properly falls upon others.
The streets, for example, should be-
cared for by the city. We pay high
way tax for this purpose and we have
salaried surveyor whose duty it is to
survey-to see that rubbish is not left
in the cutters, loose stones in the
streets, that culverts do not get clog
ged and overflow, etc. Let the city do
it's full duty in this and other directions
and there will still be left ample field
and scope for the improvement So
ciety.
The society of which Mr.. Rexford
writes began public Improvements at the
church; it set out trees; it transformed
neglected plot of ground into an at
tractive park. The home improvements
were, in part, as follows: "Old lawns
were renovated and new ones were
made; trees, shrubs and vines were
planted and beds planted for flowers;
old fences were mended and painted,
some were removed; we cleared away
the rubbish which had accumulated
everywhere because of the careless
slovenly habits we had fallen into,-in
short, we did a hundred and one things
which need not make special mention
Of here, but which every member of
society for general improvement will
find waiting to be done when an aggres-
sive campaign is begun Of course
the practical man or woman will want
to know. Did it pay? OF course it
did. Mr.. Rexford says:
Each summer affords us fresh proof
of the wisdom of our undertaking.
Visitors from the city compliment us
on the spirit of progress visible on
every hand. 1T doesn't look like the
same place. they tell us. You have
made model village of it, so far as
outside appearances go. Your side
walks put our city pavements to shame
because of their trustwOrthiness. Your
homes show thrift. Your public places
are kept in as tidy condition as your
homes are, and that's something that
Sul W oeelo VI 1Idlly N1llNSCS. VIC
like it here and we're coming again.
And they keep their word, and our vii
lage is becoming quite summer re-
sort. So we have found that what we
have done with a very little inconveni-
ence to ourselves has proved a good
advertisement for the place and its
people, and the present prospect is that
we shall get back many times the value
of the labor and money spent in i'm
provement, for several sales of proper
ty have been made at1 much better
figures than prevailed before we began
our work. The increase III the value of
real estate is directly attributed to the
improvements which have been made
by our society.
The last sentence in this paragraph
merits attention. Its truthfulness can
not be questioned. Corroborative tes-
timony is abundant. Where streets
and walks are neglected real estate will
surely be depressed, and as surely will
it's value be enhanced by the judicious
work of an improvement society. A
citizen remarked the other day, 81
have house that ought to be worth
$1,000, but doubt if l could sell it for
more than $4,000. l should be quite
willing to have my tax increased SO or