The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-16
MUNICIPAL HOUSEKEEPERS.
Wonderful Results Accomplished by
the Women OF st. Paul, of Carlisle,
Pa, of Harrisburg and ,TarpOn
Springs, Florida.


The first annual convention of the
American League for Civic Improve
ment held at Buffalo recently, reveal
ed the large amount of useful work
being done by women all over the
country, along lines of city and VIII
iage Improvement.
The experience of the st. Paul wom-
en- is perhaps the most notable. Under
the leadership of Mrs. Condo Hamll-
ton a women of wealth and high So
,cial position. they have accomplished
marked results Their first work was
to secure the passage by the legisla-
ture of two bills. providing for the
| planting of trees in cities, and the cut
ting of grass on vacant lots, the cost
to be assessed against the property
owners. They made a complete can
vass of the city with regard to its san
itary connections, filing written re-
ports with the health department 1t
was a hard and monotonous task. but
as a result, after a long fight the con-
tract system of removing garbage, in
which politics figured rather than
cleanliness was done away with, and
the matter was given over to the
health department, insuring efficient
service.
The woman secured after a good deal
of trouble, a city ordinance requiring
the inspection of diaries; which
created dissatisfaction among some OF
the dairymen, because they could no
longer feed their COWS on mash from
the breweries. They failed In abolish
ing the bette noir of all city improvers,
the bill board, but secured ordinances
modifying the nuisance. But the chief
work of the st. Paul women was on
the city charter. 1t was new charter.
Incorporating many improvements in
the city government. but antoginiZing
certain great corporations, like the
street railway. gas and electric light
companies. Everyone said that it
would never be adopted by the peo-
pie. But the women threw themselves
heart and soul into the work and car
ried campaign of education into
every home in the city. The best
judges, lawyers and other leading men
of the city placed their services at the
disposal of the committee, and the wo-
men arranged meetings at every
school house. They printed the charter
in brief. with explanatory literature,
In Swedish, German and English, and
saw that it was placed in every house.
On election day they had high school
boys at the polling place in each of
the ia precincts of the city, to re-
mind the voters to vote on the char
ter and show them how to do it, That
night the first election news announced
upon the transparencies was, THE
charter is adopted"
The work of the st. Paul women is
typical of that of women all over the
country. In Carlisle, Pa, the women
have recently bought an old fair
ground, and turned it into a park. In
Keokuk, Ia, the women erected a foun-
tain, planted 800 trees along the new
boulevard and reclaimed park which
had been allowed by the city to lie
waste. In Spokane, Wash, they have
distributed great quantities of shrubs.
small fruits and flower seeds among the
children of the poor In Harrisburg,
Pa, the women have interested them
selves i'm improved ordinances, have
maintained summer play grounds and
kindergartens, have collected a nature
library which is loaned to rural schools,
and have been so effective in rousing
puolic sentiment on the subject of the
identifying Of Harrisburg, that a COM
mission is now working to induce the
city to vote a loan for municipal i'm
provements. The plan for the latter in
cludes the beautifying Of the river front
OF the Susquehanna, by the construc-
ton Of "A splendid boulevard, and other
means. Miss Mira Dock. the moving
spirit in the work at Harrisburg. has
recently been appointed member OF
the Pennsylvania State Board Of For
estry.
The women Of Tarpon Springs, Fla,
built and furnished inuch-needed
public schoolhouse, which they then
turned over 20 the city. and reclaimed
and beautified the uncared Tor
cemetery. In Rochester. the
women have transformed the
school yards into bowers OF
beauty. In Denver, the women secured
the placing OF seats az the waiting
points on the street car lines, and of
rubbish cans az corners. They secured
an anti-expectOrafion ordinance, and
the establishing 81 district libraries Ia
the suburbs. They have conducted q
summer playground and kindergarten,
and have raised and expended many
Thousands ~ dollars in the ar dscora
ilon OF the EchooihGuFe Interiors.
Minnie j iteynoids
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