The Lambertville record., 1902-04-23
THE TOWN IMPROVEMENT AssoclA-
TON.

The Town Improvement Association
held its second annual meeting April
18th, and new officers were elected for
the coming year. The president is
Miss Elizabeth L. Ely first vice pres
ident, Mrs. William Swan second
vice president, Miss Hannah Ander-
son; secretary, Miss Bess A. Lambert;
treasurer, Mrs. Samuel Cochran. The
report for the year 1901-e shows a
membership of sixty weight.
Miss Runk, the retiring president,
gave the following outline of the work,
worth, and need of society of this
kind in our town
''It is acknowledged by all students
of sociology that the present tendency
Of population is away from the city.
This tide has turned, in our time, to
the town. Both the city and the coun-
try are factors in this change. The
country is too isolated for the wife,
the city too crowded for the children.
The question borne in upon us is this;
Does oar town attract the right kind
of people? Are our streets pleasant?
Are our lawns and trees cared for?
Is our community up to the times,
and up to the mark both intellectually
and artistically? Have the children
attractive school-rooms, and ample
Fairgrounds? Have we the pleasure
of inviting friends to come to visit us,
feeling that there can be no cause for
inyidious comparisons with other
towns?
Tive cannot say yes to each of these
questions, does this not give a real
and urgent reason for the continuance
of our Town Improvement Associa-
tion? As we are all aware, our organ
ization is very young, and you can
testify with me that we have. for over
two years been feeling our way very
carefully, with view to making this
II useful factor in the town growing
influence for good in the community.
"We have made trial of keeging the
streets more cleanly, and the railway
station more orderly, We look at the
town lot with feeling of congratula
tion, although it is not the result of
our labors, and we are looking for
ward to larger growth. We know,
from experience, that as Society, we
can count upon n certain measure
of sympathy and of moral sup
port. But whether our town, through
our influence, becomes better place
in which to live, depends upon every
one of our members. Being contribu
tors to such society, shall we not be
working members - attending TIL o
meetings, giving the varied interests
for which we stand, a real place in our
lives? We must cultivate in ourselves,
in the public, and in the town officers,
the feeling that citizenship is public
| trust. We must realize that we are
each responsible, in some very real
way, for the morality of the communi-
ty in which we live-for the lives and
comfort and social well-being of our
townspeople. Everyone is awakening
to the immense value of object teach
ing in training the mind. We are
now come to the opening of our work.
ing season, and let it be n sharing Of
labor-from the first step of cleanli
ness, let us advance to order, decora
ton and beauty. We appreciate thu
courtesy shown the society by the Off
cials of our town, and the citizens
The generous contribution from Coun
oil war very hoipfui and encouraging
and we can say that of numerous re
quests, they have met us more thai
half way. With an acknowledgment o
the necessity for such an organization
with the fact that we are members o
il, and stand for these principles, lie
us work together for the furthering O
all civic improvement-wit intelli
gence and with perseverance.