Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-08-15
Eor the CITY Beautiful.

, .uerican PARK and Outdoor Art
,.zociotiou. whose annual meetihb -
- ha held in Boston, in August. -
oarnestly working for the deveiopInent
- the CITY beautiful. An idea OF us
,,.o 81 effort may be had from the foi-
,a,u;ng circular letter which II Is ABOUT
to send out to the mayors ana 81, cry
councils of 1000 American clties' ihe
letter. which is signed by the presideil
IF The association. Edward >. farher
of Quincy. H. and by the secrelarS'
warren II Manning of Boston, Is as
follows .Lr.b MI
"Aside from the gradual development
of large parks, pathways, neislpoi
hood parks, circles. triangles, squares
and boulevards, the American Park
and outdoor Art Association would
resrectfully call your attention 10 the
possibilities of improvements Which
NAV be made in American cities py
the creation of lawn spaces am.
iudicious planting of .rees, shrubs and
vines about city hall;, jails, schools
and engine-houses, am where there IS
city ownership, abo,t gas and cleo
tric light stations and other municipal
holdings. In a few Years unslghtly
buildings and sheds cn be entirely
hidden by quite inexpensive planting,
and the surroundings ntde attractive
to all classes of the community.
/ "Cities have it in thei. power to do
planting on a more gener,us scale than
can be done by corporations or individ-
uals. thus setting an example, and su@
gesting the improvement of their
buildings and grounds. tccounty ofll-
cials and state authoritiesas well as
to local manufacturers. City officials
and citizens should use thir influence
to have the grounds abot railway
stations made attractive, and objec-
tionable buildings and sfnds about
them completely hidden by trees, zines
and shrubbery. During va.ations re-
strictions should be remove. and pub
lie school grounds made municipal
pleasure grounds. This void give
pupils attending parochial shools op-
portunities for exercise and pleasure
as well as the children of ODER tax.
payers.
another matter to whichwe wish
to call your attention is thi: Cities
| cdI, ny lHe IJdSSaSe VI OTQlUdiceS, COIL
troll and restrict public advertising or
and about approaches to publi parks
on trees, tree-bOXes, telegrap, teie.
phone, electric light and stree rail
way poles. The small fraction of The
population which profits by avertis.
ing in public places should notbe al
lowed to disfigure properties whch be
long to the whole community. Sucl
advertisements are sometimes dnger
Gus to life and health, often Injurious
to public morals and always offnsivt
to good taste and depreciativa o
property values.
I'VE would suggest that public yori
as outlined herein should be uIler-
taken the coming spring, so that hwl
spaces may be built up and not .ea.
lost in the growth of trees shrubiery
and vines. Public taste can and shGll.
be cultivated, so that our cities nay
develop along more artistic lines #
fects may thus be attained heretofr,
seen only in the cities of older coIn
tries. We shall be glad to receive n
sponses to this circular letter (cors
munications should be addressed to tn
secretary), and if information shoul
be desired from this association y
shall be glad to answer all inquire
made of u.s.