The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-10
NEED A CIVIC LEAGUE,

| tEt}5a fIsE'tata5N5ass 5s5t Slldl lSo ~ SoON
Replying to your inquiry. how to mako
Richmond better city to live IN, beg
to say think we need an organization
to crystaize that sentiment which already
| exists here, and put 1t to work to ac-
| conplish something. There should be q
J business mems league or civic Improve
ment league, rs In other cities. These
! civic Improvement leagues are nothing
moro nor less than a band of loyal clti-
! zcns working for ono common cause;
namely, tho bettcrment identifying and
] ,,pbuldlng OF their homes and tho city
| in which they lives It does not require
! education or book learning; the children
| make welcome and enthusiastic members:
lglt is an education in itself. neither Is II
| a. new or theoretical undertaking. Its OBJ
jocts have been tried and put into sue
ccssfu operation in all the large cities
OF tho United States and In hundreds Of
| small villages throughout the country.
! Boston has accomplished wonders in
| civic Improvement. In 1880 SHE had a
! little over 200 ncres III parks In 1921.
| the Metropolitan Park Commission Was
created by the State. They acquired IN
| and around Boston woods reservation
| 1890 acres, river banks containing l.7Sl
acres, sea shore containing 3.4 miles;
in all 9,247 acres, at n cost OF S1I6o.o,o
DcSlucS 20 go IltAAs'S " ''1NAAS
cost OF s3000,000.
New York acquired Central Park-6J0
/ acres-at q cost Of $l250O,Ot0. The annual
income to the city derived from the en-
>hanced value Of adjacent property IS
| $1,000. 900. PEA I,
Chicago has hundred miles, Of boule'
wards connecting her, parks. ST. Louis
purchased and equipped Forest p az =
1871 acres--next to the largest PARK ID
| the world, where the Worlds Fair Is to
be held, at an expense of 81, $50. 900, Kan
! sas City, with a population OF only l50,-
0o0 owns 1900 acres Of parks and bouie-
wards, costing $4.o00.ooo every dollar Of
which was raised by special tax on lands
| within tho park district. Harrisburg.
Pa, q city Of barely 10000 population,
| very similar to Richmond In It's
! surrounding, in that she was sur
rounded by an open sewer. Paxton
/ Creek. which ernpties into the Stsque.
hanna river similar to Bacon Quarter
/ Branch. which emptles INTO tho JAMES.
| The Harrisonburg Municipal League
| brought to tho attention of her citizens
| the constant menace Of an epidemic from
/ these allnsantary conditions and the
drinking OF muddy water. They raised
$4,000 and employed three experts OF ma
/ tionoI reputation to come and tell them
/ what to do; the result was they raised
another $4,000 to carry on campaign
l OF education, elected new lot OF CITY
! officers and bonded the city for : .oso, :
600 to carry ont the improvements re-
1 commended, which they are now doing.
/ Many Instances might be cited. but
space iforbids. Suffice 1t to say Richmond
a offers golden opportunities for better
mcnt. Her citizens should wake up,
/ look around, shake off their lethargy and
/ nut their shoulders to the wheel TO make
| Richmond a beautiful city to live IN, ana
not sit idly by and see her best resi-
1 dental districts ruined by building houses
1 that other cities by their city code and
! building ordinances forbid.
! We have only to turn to our ncighbor
and sister city. Atlanta. to blush VIII
! shame at our slothfulness.
She has a million dollar capitol build
| Ing. ..,,,,
The Equitable. eight stories; The Eng
/ fish American. eleven stories; The AUS
toll, nne stories; The Prudential ten
stories; The Peters. eight stories; ' ana
Fnpirc, fourteen stories. besides the
! Grand Opera House. the Aragon, Kim