Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-03-24

if cities were, as they should be, always
clean. But municipal power stops
short of municipal beauty. No official
mandate can bring forth neat fences,
trim hedges, attractive gardens, pretty
shrubs and flowers and other evil
dences of taste and refinement that
characterize the homes of many cities
much less bountifully endowed by
nature than is our own city. The
citizen is responsible for the cleanli-
ness and beauty Of his own city.
eve all agree it is right our city
should be made and kept clean and
beautiful, and apart from the constant
pleasure afforded ourselves in the en-
joyment of city we'll ordered, we
should have regard to the fact that
our city and ourselves will be judged
by appearances this coming Summer
and Fall by many thousand of Port
land exposition visitors. This year
may be made harvest time by Ore
gon and Washington in securing the
best class of settlers for town and
country, as we'll as the intelligent
good will of numbers of Eastern
tourists and business men. Let the
members of our improvement clubs
be among the first to set up and
maintain the highest standard of
civic excellence.
"The first and most obvious thing
to do is for each householder to resolve
to put and keep his own property in
the best condition that his means will
admit Of Not only the lots them
selves, but the parking strips, where
there are any, should be put and kept
in order. Especially / would urge
every householder to plant trees in
front Of his property. Nothing makes
city more attractive or yields a
greater return of beauty and comfort
for the money invested.
"The most effective means of bring
ing about the cleaning up of the city
would be neighborhood organization.
The various improvement clubs
should appoint committee fol- each
block in their territory to urge neglect
full property owners to put their
grounds in order, and to create neigh
borhood competition in the line Of
Identification and improvement.
Where there are unsightly vacant lots
in an improved block the neighbors
might be persuaded to club together
for their improvement if the owners
could not be reached. "
WEEK FOR CITY BEAUTIFUL
Reuben w. Jones, secretary of the
school board, makes these recommen-
dations:
"It is evident that one of the great
est and most immediate needs of the
city is general cleaning up Of streets,
alleys, private grounds, vacant lots,
and the removal and repair of so many !
unsightly features and neglected
premises.
"I would suggest week to be desig |
mated "A week for the city beautiful
to be universally observed by the city
government, the improvement and
other clubs, the newspapers, the
Chamber of Commerce, the real estate
exchanges, the schools, and all asso-
Citations and citizens throughout the
city, as definite period for cleaning
and renovating and for making i'm
provements, so that at the end of the
week a surprising change might be
noticed in the appearance OF the city. |
The season is advancing, and such
week should be soon named. A furth-
er outline might be offered in brief as
follows
''The improvement clubs, led by the
conference committee, calling a meet
ing of every club of the city for Mon
day evening of the week, to plan the
work for their respective localities,
dividing into subdistricts, and with
the aid of the women getting down to
the unit of the block system
"The Chamber Of Commerce and real
estate board, by special committees,
undertaking some definite special
work for the beautifying of the city
during that week.
'The merchant dealers in garden
tools, lawn mowers, trees, shrubbery
and seed, paints and oils, to assist by
advertising and making special dis
plays and offering their best discounts
for the week.
'The schools, through superintendent
and teachers, principals and children,
could reach and influence nearly
every home in the city and awaken a
wonderful interest in the subject and |
encourage the work of beautifying
the home surroundings, and at the
same time do something for the school
grounds"
WOMEN CAN DO THEIR SHARE
Mrs. Homer NJ. Hill, president Of
the Federation Of Women's Clubs,
says:
''The park board will see to it that
the driveways and parks are in the
best possible order; the Women's
Century Club will look after the
kitchen garden and maybe the back
yard the improvement clubs will sug-
gest and urge improvement Of streets,