Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-03-16
AS
IT SHOULD Be.
Correspondent Writes TO the
News on the Subject Have
II Up-tO-Date.
Editor NEWS:

Editor EVENING NEWS:
Sir:-I notice in the tone Of your
editorials in general that you are ann
bilious of intoxicating municipal pride
in the minds of your readers. which
is not only patriotic but highly COM
mendable and should be duly appre-
ciated-and, no doubt, is-by the in
terested public.
There is one important matter, how
ever. which you have failed thus far
to touch upon and that is n very inn
portant n to the business men and
Others of the community. l refer to 4
directory.
1t is of considerable surprise to me
why some of our enterprising publish
ers should not be energetic enough to
give us an up-to-date directory which
would be a directory in every sense
Of the term.
That which we have now is incom-
plete in a great many respects, is bad
~ edited, is unhandy as a mode of
quick reference, and compares very
~lmfavorably with directories issued in
other cities of the same class as this.
i AS an intelligent friend of mine,
thoroughly |conversant in such mat
ters, remarked upon being disap-
pointed in obtaining information
sought for in the present book that
it was a hodge podge compilation, =
and proceeded to dictate on u want
of progressiveness in that particular.
An up-to-date directory should con-
tain, in the first instance, an index to
the whole work, then an index to adj
vertisers. Then there should be a
street guide and numbered residence
apartment. As an illustration we
viii take Smith street, on one side:
Moth Side. South Side.
House Nc. House No.
/ John Jones , Jacob jacobson
3 John Brown 1 Peter Fellitson
5 John Robinson s James Johnson
If | walk along the street and desire
to know who lives in a certain house l
simply take he house number and re-
fer to the directory for the name of
the occupant whereas under the pres
ent system | have to ask people for the
information | require, thereby max
ing it %inconvenient for myself as well
as being under an obligation to my
informant.
When all the streets in the city are
gone over in this manner a page or
two of reading matter might be de-
q voted to a general synopsis of the
city's facilities for trade communities
tions, manufactures, business facil-
titles, industries, etc.
SThen should come the name of re-
sidents alphabetically arranged as il
tic present directory, only corrected
anG otherwise improved. q know
many people who have lived here fol
years whose names don't appear in
the present directory, some Of them
people of prominence, too. Then
should come the classified bushes.
department arranged alphabetically in
their order to facilitate easy refer
enc Then might come an illustrated
appendix, give the names Of tie
officials of the state, county and city
governments, together with the names
Of embers composing committees OF
lawmaking bodies of state, county anC
city; also all departments Of city
government including police, fire,
public schools, including names OF
superintendent, teachers and etc.
Also all the churches with the
AN of their respective pastors all
incorporated companies, charitable
Institutions, libraries; all secret anc
benevolent societies and other ,,miscel-
laneous information as would be nee
essary to the enquirer. Then might
be appended general information re-
lating to the surrounding towns anc
districts which may be sought after
for business or other purposes.
[ am inclined to believe that a dir
eetory outlined on the above basil,
hastely glanced at would give the
satisfaction which is deplorably want
ing in that which is now in use.
p. n. KENNEDY. ,