The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-03-16

lnat many cities ahu toWHS nave Sohe
through complete transformation as
regards beauty and nealthfulness, An
organization of this kind is badly need
ed in Astoria and ii does seem MS
though there ought TO be sufficient
portion of their time to improving,
cleaning and beautifying the city, es-
peeiallY when it is considered that
there vii be thousands Of people visit
Astoria this summer while the con.
dition of its streets and yards are a
disgrace to modern civilization
Under the lead of Mrs. Christian,
this department of the Houston Tex,
Post has begun a series of answers
follows:
Your letter says. Our club wishes
TO take up some active civic work.
Where shall we begin? What shall We
do first?'
~In our smaller towns there are gen.
orally three good centers to work from.
First, begin at home.
Let each member of your club
pledge herself to look carefully over her
OWN premises and add some improve
nent within one weeks time TO her
nome surroundings.
This may take the form of a care
ful cleaning up of the back yard or
the burning of the pile Of debris
thrown into the adjacent vacant lot;
Il may mean the placing of pot Of
ferns or geraniums on the front porch;
Il may result in spading up the fiower
beds and taking up weeds; at this
season. in the general climate of the
southern half of our state, it should
also mean the planting of seeds of
sweet peas pansies and dasies for next
springs blooming.
IF tine condition of your town does
not make this beginning Of civic work
seem the appropriate one. turn your at
tention to the town schools. Are the
school buildings kept in the most per-
feet order? Is an efficient janitor en-
ployed? Are the grounds Uttered with
the refuse of daily lunches? Perfect
cleanliness is the first step toward pro-
gTess. No. am mistaken, the first
step is TO consult your school board or
trustees and never to antagoniZe them.
Let them see that you are not criti-
cizing their methods, but rather deplor-
ing your own Indifference in the past
TO your schools and their needs. Think
cut what your schools need in the way
Of cleanliness and beauty and use your
utmost tactfulness to persuade the
Board to supply those needs them
selves.
If your homes and schools represent |
ideal conditions turn your attention to
the railway station. 'Tis tine link which |
binds you to the outside world and |
the portions of this world which whirls
BY your door gains it's first impressions |
Of your progress and civic pride from |
your depot environments. Railway |
corporations art rapidly coming to re |
cognize the good business policy Of |
neatly kept station with a pretty |
park-like enclosure on one side. It is
refreshing to the passing travellers |
senses, and it impresses the alighting |
passenger with the thought, the peo-
PIE people Of this town are certainly |
ap to date. They must have got a |
hustle upon themselves So he comes |
with pleasant feeling into your midst |
and goes forth to advertise you.
In many cases, a request from your
railway company, viii lead them to
make all these improvements at their
own expense. One more thought in |
regard to your station. Place a box |
or rack in the waiting room, and con-
tribute old magazines and periodicals |
for the use of the public waiting for
the train. 1t vii make the parting i'm |
preston of your town kindly ones
and you can not estimate the wide
spread influence Of this neighborly |
action.
With these hints and the original |
suggestions that viii arise from tnem,
think you can utilize a great amount
of enthusiasm on the part Of your club
One parting word-never be discourage |
ed. Just think wnen the work gets
hard, Of how much good It viii do.
think if we have an abiding faith In
the work we are striving to push, we
have consolation for every discourage
ment. You remember Bill says:
Thrice is he armed that has his quar-
rel just and whether they do anything
VI not, the whole world admits the
business of working for civic better.
ment."