The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-14
Civic Improvement Notes

MISS jessie M. doou, an duthority on civic improvement, says, on the subject. of Dill boards:'
 Tt has been said that bill boards and the hideous disagreement of nat ural scenery by advertising signs are the result of the modern spirit of commercialism, and that soap, saloon, cigar and chewing gum signs follow the flag of civiliZationA People who were but lately classed as cannibals and barbarians do not so disfgure their landscapes. Tn Bermuda public sentiment makes it so unproftable for a man to paint signs on fences and rocks that special legislation is un- necessary. Hawaii's laws forbid man from bringing his fences within 150 feet of the sidewalk or roadside. That space must be left for natural growth. The trees, shrubs, vines and flowers growing in these spaces are | looked after and carefully tended, while advertisements on rocks and other conspicuous places are prohibit I ed by law. The admission of Hawaii | to the Union may be the unexpected means of elevating the public taste of 1 our country. Eight years ago in Eng | land was formed the society called 1 'Scapa,' whose object is to check the abuses of public advertising. The so- ciety now numbers more than 1000 | members. Among them are: Millais. | the artist, James Bryce. Sir Charles | Dilke and many others equally distin- | guished. A strong contingent are
 members of parliament. Scapa has | driven the flashlight advertisement out | of London by decree of the town coun- cil while that body voluntarily re- | moved all advertisements from street
 cars and omnibuses at great pccuniary loss to the city. Glasgow. Liverpool. Dublin. Hull and many other cities, large and small have special legisla-
 ton regarding advertising signs. The | German attache in London drew the attention of his home govern
 ment to the good work of
 scapa and the result was a law regu- 1 lating the size of signboards and the | localities where they must be placed | A license for the privilege must be | also paid. France is taking .hem out l of existence. Rome licenses them un- | der certain restrictions. Chicago and | Quincy. Illinois, have recently passed | the most stringent laws yet offered | for the abatement of this nuisance in | America. Many towns have attempt- ed to regulate this nuisance put the l attempts were both feeble and futile. | Let us make it a national matter. The | Governor of New Hampshire outraged | at the advertising signs painted on the l rocks through Crawfords Notch, de-
 clared that he would have bill put l through the Legislature that would | drive all such signs from the state. It
 was this same feeling of outrage cn | the part of citizens of Edinburgh, | Scotland, which caused a mob in that | city to threaten the firm with destruc-
 tion which threw its gaudy hashlight
 advertisements against the almost sa-
 cred Castle rock. Advertising aUd&c-
 ity and genius are proper enough, hut
 there are places where one finds ad-
 vertisements intruded in a way which
 arouses an indignation against such firms, very harmful to their interests. | The educational value of good pie | lures in our public schools is well un- | derstood Is not a lack of scenic pride | a distinct loss to our patriotism? A
 municipal art society in Belgium of-
 fered prizes for the most beautiful
 signs The result was satisfactory In
 that it proved that the handsome signs
 have attracted and held permanent at
 tention'
 Prof. Arthur c. Boyden, normal | school, Bridgewater, Mass, in The | Journal of Education, says, m speak
 ing of home gardens for children:
 This movement is an outg-oWth l and application of the nature study I III IHe SCHOblS. u IS ClOScly stSS'tldlGu | with the progress in civic improve
 ment in this commonwealth. The | combination is a natural one, and can | accomplish much for the children of
 our towns. It supplements the stu 1y
 in the schools by giving an oppO~tln- | ity for each child on his own home | grounds to carry into practical use | what he has learned. In turn this
 reacts on the school work, s5ivirS it | anI f,rarN Naft al a a h
 ing abundant material for study. That
 which the child plants, cares for and | raises on his own land takes on a
 new meaning to him; it Is one more
 step toward vital connection be-
 tween the school and the home"
 The following comment on the "clty
 beautiful movement" recently sppear-
 ed in The Carolina Baptist:
 Among the many judicioIs move
 ments among Southern women for ob-
 jects affecting the general veal, honC
 is more commendable and likely te
 prove so effective Ss an organized cI- | fort in every considerable town tc
 beautify the streets and promote d
 high standard of public taste. By the
 simple but effective effort to arouse d
 healthy public opinion in every rlac'
 the uhsightly objects are being re I
 up grounds, replacing old fences anC
 older dwellings, etc. There Is notn
 Ing repugnant to Southern ideas O.
 true womanhood in these organized efforts to beautify the city"
 The first municipal museum to b'
 opened in this country was inaugural ed February 24 in Chicago with ;
 valuable loan collection of exhibits H. illustrative of the administration O cities and the problems of urban life The museum is to be permanent, bu the loan collection will remain onll till March 20. to be followed in Apri , by a permanent collection relating II } the city of Chicago. The exhibition
 comprise original drawings, models 7 photographs. maps. charts and litera ture contributed by many foreign an' ] American cities.
 . The scope of the municipal museum is indicated in part by the following eIassifications: Municipal admiuis
 tration, public art. public recreation street making, street cleaning, trans
 portation, sanitation, housing, educa tion and school extension, libraries