The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-07-22
a CIVIC IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE

fnetfe should not De sacslfced Tor the
unitarian in the rapiA growth OF the
mmic pality, but instead civic art and
civic improvements should grow hand
in hand with the. practical construe-
don of buildings and the laying OFF of
streets and avenues.
To accomplish real civic betterment
there should be an organization in
Caro- as in other cities 20 be known
as Civic Improvement League. This
league should work for tangible re-
suits. If the result Of its work does
not come 10 the surface al oncH il
will tend 10 spread sentiment favor
ing better streets. beaer location of
the various styles of buildings, wider
avenues. better sanitation and all
.hings that come nnder the head of
CIVIC hetIerment
A city like Cairo needs such an in
stitution. The rapid growth and de
velopment along industrial lines and
more extensive trade expa, sion is apt
TO oYershadow the aesthetic. and in
years to come when Cairo has be-
come a mighty Industrial and CONNER.
eial center It's citizens will look with
regret upon their own city because Of
its ugliness.
Civic betterment is a phase of pub
lie activity n which everyone can
give aid II is not confined to the
Identification Of the city alone. 1t
has TO do with better paved streets,
symmetry of location. wider avenues.
proper location OF public buildings,
factories. commercial aouses AID res
licences. Identification Of parks. park
ways and bonleyards. as well as bet
ter sanitation, the abatement of the
smoke nuisance, cleaner streets and
everything that gees toward making
a city beautiful and healthy and pleas
m, TO live N. Its object is to make
a city that IS presentahle to the visit
ing public and pleasant to the citizens
living within its boundaries.
The movement for civic betterment
means everything that tends to pub
He Improvement, that makes for great
er public beauty, that makes the pub.
lie aspects Of fe better, more en-
1 lnyable. more useful, more beautiful
lgivic betterment should increase pub.
liic utilities instead Of retarling them
| Municipal ART should not stand in the
way of commercial activity. but
SHOULD work hand In hand with It
Tine sober judgment Of the best bus
mess men of the city should pass up
en- the organization of Civic I'm
Iproyement League.
4 To work for a better, cleaner an(
healthier city, a city more beartifu
md habitahle. n to work for enc.
sarae Al ~ gso-i c'n in tht
nor. Tho .haAil 10 10 poll, cal 4.
artisan feeling in the endeavor, aut
lore is no necessity for it.
In speaking Of the political aspect
Of civic betterment, the editor of the
American Homes and Gardens mas tht
following to say The civic better
ment movement is not polit cal, buf
everything thar touches on public life
brings the agitators On the subjec
directly In touch with the civic anth
Jrities, which in thase United States
means the noble exponents Of on
political system Agan, there is
double result: the non-political public
finds that it commands an effect OF
he political body and the non.poli
tician comes in contact with the poll
tician Both part es make each 9th
er's acquaintance. There Is direc
benefit In this, even II the bad ar
\ found TO be worse than they were i'm
agined to be- 1t is something 70
the people to find out what sort o
fellow-citIzans they have set over thei
heads.
This. however, Is but an indirec
9 lpart Of the movement Civic better
\ ment is NOT political either in It's pu
pose or its ends. But being, in man
r instances, concerned with public d
:. fairs, ID brings its adnerents imme.
lately In touch with the political autl
critics. And so long as the movemer
Is kept free from political entangl
e ments this can only result In good
" Civic improvement is work
4 which all should gladly join. On
o does not need to be a voter or
full age 10 join In the movement. fc
I women and children can do ais muc
Il aS men In many cases women ar