Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-02-09
FOR CIVIC
IMPROVE MENT
Continued from page 4


But my friends, if we should be con-
tent to promote civic improvement, by
redress to courts of law in this city, we
will make very slow progress indeed.
The many things to which l have
briefly limited and which you can think
out more fully for yourself, cannot be
corrected by resort TO proceedings at
law at all. You have no legal redress
for your neighbor's carelessness and
indifference regarding his premises, his
greed, his selfishness, his bad taste, his
false economy or his meaness in thous-
ands of forms of human action. All Of
which are vital and to be considered
and overcome if we would make our
city the best in every sense within pos
sibilities
1.-THE redress of correction OF these
wrongs is the attainment OF the moral
standard, and is addressed TO the con-
sciences of men; this is the court of
final resort, but these matters are never
theless within the spirit of the maxim;
that you shall use your own so as not to
injure your neighbor
THE correction of these wrongs,
equally important, requires the earnest,
honest and unselfish thought and study
Of the individual property owner. We
must study first ourselves and then our
property. We must determine that We
will do what we can within our means
in public way to make our city more
attractive, more beautiful, more respon-
sive to civic improvement. We must
in like manner in private way improve
our homes, our property, our surround
ings. vicinity and our business. Ask
ourselves: Is it not true that we can
better ourselves and our surroundings by
being more earnest, energetic, pro-
gressiye and useful in these directions?
Can't teach to some degree at least by
example? Can l not III some way with
in reasonable means and effort add to
the sum total Of human pleasure and
happiness by aiding in public and private
If my neighbor will do
much with his great means and ability
to aid me, shall not in like manner
employ my effort to aid him? The
answer with us all is. without doubt, l
can. The really important question is
after all, Will you? To accomplish this
requires work, mutual effort and help
fulness. AS property owners we can
help each other to reach the proper
of improvement. We are
getting older and improvement in this |
direction requires more effort. The
way the twig is inclined, the tree is
bent Pulling together We can correct !
ourselves some. With energy, deter
mination and cooperation, we can do
much that without it will remain un-
done. For this purpose we need civic
society in this city, not
for independent action but for coopera-
ton. Alma must retain its reputation
for growth, advancement and improve
ment We must organize to meet the |
spirit of the Goth century American. AS
owners this effort rests with |
us. If we shirk it, we lay the hand of
decay and desolation upon our heads,
and upon our city.
"And why should we not? 1t is not a
work without compensation. The high
est reward is, or should be, the satisfac-
ton and pleasure of the work. If this
be not enough, we may well remember
that the reputation of our city in these
directions is largely the basis of the
value of our homes, of our business and |
of all of our property. If this be not
enough, let US proudly unfold this
banner to the world, "If thou wouldst
behold beautiful city, see it here"
Mrs. Francis King responded Ito the
.dbject,. The.WomenFand Their. Rela-
ton to Civic Improvement by reading
a sketch from the pen of the noted /
landscape architect, Charles Eliot. In
part it was as follows:
Every part of our great country has
lIs OMh iypc VI ugly NiiuSO. DONh
East there is the rough and ready
kind of settlement Down South !
there are roads of deep sand, and door
yards full of weeds and stray hogs and
about. Out West there is
the sham front and the windy dirt
road. But propose to pass by all this
md dwell on the direct question, What
may be done TO improve the appearance
If our villages?'
Each person should do as well as he
can with his own portion of the general
scene. The smallest lot betrays its
owners tidiness or shiftlessness. The
sensible villages will not initiate the
narrow houses, the stone curbings and
the paved paths of cities. If farmer,
he will not try to hide his barns as
though ashamed of them. If M seldom
needs to drive to his door, he will not
make gravel path for show alone, but
lrive on the grass. In improving his
,Ioo, ne x.-;l1 no eyuidad hv hic c,,ac;al I