Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-02-14
ORK THAT COUNTS
IMPROVEMENTS IN A JERSEY TOWN
INSIDE AND OUT

Civic Advancement as Sees mt Mont
clair-Better streets and Removal OF
Garbage - Improved Train Service.
Sewing school For Children.
Much work Is being done In cities
and towns which does not receive
proper amount Of credit. This Is be
cause Of the unobtrusiye way In
which II Is done In many Instances.
The true value OF such work would
best be recognized II 1t were suddenly
TO come to stop, says Margaret Me-
net in Municipal News.
Work Of this nature Is being done
by the Town Improvement association
OF MOntclair, n. j., place to make
one draw a deep breath OF satisfaction
In contemplating It as a residence
This association. organized In 1894, Is
working along the lines laid out In the
beginning except In what Is being done
for children, the latter being regarded
as an important advance step. Other
work has to do with matters which
make life comfortable in small town.
And this IL the work the benefit OF
which would best be seen were 1t sud
denly to stop. 1t Is like that prosalc
matter Of getting three meals a day
for the members of ones household.
No one thinks OF talking much about
II, yet havoc would ensue II It were
overlooked twenty-four hours.
The ordinance providing for prompt
removal OF snow from sidewalks was
drafted and pushed through by the ef-
forts OF the Montclair Town Improve
ment association, work the good OF
which will not be denied by city folk
who go anywhere In the country to
spend Sunday and who have to make
an early train back Monday morning
regardless OF blizzard overnight
Street signs guiding the stranger to
his destination were secured by this
same agency after efforts extending
over four years. Through the work Of
the association. assisted by Robert NJ.
Boyd, assemblyman. the amended law
providing for the collection Of garbage
and ashes In towns under certain con-
ditions was approved by the legisla-
ture. This Is good measure, but Is
one that needs still further attention,
some difficulty having arisen In the
disposal Of garbage. AS the town is
allowed to contract for only one year
at time, II Is difficult matter to find
any one willing to equip himself with
horses and wagons without guaran-
tee for the work for longer period
than twelve months.
From the beginning the association |
has worked for Improvements in rail-
road service. Trains have been added |
from time TO time and the schedule |.
altered to suit the convenience of the |
public. The surroundings OF the sta
tion, too have been improved. Where |
once were heaps OF ashes and old |
lumber one now sees flower beds and
grass. Instead Of a plaza. dusty in
summer and muddy In winter. there .
are now good pavements.
Another line of work pursued by the .
association is the movement by the .
health Inspector to place In tenement .
houses distinct rules printed In Italian .
and English, to assist tenants In living
In sanitary maner. A sewing schoo!
Is held every Saturday in the old II.
brary building from 9:30 to ll:S0. This
work was undertaken three years ago
and has become quite systematzed to-
day. From sixty to sixty-hve children
attend these classes. They commence
with the simplest patch, and last year
the older girls made shirt waist suits
for themselves. Last summer the
school board assisted this work I'm a
way. Cooking classes have
been introduced and met with success.
In order TO make this work thorough
y practical only the plainest kind OF
cooking is taught.
Following up this work OF teaching
he children to carry usefulness into
heir own homes, the association later
yave seed TO the pupils OF the Chest
nut street school and offered a prize
or the best home garden. In many
'ases the children not only supplied
heir own families with vegetables. but
lad some TO sell The enterprise OF
me tot is worth recounting Having
10 plot OF ground in which to plant
Ter seed, she sowed II In an old dish |
'an which she kept on top OF wood
lie. An effort is also proceeding TO I
ave the town authorities approve the d
'ew Jersey law permitting the ap- Z
ointment OF tree planting commits
Ion and thus to place all the trees of y
iontclair under central control
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The Anniant p,n.. D.