The Boise citizen. (Boise, Idaho) 1906-1910, 1908-09-01
HOW TO MAKE A CITY Beautiful,


allow to Make City Beautiful is from the Oreo,i - -
be read and reread by every citizen of Boise and made the
DISCUSSION by the Commercial Club and other civic soci
The task OF beautifying city which cannot he accom-
oisled by municipal government alone by small n,
erprisng citizens Without the cooperation Of the cv atas
and practically all the people of the municipality there viii
remain many of those unsghy buildings and neglected - LIZ
which destroy the pleasing effect of beautiful surroundings T1
ci ordinances may compel property owner to abae 1
authority compel him to further beauty the lot mr. b
mder his control The individual citizen who Is neofg =
respect may be led but he be driven The nyor Of R
ham Alabama to have realized this situation for he s
detaken plan of organization which said to have enlisted b
cooperation of practically all the people Of that city in civic i'm
provemen campaign By tacu leadership he is accomplishing what
he could if coercion attempted
The city government does its part course in improving
and keeping them clean to the extent that city streets are
usually cleaned But the improvement private property is left to
the voluntary action of the several owners under the stimulating
and encouraging influence however Of what called block i'm
movement clubs All the residents block are formed into SEN
ae club which organization takes particular pains to see that its
own small portion of the city kept in credabe condition and a
ance Responsibility directly placed upon each person for the
cleanliness and order of his home surroundings each mans
de neighbo given special interest seeing that he per-
forms part of the work of making the city pleasing to the
eye This plan of organization said enlist the of much
larger proportion of the people than any other that has been
attempted but of it scarcely be assumed that all people
fall into line and bear their part of the burden
Negligence and representation the chief for the d
pdaed condition of property either city country Very few
people really intend let their homes become eyesor the
community but they put off repairs and the eanngup pro-
cess until convenient They become accustomed to the
disappearance of their property and do realize how dispensing
the sight of others Realizing that this rather than deb
crate areessne for much of the disorder be found
private premises the mayor of Birmingham issued circular let
address the members of the several clubs specifically calling
attention of improvement that ordinarily be
upon city lot 1t urged that old fences be torn down and
the city depended upon keep the off the
lawn But for any property do not wish to part
with the fence that deemed necessary by past generation the
asked apply OF paint and the painting sugg
extends all buildings the premises Paint everything
you wtewash what you can't the rule laid down
by the circular
Every man is asked keep his sidewalk in repair and to
report to the city authorities any defect any other mans sidewalk
SUGGESTIONS are made as to planting of ornamental trees and
shrubs growing of climbing where they will cover the
sides of outbuldngs and the making OF flower beds IN slae ana
back yards The children enlisted the work. and 1t IS sad
that they readily deeply interested laborers in the task OF
identifying the city instead of being despoers too frequently
the circular written goodnatred tone serves
call the particulars in which property generally need
repairing improvement and properowners who would ote
wise the dapaed condition Of their sidewalks lawns
and buildings reminded of the opportunity they nave 10 u ~
making the whole city more attractive
The defect in the plan of proanng cleanup day once
year. is that the cleaning up pasnodlc only poruo u W P
pie find clean their premises at that e' anu
majority of them neglect the work all the rest OF the year IN BIZ
mngham every day cleanup day made 50 through ue
local block organizations and by the circular letters Weh are "
any becomes negligent No man is gwen an excuse =
put off his repairs cleanngup until some particular u"y ~
year. when he may be sick or away home but he constantly
reminded of the little things he do to help along the
for the making of City Beautiful Not on particular gay %
any day the city refuse carts will call for waste material WHICH prop
ery owners have gathered up to have hauled away,
The principle mon which the Birmingham plan IS based IS tndl
he people need not be goaded but that they must y
minded of duty from time to time and taugn now
heir property Tacul leadership is depended upon loe ~
exercise of legal authority AT the time authority IS e
far as possible whenever goodnatred persuasion will not nave
desired effect Under this plan Birmingham has been not o
leaned up but kept clean this latter achievement O's
liclr $500 G,1l; Aic1,t