The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-27
NEW HAVEN.

It is likely that MT. Seymour's at tractive program for the beautifying. physically, of the city of New Haven is by the process of subconscious sug- gestion. the crucible in which the in- dustrial plan was matched which was seriously considered at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce Wednesday evening. It Is not illogical to attribute to the city beautiful idea the opening on Sunday afternoons of the Yale Art school and e Peabody museum, and the spontaneous demand that the Historical society follow suit all these various agencies of popular enlightenment working in common for the common good. The situation sug- gests the probability of the people of New Haven awakening to the hidden treasures of social character which have not hitherto been enjoyed because no one has thought to dig in an organ ized way for them.
 MT. Seymour in an address delivered on Wednesday treated of the things in which he is particularly interested, though he Is man of such varied resources that he may be counted on to do anything conceivable to add to the further development of New Haven and to make it in fact what it ought to be. the most attractive spot in New England in which to live and do busi- ness. Elsewhere in these editorial col umns we deal with the important work being done by the Lowell House Settlement, which is provoked by its annual meeting Wednesday. At the same time and on the same, day the Chamber of Commerce considered proposition, which, if practicable, may mean the further development of the city as an industrial center. We'd nesday was men a record making day So far as the consideration of the well fare of New Haven is concerned. It justifies the assertion on the part of The Journal-Courier that the more progressive representatives of the com munity are alive to the opportunity at hand to forge New Haven ahead at what is relatively small output either in time or money. Organization is needed of course and cooperation, which of themselves will breed the civic spirit, which it is altogether too fashionable here to say is wholly lack ing. There is not lack of civic spirit here. either or the part of the town itself or the university. The trouble is that it has not been well directed. There have been too few to take the initiative, too few possessing the abl- ity to make others see so clearly their own needs and chances that they be- come eager to act in their own be- half
 The Journal-Courer reioices in these evidences of an awakening on the part of the community, the more so because 1t has never doubted that in time it would take place; that it only needed a realization on the part of the people of what they were missing to bring the result The natural resources of this city are before one's eyes seven days in the week and twelve months in the year They need not be dwelt upon It is the use to which they are put that counts It is entirely feasible to make the city beautiful by simply paying some attention to the principles of architecture Mir. Seymour has made that as clear as day. Ii is equally feasible to make a street filled with frame houses of simple design charn- ing to the eye if only those who paint them use the right judgment The f1r- est homes in the world cannot be made attractive, nor the street in which they are located. if painted in frightful col ors. It is feasible to enormously in crease the usefulness of our posses sions by taking them to the people at s moment when they can enjoy them. The Sunday openings at Yale have abundantly demonstrated that It is feasible to make New Haven addi- tionally beautiful by keeping the streets clean. by insisting upon a uni form style of side walks and by en- couraging the attentive care of the lawns and trees. It is further feasible to raise New Haven to an actual pin nacle of fame by making the fullest possible use of the school houses and churches. which the Associated socie- ties are doing. It is feasible to at tract new residents and investors here by carrying on the city government as a business proposition and not as partisan enterprise It is of no prae- tical importance whatever which po- ltical party is in power. The only