Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-03-04
Civic Improvement League
By Mrs. William Mckinney
For Two Years Secretary of the Valley City League


various organizations of women Of
Valley City, by joint civic COM
mittee, named by the woman's clubs
Of the city, of which Mrs. Frank
White was chairman; there were
forty-three delegates and goodly
number of others, who met at the
high school assembly room on Jan.
S, 1906, to perfect an organization
whose object chould be the improve
ment of Valley City. The result was
the organization of "The Valley City
Improvement League" Mrs. Frank
White was elected president, and
Mrs. VIM. Mckenzie secretary. A
motion was made and carried to
elect the remaining officers at the
next regular meeting. The league is
composed of active and sustaining
members. According to the consti-
tuition "active or working members
are the elected representatives from
all tn woman's organizations of
Valley City," An amendment to the
constitution Aug. 8 1906, reads,
ANY woman who may become an
active member by two-thirds vote
Of, the members present There are
no dues. In Milwaukee at the meet
ing of the A. G. A.. it was consider
ed quite remarkable that this plan
could prove successful. ANY person
may become sustaining member by
the payment of $1.00 a year. The
sustaining membership list is mostly
men, and although we do appreciate
the. generosity, the helpfulness of
men. want to say right here, plain
ly and emphatically, that there is not
a member of any committee that
could graciously resign her position
with all her laurels, and incidently
her hard work, to any sustaining
member who will present his or her
name to the secretary at the close of
this meeting. The minutes of the
SECOND regular meeting shows the
election of Mrs. R. N. Pray as treas
urer. The vice president of the five
districts into which the city was
divided, were also elected at this
meeting. The executive CONSISTED of
the officers of the Ieague-river and
park; five members, one from each
district: streets and alley, five mem
hers, railroad, three members; ex-
peetorating, five members. (Please
do not understand that this COM
mittee was expected to monopolize
the splitting privileges of the city
if you judge from the condition of
certain parts of our downtown pave
ments, you would be satisfied that no
hVe women in the state of North Da-
kota could accomplish such tremen-
dous results.} After this committee
had printed the splitting ordinance,
there was such a marked difference
that this committee was given other
work: however, judging from pres
ent appearances, the splitting ordi-
nance must again be brough to pub
lie notice, and if it becomes neces-
sary, every woman should pledge
herself to cause the arrest of any
man found violating the ordinance,
even though it be her own 1eige lord
and master, for verify, every woman
must in her heart frown upon so
filthy habit, even if she loves the
transgressor, who lessons his own
self respect, disgraces the wife of his
bosom, defiles the walks of his own
city, and disgusts the Inhabitants
thereof
Stable refuse and garbage, five
members; printing and press, three
members; auditing, two members;
district sanitary, all members of each
district; two subcommittee of three
members each, county house and
cemetery.
With SO many committees of so
large a number of women, surely
some good should be accomplished.
At the very first executive committee
meeting motion carried to have
photographs of the ". P. right of
way taken, and from then until now
that same right of way has lain very
near the heart of every active mem
Der of the league. and to at least
some few of the sustaining mem
bers, who take time from their
heavy business cares to occasionally
say sic en-" in stage whisper.
ION March Q, 1906. a promise was
reported that the city hydrants
should be properly boxed in the near
future. That promise has been full.
filled and those miniture hay stacks
are thing of the past. Galvanized
iron cans for street use were placed
conveniently in the down town dis
tricts, and barrels painted green, in
the residence parts. for paper and
other substances carelessly dropped
in the street. 1t is related that they
were mistaken for letter boxes Ii