Evening journal., 1908-03-23
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT
BY Wilbur F. Brown.

Nowadays one hears much about
"civic Improvement Societies." "City
Beautiful Leagues" and the like. What
do these expressions mean? The
derivation Of the word "civic" is the
Latin "civis," a citizen. Thus we see
that these societies are for the benefit
Of the citizens of a community
When the citizens OF a community
band together to help their home city
or town, they are faced by the problem,
where shall we begin7" If the OBJ
ject Is to beautify the place, quite
likely the first thing 70 be done is to
improve the approaches, especially
those along the railroads. Now comes
the subject of those unsightly objects,
huge sign-boardss displaying all man
ner Of advertisements. from an auto
mobile to a cure-all. And is there
anyone who Is not familiar with
"Scheinks Mandrake pills" painted on
barns? Not long ago / heard a school
teacher who was brought up IN the
country, trying to persuade her father
not to let the agents renew the sign
on his barn. ITS all right about not
having these pills on my barn." said
the farmer, but do you realize that
those men paint my buildings without
a cent of cost TO me2"
We all realize that this twentieth
century is a practical age and an age Of
advertising. But can this spirit Of
such reckless destroying of natures
landscapes be long continued? Public
sentiment is growing, though ofttimes
slowly against them; and let us hope
Il viii continue to rise till it sweeps
away such unsightly objects.
After the approaches to the city arc
fixed up, the city itself is to be
thought Of. And this is Of more prac-
tical consequence to tho inhabitants.
Now. shall the people who want to up
lift their locality begin by helping
their poor neighbors, or by beautifying
the appearance of the city. 1t seems
to me that both should be undertaken.
Both are certainly important
When I sp29k of helping our poor
neighbors. I do not mean strictly IN
the sense Of giving charity. There
are many persons who are not blessed
with material wealth. but who do not
need assistance. They are as clean
4
do mean is that those people who live
In crowded houses, who are not cleanly.
shall be helped. When one sees the
interiors of the houses of the lower
/ classes, especially those Of Foreigners.
It is certainly evident that here is 4
chance for public improvement that
viii he Of a practical nature.
But who is willing TO undertake such
a task? No one, il seems: and in
reality I believe il would do little good
60 try. I think the remedy lies in get
ting at the children. Have a COM
pulsory educational law. that keeps the
children at school where their minds
may be trained. and don't let them Off
at II or 13, when they are 5ust begin
ming TO ''put away childish things" but
keep them studying TN they are at
least Is. If necessary. let there be
truant officer, TO look after those who
don't care, so that they may be made
to care
A very important branch Of the "Clty
Beautiful' is the subject of public
parks. Our own city of Wilmington
is certainly fortunate in having so
many fins public grounds accessible 20
all classes at all times. we'll kept up.
and those most favored by natural
beauty unmarried by any private
schemes for money making. 1t IS an
excellent thing TO have monuments and
statues in memory OF our great men
erected in our recreation spots.
Closely allied TO public parks are
public Fairgrounds. In a small town
they are hardly requisite. but in a CITY
they are an absolute necessity. Every
one has heard of the noble work being
done in New York by Fairgrounds, ana
Of the work of Mr.. Jacob Reiss. And
this is another means Of reaching tho