Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-03
MOVE STIRS CIVIC PRIDE
Commissioner West Hopes Benefit
Will Be Permanent.
MEETING TO PERFECT PLANS
Twentieth Century Club Sends Out
Invitations to Other Organizations
Asking Their Cooperation.

District Commissioner West. who is ir
charge OF the street cleaning department
hopes that the agitation for clean streets
and parkings throughout the city started
by the Twentieth Century Club will re.
suit in more than a housekeeping day
April Is.
He hopes that 1t will arouse civic pride
all over the city to such an extent tina,
householders will spend five minutes q
day, either personally or through their
servants, to cleaning up the parkings in
front OF their homes Then WASHINGTON
will be truly, 1t Is believed, the city
beautiful
Commissioner West received through
the mail this morning a copy of the reso.
lutions adopted by the Twentieth Century
Club at a recent meeting, in which the
women decided to equip themselves with
brooms and dustpans and use them In
the highways and byways Of the National
capital, and show mere man how the city
streets and parkings ought to be cleaned
In reply Commissioner West wrote the
club that he was glad to note the inter.
est in civic affairs which this action in.
dicates. and he expressed the hope that
1t Will accomplish much good.
Pleases the Commissioner.
Il hope it will so farther than the
cleaning up on one day. he said this
morning, in commenting on the subject
If one person in every house in the city
should take enough interest in civic at.
fairs to go out every morning and spend
five minutes in picking up the paper and
similar debris that has accumulated on
the parking in front OF his home OF
would send out a servant to do it, there
would be absolutely no complaint abou.s
waste paper around the parkings
Down in the business sections of the
city the streets are swept by hand and
the white wings gather up the waste pa
per and other Accommodations on the
parkings. But in the other sections OF
the city the streets are swept by ma
chimes and 1t is impossible to send the
men from the machines to gather up ev-
cry bit OF waste paper on parkings and
lawns. If each householder would look
after that there would be no complaint
The streets themselves are kept Clean"
James NJ. Wood, superintendent OF
street cleaning. said this morning that he
was also glad Of the cooperation of the
women. He said that much OF the waste
paper that gets onto the parkings is
blown from open wagons belonging to
private owners. The wagons of the street
cleaning department which collect refuse,
he said. are covered and the paper is not
blown from them.
Club Meeting Thursday.
The Twentieth Century Club has issued
a call for meeting Thursday morning
at IL o'clock, in the chapel of Ais Souls
Church, 18th and L streets northwest, to
perfect plans for the accomplishment OF
its purpose. and has extended invitations
to all citizens associations, clubs and
individuals interested in the movement to
be present or to send representatives.
The club women complain that there are
certain sections Of the city whose natural
beauty Is marred by unsightly refuse in
the shape of scraps OF old paper and the
like that cover the parking and make the
life of a tidy housewife miserable.
The following locations are specially
pointed out as being objectionable in this
respect: Twelfth street between T and u
streets northwest: the triangular park In
front of Market space at 9TH and Penn
Sylvania avenue: an area near the Nor
gan School building, on California avenue
near 18th street. and 10th street north
west above S street, where the parking In
front of vacant houses Is literally covered
with scraps of old paper and refuse that
make it unsightly and obnoxious to other
residents in the neighborhood.
While street cleaning is not a part OF
| the aims of the Twentieth Century Club
the ladies of the club complain that mat
tiers have come to such a pass as to neces-
state special action on their part. II
seems they have been making observa
lions for some time past, and have col
lected considerable data upon the subject
that now stirs them. They propose to Or
ganize q movement like that of 'tae
day." and enlist the entire city in a street
| cleaning campaign.