The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-08

ent. in addition 10
delegates from the states appointed by
the governors, and delegates from AT
tiliated societies.
One OF the matters on the program
for prolonged discussion Is that OF
state parks. While the national gov
eminent for years has been segregat-
Ing its beauty spots and Transforming
them into perpetual pleasure grounds.
the states have done little In this al
rection. The American Civic assOci-
alton has for one OF its tenets the doc
trine that the whole country shall be
led To join in a movement for parks
wherever there are people who need
them. Some of the states already
have realized the Importance OF redi-
eating large tracts of land TO the pub
lie veal. where recreation may be al
fOrded from the grinding cares that
infest the day and where human life'
bird life. animal life and forest life,
all may be conserved
Another matter that will call forth
many valuable papers, will be the sub
ject OF city planning. The best ideas
OF the cities OF the world will be
| brought TO Washington and placed at
| the disposal OF the association. There
! will be an address on the Is c OF city
planning by one of the greatest au-
! thorities OF the world Another adj
dress will tell the people just how to
plan a city Then another expert. with
years experience in the Acid, will
! tell how to get out the vote after the
! plans have been made. Some cities
| have come to the point where their
] wi hnf
! should he made. but once they are
made the voters will not carry them
! out. This happened in Reading.
PENIS ylvania. not long ago. The mu-
! nicipal Ell ,neers laid out new Read
/ ing that would have been a delight
! TO the eve. "a comfort TO the body. and
Joy TO the soul. But the progressive
Readingites did not know how 10 turn
| TO the tide OF public sentiment In favor
| OF the necessary bond issue and the
cause was lost
The compilation OF the data gathered
| in the recent federal census has taught
some remarkable lessons. One or these
lessons is that almost without eXcep-
ton. the cities that have shown the
greatest spirit of civic Improvement
have been the cities that have had the
greatest growth in population In me
past ten years, Call the roll OF the
cities-Los Angeles. Birmingham. Sc
attic Atlanta, cities all through the
north. the south, the east and the west,
and civic progress has been requited
WITH city growth and this, In turn.
has produced wealth and added pros
| perity
The American Civic association
was organized in ST. Louis In the DAYS
| of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.
| II was created by merging two organ
izations. the American Park and out
door Art association, and the Amer
| can le. que for civi Improvement IN
10 ole. IL included in its objects tire
nurposes for which both Of these or
! ganizations had been founded. IL was
not vel out OF is swaddling clothes
when il iegan its cele brated heht
against the commerclaiiSm that woult
have turned Niagara into barren
cliff in order to utilize the powers or
IT'S waters. It was an uphill fight. and
tho assent OF Canada and the United
States was necessary TO win H. But
the association succeeded in having
Niarara preserved until such time As
treaty negotiations can be settled.
There are a number of departments
conducted by the association. one Oh
these is the department of nuisances.
II carries forward a propaganda for
the abatement of nuisances OF all
kinds and varieties. The entire ut
! erature of smoke prevention has been
! boiled down and its essence extracted
! and bottled in a little booklet issued
nv the association. This booklet shows
! thai smoke Is a nuisance TO the pubic
and a waste TO the factory creating II,
| II gives the experiences of cities ana
factories that have abated the smoke
nuisance. and calls attention To the
FACT that throat. lung. and nasal dls'
/ cases we're much more prevalent IN
many cities i'm the days OF the anthfa'
cite coal strike than they were before.
or Lave been since.
This department also attacks the
billboard nuisance, quoting count de-
cision from San Jose in which II was
hold that no one has any more right
IN offend the eye with unsightly OBJ
iects than he has TO offend the nose
with foul smells or the ear win nm
earthly noises. II has published
hookIet on the subject In which II
enitomizes all the literature OF the