The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-09
INTRODUCING A
 CITY TO ITSELF
How ss8oston-1915', Has Secured the Cooperation of Business, Social, Civic and Industrial Organi- cations in Working for a
 Better City

xations in Working for a Better City
 Lewis F. Palmer. l Exclusive Service The Survey Press Bureau.)
 It's a big job to introduce a city to
 itself and it's a certain fact that most
 American city dWeIlers are not very well informed about their own re-
 sources and opportunities. The ex-
 pression ''tnis is an age of specialfza- truth is more apparent today than l ever. The average business man knows his chamber of commerce and board of trade, the laboring mans viewpoint is often limited to his trade union, the social worker often finds panacea in his particular brand of re-
 difficulty in reaching out beyond his church walls. The trouble is that none
 of them is well enough informed about his city as a working whole. Each one needs an introduction to his own city's resources-industria1 comTmer- cial, social and civic
 prominent Boston business men when. about year ago, they started a
 Boston -1915'' movement-a co-opera-
 tive plan to get the entire community
 working together for better all
 round city. The way that plan is
 working out ought to be of interest
 ing to future growth and develop
 ment.
 From the beginning, it was the plan
 to put the movement on broad,
 representative basis. There were more
 than 1,600 agencies which had to De
 divided into groups representing their
 own special interests. Conferences of
 these various were called and each
 section elected a stipulated number of
 directors h addition to the special 1915 (shares at a dollar piece) chose five directors to represent Boston and
 five to represent the suburbs. So at
 fe, directorate numbered eighty-hve men and women who will form now to manage the movement.
 The classified groups represented are: business organizations, charities and correction, education, health, la Dor organizations, neighborhood well sic and drama, civic organizations, city planning and housing, co-opera- tive associations, women's clubs, and organizations working with youths. 1 The Boston 1910 Exposition, graphic 1 means of Introducing city to itself, | was held during November and was twice extended, finally to the middle ! of December. In six weeks, there was | an attendance of nearly 100000 peo- 1 pie. The School Committee and the Vocational Bureau were brought to- | eetFer with the result that vocational l direction is established in the schools. | Cooperation was secured between bus | service bodies in assisting the Y. M. l c. A. to establish a part time engi- | neering school. A series of school boy. games were held during the summer. Over l, TOO boys were enrolled and there i were 450 entries for the final meet.
 Boston 1915 has found another hold | als for e'city progress to be awarded | for extraordinary service to the muni | cipa1ity. Organizations and societies | as well as individuals are competing. | The medal is being designed by Bela | Pratt. To interest still more the | boys and girls in city problems. under Home and School Association is ar ranging for essay contests on good citizenship between different schools. A 'city guard will also be organized keeping to the department or organi- zation concerned.
 Just at present, one of the most | active 1915 Committees is on the s'san- CT Fourth A pamphlet is being dis tribut.ed showing the loss of life from the annual massacre" and staff of young surgeons is cooperating by addressing parents, teachers and chill f dren on the dangers on high explo- sives
 A housing committee has been car rying on a thorough investigation for several months.
 The plans for the exhibition in 1915 are developing. To show the city t'as a going concern''-that will be the ob- ject Of the exposition. The idea is uni- que. It will be a display of Boston itself-schoois. parks, playgrounds, gov ernment. finances, industries, housing and institutions. Through means of automobiles and street cars, groups interested in certain phases of social l civic or industrial development will be taken to special institutions, orga- nizations, shops and factories. In or der to keep Boston informed about the plans of 1915, monthly magazine the Chronicle of Boston-1915 will be published The first issue appears this month.
 All in all, years retrospect shows an admirable spirit of co-operation l aroused, along with actual accomplish ment. sThe community is getting to- gether'' and as the director said at a | recent meeting: '"The success of the Boston 1915 project is assured if it's constituent bodies, the general public and the press. will at least for. one year, give up destructive criticism and join heartily in a contructive, opti- mistic, comprehensive, upbuilding plan for Boston, Massachusetts and New Eng1and''