The Forrest City times., 1910-12-30
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT
The Other Side Discussed by the City
 Marshal.

It is my purpose in this article to i set forth a few facts relative to the condition of our city.
 Recently members of the Cosmos Club and other ladies have respectful ly wated upon me conce ming the sanitary conditions and the appearance of much paper upon the streets. It humiliated me to state the facts to them. While we gratefully appreci- ate the interest the ladies take in the affairs of the town, and know that they do so with the welfare of the town at heart, we would have them. as we'll as every resident, know few of the disadvantages under which we work. The greatest difficulty we have 10 deal with is the iDSufficisnt amount of funds available to keep up the work. About Sl,s00 is collected ann ualiy by the street commissioner 1 from those subject to street duty, which must keep up about ten miles of storm sewerage, eighteen miles of streets and pay for all the labor, in- cluding the salary of the commissions CT, feed the team and pay rent on wagon. Every day that MT Royal uses wagon he must either rent or borrow one, and right here 1 wish to say to the credit of Mir. Royal that he borrows every time he can. In all well regulated towns garbage wagons go around every day. In our town it can only do so once q week. and if the ] commissioner is busy with other l duties, he cannot do so then. The civic pride of a town is not wholly in the hands of the officers, for without the cooperation of the property owners, it is an impossibility to have a clean town. Scarcely day passes that there are not from 900 to 10000 hand bills placed before the people Jo read. To see that these bills are not thrown upon the streets would he al most imposSible; yet with the co operation of every merchant and resi- dent, all small rubbish could he re moved with but little eXertion. anC will assist greatly in the appearance and condition of our town. 1 believe that the ladies here can wield an in fuence for good, and feel sure that when they are acquainted with tht facts they will do so. The sanitary condition of our town is not the worst neither is it what we would have it. over the town every day, we must look 10 the business men and residents for help. Some of the wealthiest families ill the town have the most unSanitary conditions around them. and will be glad 10 accompany a committee of ladies from any of the clubs, accompanied by some of the members of the Board of Health, to these homes to see if the condition cannot be changed. Without an or der from the Board of Health, con- demning a place, cannot have the cause of some of our most unsanitary conditions removed.
 Our best regulated cities provide a policeman to every eco or 500 inhabi, tants, while here We have one officer to 5000 inhabitants. The town has outgroWn the police facil ties pro- yided for it's protection when it was only village. and l am compelled tC devote the greater part of my time within radius of four or five blocks of the police gong, for it is one Of my proud boasts that while l have been your city marshal We have not had q robbery that amounted to more than petit larceny, Ours is the wealthieSt town in the state, according 10 it's population, its wealth being estimated at $E2l5,09l, so it is a deplored fact that certain things exist in our town
 Now ladies, believing you to be the power behind the throne in many ways, use your influence to get the business men and property owners to cooperate with us and we feel sure that the sanitary conditions of our town will he greatly improved.
 Very Respta
 I. M. DAVIS, City Marshal.