The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-03-26

Wahpeton, N. D., March 25--Pres-
ident Mcyey Of the University of North
Dakota spoke at Wahpeton wednes-
day afternoon before 100 ladies on The
Making of a town. He was introduced
by Mrs. G. p. Kiddar chairman of the
| civic Improvement league. Following
the address, which occurred in the high
school assembly room. solos were sung
by Miss Mable Forkner and Mrs. l.. w.
Meckstroth, and an informal recention
was held. 1t is thought that series
5of university extension lectures win be
held later in the year along some line
similar to that shctched by President
McVey.
In the evening Mr.. Mcyey spoke to
the commercial club and other interest
ed men on The Sticking Point in Tax
alton. The address was listened to
with close attention by fully 100 bust
ness men present. Salient sticking
points which have appeared to Mr..
McVey while he was chairman of the
Minnesota tax commission were the
neglect Of legislatures to enact recon-
mendations made by tax commissions.
and present inequalities in assessments
which would be done away with large
ly If county assessor would do the
work now transacted by township as
SCISSORS. At the afternoon meeting
President McVey said in part:
In general North Dakota towns have
been laid out too much on the checker
board plan, with the lots too small.
The consequence is that houses are
placed too close together, giving the
appearance of crowding on these broad
prairtes where land has been so cheap.
Two attitudes are sometimes found
towards the growth of a town. One
might be called the individual or non
cooperating attitude. Each man OF
this type lives for himself purely Such
people do not make a good town to
live in The other is the temporary at
titude, that of those who expect to
make a fairly good bit of money and
then move back east or elsewhere to
enjoy it. Such men are always inimical
to a towns progress. While in a town
one should live i'm corporation land
sympathy with the best interests. He
should be loyal to the town itself. We
should consider that the town will be
come the best possible while we are
there. In fact most of us live in a
place great deal longer than we ex-
pected to. If the. town is to become
a healthy organism, we should get our
selves into circulation more.
"Wahpeton has taken long steps to-
wards the development of excellent
sewage and water systems, with pure
water. But in any town garbage col
lection needs attention. There should
be an incinerator and a garbage collec-
ton system. / question very much
whether the present method of individ-
ual disposal does not cost twice as
much as the proposed system would.
From the esthetic standpoint, to say
the least, ash-piles are offensive.
I'm the making of a town, health is
fundamental consideration. For ev-
eryone in the United States on the
average thirteen days of sickness oc-
cur per annum. Every family pays of
the average from 500 to $500 annually
for sickness.
Probably NO other civilized country
has as much sickness as we do in
America, hence the need of more at
tention to the health in our towns
Sanitation in school houses is very
important. Lack of ventilation Is re-
sponsible for large numbers of cases
of whooping cough for instance. We
should have medical examinations in
schools, to get at the physical condi-
ton of all children. because 1t is not
possible for some to learn well when
in need of medical care. The incor-
rigible attitudes of children is found
out to he due often to sub-nornnal con-
ditions such as ademoid growths. This
was known In Germany long ago.
"A medical examination of school
children would show the cases of poor
eyes or defective hearing, hearts, lungs
and lack of growth. In one Minneap
Oils school about eighty-three out of
100 children were found to be defective
in some waysor another The ratio APP
piled equally well TO the weIIto-d0 and
the poor; many Of the children Of the
well-to-do were improperly nourished,