The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-01
CLEANS CITIES AS
 SHE WOULD HOME The Rev. Caroline Cranes
 Method Is Successful IS PUBLIC HOUSEKEEPER Puts Her Theory Into Effective Prac- tice-City Government Is Merely
 Housekeeping On Big
IS PUBLIC HoUSEKEEPER

The Rev. Caroline Bartlett Crane of Kalamazoo, Mich. has the distinction of being the first public housekeeper in the world. It is her theory, put effectively into practice, says a writer in the Jan uary Hampton's Magazine, that a large part of city government is merely house. keeping on a big scale, very badly done, because men do not know how to keep house.
 We have waited a long time,' says Mrs. Crane, "hoping that the men would learn, but now we are tired of waiting. Women are tired of being told to open their mouths and shut their eyes and everything will be done for them. If the home is women's sphere, surely the filthy streets through which they must walk in order to reach their homes are a part of that sphere also"
 She told the recent conservation con gress in St. Paul of the simple, plain, but time tested housekeeping methods that under her direction have been ap- piled in a number of cities, and of the excellent results which have followed. So practical were all these sanitary sugges- tions that immediately after her speech
 
 voted an appropriation to engage five weeks of her time. The board asked her to visit the 12 largest towns of the state, view them with the eye of a housekeeper, and report. Now those cities are getting the housekeeping of their lives.
 Some time ago the ideal of public service grew so strcng in her heart that Mrs. Crane resigned her pastorate and devoted her entire time to civic work. She organized the Women's Civic Improvement league and started out to clean up Kalamazoo. which sadly needed cleaning at that time. Mrs Crane offered to take charge of the street cleaning department. After much persuasion the city council gave her charge of six blocks on Main street for three months. Mrs. Crane insti- tuted the plan of white wings" hand workers and soon had her section of the town entirely clean. Moreover, she was saving money on the job. For certain allotted space of street Kala- mazoo had been expending $S.39. Mrs. Crane cleaned the same space for $5 and handed the extra $3.39 back to the department. Before her three months had elapsed, the city had adopted her plan.
 This was only the beginning. Mrs. Crane and her Civic Improvement league next went after Kalamazoos food supply. They visited the slaugh- ter houses, the dairies, the markets and the reports they turned into the clubs, the churches and the newspapers were so startling that the town almost lost its appetite. The result of the leagues exposures was law providing for municipal inspection of meat, milk and all market products. All the public in stitutions in the vicinity of Kalamazoo were next brought under the inspection of the league.
 The almh ouse was found to be in shocking condition of neglect. The women cleaned 1t up. Other institu- tions were examined and found lack ing. The women supplied their wants. or rather they made the proper author ities supply them.
 Having made Kalamazoo into the "spotless town" of the northwest, Mrs. Crane continued, by means of writing and lecturing, to preach the gospel of civic cleanliness and order. Soon dis tant cities began to send for this pub lie housekeeper to tell them their own shortcomings.
 The most valuable part of Mrs Cranes work is that 1t has proved In almost every case permanent. Her visit and inspection is followed by organiza- ton of effort to bring about the changes suggested by her. After her visit to Kentucky the legislature passed state health laws that were genera ton in advance of those Mrs. Crane criticised. A few months after her in- spection of Nashville they had cleaned the public market and laid new side walks throughout the town. Calumet, H.. was changed in year from min ing camp into a modern town with parks, good streets and an organized system of public relief.