The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-12-12
CIVIC
IMPROVEMENT
Is Touched Upon At Several
Angles
By Rev. |. ", Mulhdne In
Interesting Address
Delivered Before Meeting Of
Citizens Association
Many VaIuableS Suggestions
Made For Consideration
And Characteristic Vein Of
HumOf Runs Throughout

The following is the address of Rev.
l.. w. Mulhane before the last meet.
ing of the Citizens association on Civ.
ic improvement.
"Mr President and gentlemen, men,
bers of the Mt. Vernon Citizens Asso
citation: Having been appointed chair
man of civic improvement Com. and as
yet not having been successful in hav-
ing a meeting of that committee,
have taken the liberty of asking your
indulgence for few moments while |
offer a few suggestions that are mine
only and for which this committee is
not responsible. Municipal govern
inent is one of the burning questions
of the day, and if we desire clean and
honest government we also ought TO
desire cities and towns clean physical
ly. Indifference is one of the greatest
obstacles TO a towns progress in any
way. 1t stops and hinders worthy
| movements, blights the enthusiasm of
the tIOlbS vi Ihe SO'dhedu ClIlLell dHu
| if | We're to label the greatest need
of our town / would call it, kill indif-
| ference-ch it," Too many of our
otherwise good citizens are apparently
Indifferent as to whether the town
| keeps step with progress or not or.
whether it stagnates while neighboring
| cc h.,
bold enough TO say that but little can
be accomplished until the larger por
ton of the community shakes off that
spirit and joins hands with all in that
which We may well call 'civic pride"
We have neat, comely little home
city and in many parts home owners
strive to keep their premises accord
ingly. In some of the outlying parts
of our town what with cement side
walks and neat lawns the humble
home owners teach other more preten-
tious parts of town a lesson. Some of
the alleys and streets in the central
and business parts of our town are
|
of thought more than any other thing.
As We use natural gas, paper and emp
ty boxes and other waste material are
not SO easily consumed as of old and
are left in abundance everyplace to
mar the good looks of the home. Citi-
zens and above all the school children
| Ich hn aAr nich tn
waste paper upon the streets, alleys or
sidewalks and yet it is a common ev-
cry day occurrence. When that
unique character Long John" Went
worth, was mayor of Chicago, he once
sent around wagons to gather up all
the rubbish boxes and distractions of
and sidewalks and dumped them all
at certain out-of-the way place and
then put an ad in the daily papers
under the Lost and Found" head
which read, Found in the public
streets lot of private property, which
the owners can have by identifying
|
property from the public streets"
Keeping home orderly and clean
is necessary for the civic well-being
of any placce. The city of lndianapo
lis has resolved to deserve the name
TO "The Spotless City" and has taken
as its first step the education OF the
people along these paths. The city
|, club has printed and distributed thous
ands of copies of the following little
promise, which might well be adopted
: by Mt, Vernon
"We, the undersigned. pledge
, ourselves to refrain from throw
, ing paper, tin cans or other refuse
, in our yards or in any publicplace.
, alley or vacant lot. Furthermore,
, we will burn our rubbish in such
manner as to prevent such scat
tering. We will also use our inhu-
ence to further this movement in
! favor of keeping our city clean.
In the little town Of ST. Albane, VI
the following pIomife Is figuod by ey
cry home owner and tilod by tho citl
clerk, and when violated ,ho c2rd is
brought forth and shown to tie 1eir
. Cuent an2 generally such action Is no.
needed 2 second time. The promise