Evening journal., 1911-01-04
WEDNESDAY. JAN. 4.d9H
CIVIC ASSOCIATION.

nNE of the objects Of the Civic Association
~ as we take it, was attained on Monday even
ing when there was an interesting discussion par
ticipated in by a number of citizens regarding the
proposed new city charter.
The association desires to be an educational
force in the community, and its meetings are to
take the form Of the old time town meetings. The
attendance was not so large it should have been,
but il was encouraging to the officials OF the as
sociation and clearly indicates that the organiza-
tion can become power FOR great good in the
community.
1t will be an open forum for the general discus
sion of the charter question, and there is no rea-
son why its field Of usefulness should not be fur
thcr extended If proper interest on the part OF
citizens IS manifested. We recall that in Boston
and in many other cities there are similar organ
izations which have branches or sectional meetings
in different parts Of the city at which public mat
ters are discussed.
/Ihe officers of the local association are giving
considerable 0i their time to its affairs and the
cause is one that should enlist the active sympathy
and cooperation of public spirited persons There
cannot be too much public discussion. We have
our Official bodies at which public matters are con-
sdered and we have the Board of Trade. The
Civic Association interferes with neither, but is
rather supplemental to them. Most of the dis
cussi0n of civic affairs is carried on through the
newspapers, but this is not as il should be. Cit-
zens should not depend merely upon the news
papers Tor presentation OF views, OUT tlcIG SnOulu
be some other means of getting opinions and the
Civic Association will fulfill that want More OF
our public spirited men should take part in the
discussions Surely if an attorney busy as Mr..
Ward is, for example, can find time to preside at
the meetings and TO take a very active part there
are other lawyers and leading citizens who could
do So
The influence of the meeting Of the association
is not confined to the four walls Of the building
but the reports are printed in the newspapers and
The discussions are thereby carried to thousands
of homes The meeting on Monday night though
small was thoroughly representative. All classes
Of citizens we're represented and took part in the
speechmaking. and this is, we think, the most en-
couraging thing about il.
So far as the actual consideration of the tenta-
tive program of the association is concerned, there
was so much diversity of opinion that action was
wisely postponed Evidently the subject of a new
charter judging by the views given at the meet
ing is not TO be pushed through in a hurry.
There should be time for deliberahon and discus
sion.
One good thing about the meeting was the dis
closure of the fact that the Civic Association has
already the nucleus Of a strong body of public
spirited citizens who intend TO work unselhshly
for the advancement of the interests of Whining
ton. The discussions we're really delightful, and
they must have been enjoyed by everyone present
We trust that these meetings of the Civic Asso-
citation will become permanent fixture in Will
mington.