Evening journal., 1911-06-17
MAKE THE
CITY ATTRACTIVE
BY John S. Hamilton.

With a State Boulevard and an
up-to-date hotel with modern
combined County and Municipal build
ing taking shape, surely Wilmington
will have left very little to be desired.
And yet there recurs that ancient
plant that shoppers will go to Phila-
delphia. This is a time-worn source
Of dissatisfaction and II has almost
come to be accepted as without cure.
The writer has always believed that
much could be done to remedy this.
Wilmington folk are as loyal to their
town as are other people. Those who
go to Philadelphia do not always 90
so because they think they can do
better, but It Is nearly always be-
cause the big town on the Schuylkill
offers attractions outside the depart
ment stores that makes the shopper
think 1t is worth while. Then there
Is the trip which is not always the
least Of the considerations.
There is a lesson in this as in
everything else, If you know how 20
find 1t. Make Wilmington more at
tractive so that If its men and women
take a day off they can spend IL very
well at home. or better than that
make Wilmington so attractive that
its own folk will stay at home and
those in the surrounding country
will take the trip to the town on the
Brandywine instead of the one on tho
Schuylkill
The coming improS ements point the
way. A first class hotel is no mean
attraction in itself and the chef and
service at the new hostlery If It will
be as good as promised should make
the Wilmington shops many new Gus
toners. Then there are the roof
gardens and the theatres; they should
sell our stores lots of goods.
The city, however. should not stand
still and allow the DUPONT Company
to do everything. There is a respon-
sibility resting upon the community
which Il should not shirk There
should be a commission as has been
suggested to plan for the future. not
only to suggest public improvements,
but public amusements and attrac-
tions as we'll. There should be play
grounds for grown ups. as we'll as
children. but there should be pub
licity, common sense and good judg-
ment displayed in their selection and
| location.
This will not be money wasted on
a fad. Il will pay big dividends in a
more happy. a more healthy. and
therefore a better and a more efficient
people and it will put money in the
purses of our merchants by attract
ting those who are compelled to live
in less favored communities.
Then the people themselves have
a responsibility resting upon them TO
forget their village ways and attend
to their duties In a manner becoming
residents Of a city. Why should >
man walk past a saloon twice 10 see
whether II was a friend of his drink
ing a glass of beer and why should
rumor become current that John
Doe has taken TO drink because he
was seen going into a side door? In
other words people should attend 10
their own business and a part of their
! business is not watching their neigh
bors and putting the worst construc-
tion on what they see them do.
Judge Sulzberger asked the other
day: who does not like to spend q
ten dollar bill extravagantly once IN
awhile?" and the question might alsc
be reasonably asked: Who does mol
like to cut loose a little once IN
awhile? and in either event the
writer would like to ask. Whose
business is it? and should not a man
or a woman either have the right Ia
do so in his home town and among
his own people without being COM
PEELED TO suffer the torments of an
| investigating committee and to have
a mountain made out Of a molehill?
The writer's observation has con-
vinced him that everybody has his
own share Of moral delinquencies and
! that while some of these Shortcomings
have been made respectable by the
mandate of a perverted standard the
obligation to reform can never he
satisfied by looking over shoulders
and exploiting the little weaknesses
OF your neighbors. This never die
any good and the writer is satisfied
that It has done very much harm.