Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31
FIRST BLOW AT DIRT
Capital Children Tomorrow
Will Inaugurate Cleanup.
HEARTY SUPPORT PLEDGED
School Officials Promise to Aid in
Guiding Work Of Pupils.
PLANS FRAMED AT MEETING
Speakers Representing Various Or
CARNATIONS Urge Cooperation
to Gain Healthier City.
PLANS FRAMED AT MEETING

strike the first blow In an organized effort
to make a healthier and cleaner city Of
the capital of the nation. This is assured
as a result Of enthusiastic pledges made
| by school principals and officials Of the
Fairgrounds and Boy Scouts at meet
| ing in the Public Library last night, look
| ing toward the carrying out Of The Star s
plan for a cleanup at-home crusade in
which 81, 600 school children will be asked
| to participate.
| The crusade is planned as preliminary
to the city cleaning week to be con-
Quoted under the auspices of The Star.
| beginning Monday. April Is, and closing
Saturday, April 20. Without exception
the representatives of the various schools
and Juvenile organizations who attended
| last nights meeting Endorsed the sug-
gestion that the youth of the city be
asked to clean up only the private prem
ises where they reside, leaving the gen.
eral problem of civic sanitation to be
worked out by the central committee
which will direct city cleaning week.
Speakers at Meeting.
| The speakers who addressed the meet
ing included DR.. William c. Woodward.
health officer Of the District; Edgar C.
Martin. secretary of the Playground AS
| ISOLATION and commissioner of the Boy
| Scouts; DR.. William M. Davidson, super
| intendent of schools; DR.. Arthur j. Muir
ray, of the District health department.
| and h. G. StOy, an inspector in the de-
| partment.
Capt. James F. Oyster. president of the
| school board, who was to have pre-
| sided, was prevented from attending, his
place being taken by Mr.. Martin. The
| formal addresses were followed by an in
| formal discussion. in which majority
| of the persons present participated.
| The Endorsement given the pan for a
| preliminary campaign will not end with
| last nights meeting. DR.. Davidson an
| nounced that there is to be a meeting
| of the superintendent OF the city's 1G
| public schools, the supervising princi'
pals and the members of the medical in
| spection force Monday afternoon at
| o'clock. in the Mckinley High School
schools, proposed by the tuberculosis
| Association. will be considered. Health
Officer Woodward has been invited to at
| tend this meeting and further explain
pected to do in improving the sanitary
condition of the premises where they
live.
Assistance Is Promised.
While the preliminary campaign i:
to get under way tomorrow, DR.. David
son explained that the school author
tiles will avail themselves of ever,
opportunity to become better informed
as to the requirements of 1t and thai
they will endeavor to constantly en-
large the interest of the children il
the work.
By the time city cleaning week open:
done will have been accurately as
| certained Printed cards, with space:
for the names and addresses Of thu
children, which will certify wha
were given the school principals To-
| distribution in the schools. THREE
thousand Of the cards have been print
ed and others will be ready as thu
demand for them increases.
The school authorities will direc
the pupils to properly fill out the card
and turn them in as soon as the!
have cleaned the yards. in accordance
with the instructions to be given them
1t Is expected that the results of thu
preliminary campaign will be ascer
tanned in time to be communicated t,
! the city cleaning week central com
mittee, prior to the inauguration o.
, the city wide crusade, April Is.
All Phases Touched.
culated to bring about improved SAM
tary conditions. as a result of the eft
forts to be put forth by the juveniles
of Washington. was left untouched a
the meeting. The general features o
, the work were outlined by DR.. Wood
ward, DR.. Davidson, DR.. Murray ant
Mr.. Martin. Mr.. Stoy discussed the de
tails of inspection work and outlined
list of regulations for the campaign.
DR.. Davidson laid stress on the fact tina
the children are to be asked to clean vi
only the private premises where they re
side. To have authorized them to scou
the city in search of nuisances and in
, sanitary conditions doubtless would hav'
been offensive, in some instances. to citi
zens, he pointed out. while the conducting
merely of a clean-up-at-home crusad
cannot possibly meet with protest, thi
a plan having an additional advantage o
: not tending to confuse the situation be
fore the central committee meets to dea
with the general sanitary problems facing
L the District.
; 1t Is entirely proper. DR.. Davidso
urged, that the children should be i'm