Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-01-18
Nearly Every Municipality Has
Some Advantage Over AM
erican Towns.
ALL IN DESIRE FOR BEAUTY

The following from the New York
advantages which European cities have
over those of America. Each advantage,
though 1T may nave cost millions, Is
Therefore. the volume OF these show how
far ahead in city planning. in design and
in accomplishment the municipalities of
Europe are.
In Berlin. Frankfort and many other
German cities, street advertising is
practically confined to corner pillars.
There are no billboards erected on va
cant lots to conceal refuse, shelter vag-
rants n lower values.
The German capitals require that
news stands and street booths shall
contributed rather han mar the vista.
Paris has numerous isles Of safety
in the middle Of the streets. with artis-
tic lamp posts. Those light both sides
of the street and reduce the number
OF lamps to two-third or one-half the
number needed where the posts are at
the curbs.
Belgium a a national society for
the Introduction OF art In the streets.
Particular attention is paid to street
1iXtures-lamp posts, street name signs,
house numbers, tramWay stations, pub
lie comfort stations, letter boxes, fire
alarms, etc.
Practically all German cities save
Hamburg have strict regulations to
prevent Offensive Illuminated signs.
The sewers of Paris are also pipe
galleries, carrying telegraph and tele-
phone wires. water pipes, pneumatic
tubes for letters n pipes for COM
pressed air service.
Glasgow has iron bins with hinged
lids sunk along the curbing and INTO
these the street litter is brushed during
the day.
Vienna uses covered ash carts. Cur
tains attached to the frame are pushed
aside while h are emptied. thus
preventing dust from littering the
streets.
Noise Is Suppressed There.
The German cities have ordinances
which suppress most OF the street and
Waterside noises common to American
cities-the fiat car wheel, the night
long shrieking of tugboats, the blatant
motor horn. the scissors grinders bell,
the peanut vendors steam whistle, the
cries of sidewalk merchants.
Traffic regulations have been so
skillfully drawn and firmly enforced in
London that traffic now practically
regulates itself.
Cologne, hanover and other German
cities are we'll provided with waste
paper receptacles. They look more like
vases than garbage cans, and are made
of iron strips fastened to lamp posts or
trolley or telegraph poles.
Paris is cleaned and scrubbed every
day before it wakes. Between 4 and
6 a. m. all the streets and sidewalks
are swept, and many Of them Washed
and disinfected.
Paris fines h~ouseholders who do not
take in the emptied ash can by z
O'clock.
Glasgow sweeps it's streets at night.
Berlin has one best what most other
European cities ave one we'll. AT a
cost of $50, 900, 900 1t has constructed a
sewage farms system covering an area
almost equal to its own. Barren heath
LAM was acquired we'll beyond the cor
poration limits and is being reclaimed
by wastes which are pumped to it from
central stations. The farms return a
considerable revenue.
Stuttgart gets a revenue from its
parks and other tree covered areas.
These are under control of a forestry
bureau which obtains enough money
lawns and paths, pay salaries n turn
over so per cent of it's gross receipts to
the city.
Amsterdam converts street wastes in
to fuel briquettes. These are produced
at $1.15 a ton and sold at $1.4O, MAX
Heretofore this waste has been dis
posed of at an annual loss OF $18, 600.
When Frankfort lays u parks,
boulevards or docks 1t condemns land
in excess of its needs and pays for the
whole enterprise by reselling the sur
plus and thus reaping the benefit of
the new values. There is no honest
graft from "insiders' tips as to land
to be benefited.
FREQ From Local Taxes.
According to Frederic G.. Howe,
there are 1900 smaller towns and VIII
lagos In Germany which derive so
much revenue from the lands which
they own that they are free from all
local taxes. Five hundred of these COM
| munities are not only free from all
dividend Of from $25 to 800 a year to
each citizen as his share of the sur
plus earnings Of the common lands"
The cities OF Continental Europe con-
slider beauty q municipal asset with a
tangible cast value in that 1t makes
life more enjoyable, elevates the public
taste and brings in tourists.
In Dresden and other cities surface
car do not stop at every corner. Stop
ping places are about go yards apart
and are marked by a post and shield.
This permits the making Of much bet
ter time.
In Berlin and most other German cit
les If you jump on a street car in mo-
tion you are required to alight at the
next stopping place.
signed as not greatly to detract from
the sightliness of the streets. The posts
and Orders almost realize Russell
Sage's dream Of an ornamental iron
structure" and the most uncompromts-
ing parts are masked by trees.
Berlin has SO deadened the noise of
passing elevated trains by flooring the
structure with masonry that in concert
halls underneath q listen with