Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1912-01-20
CIVIC LEAGUE ORGANIZED
Women Banded Together For
Physical Improvement Of the
Town "The City Beautiful"
MRS. McCOMAS PRESIDENT.
Objects Of WOman's Civic League Set
Forth in Mr.. Melvin's Address
TO the Ladies.

TO the Ladies.
Pursuant to a notice about meeting
the ladies of Annapolis met at The
Hall of the Chamber of Commerce
this morning for the purpose of or
ganizing an association for work on
the same lines as the City Beautiful
committee of the Chamber of Com
merce.
Mr.. George 7. Melvin, chairman of
the City Beautiful committee, who is
sued the notice of the meeting, called
it to order and explained its objects
and aims as follows:
Mr.. Melvin, chairman of the COM
mittee on The City Beautiful, spoke
as follows:
Ladies You have been asked to
attend this meeting for the purpose of
discussing the formation of "Wo-
mans Civic League" of Annapolis.
Some of you are, doubtless, acquainted
with the objects and methods of work
of these organizations in other cities,
where they are doing great amount
Of good and are eXerting an influence
of immense value to the community.
The Chamber of Commerce some
time ago named committee on the
City Beautiful, of which have had
the honor to be chosen chairman, and
imposed upon this committee charge
of the movement to improve condi-
tions of the streets and alleys, encour-
age the identifying of front yards
and the turning into gardens of un-
slightly back yards, and in other ways
the making of Annapolis a cleaner,
more sanitary, more healthful and
more beautiful place in which to live.
The purposes for which this COM
mttee was formed take a wide range,
and as many of them deal with the
| surroundings of homes and things of
public import that are unsightly to the
eye and offensive to the taste, it is
fitting and desirable that we should
have not only the sympathy but the
active assistance of the ladies of the
city.
1t has been thought by the commit
tee that as an auxiliary a Women's
Civic League would find a broad and
helpful field in working with us in
Annapolis, and that perhaps the
League could better carry on its mis-
sion with the Chamber of Commerce
and the committee to receive and act
upon such of its suggestions as might
| be inconvenient or arduous for it to
put into effect. On this point how
ever. | ne ed not dwell, for whatever
may be your determination as to or
ganization and procedure, the fact
remains that in all essentials, the
League and the committee will both
be enlisted to the same ends, and
must of necessity, be helpful to and
sustain each other.
In other places, it seems to be
frequently the case that the Women S
Civic Leagues are independent or
ganizations. They model and prose-
cute their own lines of work either
alone or in conjunction with other
bodies and agencies. They have their
own methods of awakening public
sentiment, of combating nuisances
and undesirable features of neighbor-
hood or community life. Publicity
is a powerful weapon with them.
When public servants are wasteful
or neglectful, when abuses in the COM
muuity are allowed to spread, and es-
pecially when conditions which are
detrimental to comfort and convent
ence in and around the home call for
relief the protest of publicity is not
to be disregarded
There must be interest and cooper
alton among the members of the house
hold to make the dwelling all it should
be IN appearance and comfort; so in
the city, there must be a neighborly
and concerted effort, to keep the mu-
nicipality as whole in the proper de-
gree of well-being and attractiveness.
In Baltimore the Women's Civic
League is only nine months old, but il
has become distinct and influential
factor in the municipal housekeeping,
if | may use the term. The secretary
writes that 1--WE were organized foI
the purpose of making Baltimore a
better place in which to live, and we
have undertaken three lines of work
refuse disposal and street cleaning
which includes back yards and alleys
gardens, which includes backyard
gardens, window boxes and vacant lot
gardens, and smoke abatement. In
some sections of the city the preva'
|, 1 leOCe OF VOLUMES VI uCiiSE 1IOiL
factory chimneys and other sources,
permeating the air and entering into
the dwellings, has long been nui
sance and the League, taking up the
matter after the men had tried theil
hand at ir, appears to have effected
much more toward lessening the nui
sance than the men were able to do
Their work began with window boxe!
, with encouraging and assist nl
: householders, especially those whose
! premises were in view from the rear
, to put out boxes of growing flowers
on the window sills. Not only were
many people given an interest il
caring for flowers, but the aspect o,
the alleys and streets were, in som'
e portions of the city, changed b.
these little flower boxes. Transforming
= the cherries and repulsive LOOKING
= walls and window frames. The secre
tary says I'VE have not undertaken
E playground, since there lie an excel