The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-10-26
City Takes Inventory
OF Its Social Condition

However, this only wnetted public curl
osity and the mass meeting held to hear
| the surveyors reports was very well at
| tended
The survey of Newburgh has accom-
plished two definite things. 1t has pro-
vided an educational force and has helped
| to arouse new public interest in civic
affairs. 1t has supplied the city with a
comprehensive unified and carefully
worked out programme for civic advance.
| But ultimate results come only from pub
-lieity and from cooperation by the city
itself
The surveyors did not themselves make
| changes; they only showed needs and
pointed out means for meeting them. The
| power to make changes lies with local
citizens and 1t is follow-up work that
makes a survey effective. Newburgh is
responding we'll in this direction. Indi-
viduals and organizations are taking up
different survey suggestions as their
tasks. Mayor Corwin and the water
board have made improvement of the
water supply their duty.
| No survey finding aroused more oppo-
sition than that which showed New
burgh's typhoid death rate to be more
than twice that of the whole state and
which suggested the water supply as the
cause. It even xindled the ire of Mayor
John B. Corwin, who had not been un-
| favorable to the survey, and he set out
to defend the city water. With DIR. Tai
cote o. Vanamee. health officer, he in
! spected the watershed himself. He came
back convinced that need for improve
ment was pressing, and through his ini-
tiative extensive plans have been put on
| foot which, IL carried to fruition, will
guarantee Newburgh an. uncontaminated
water supply, will save lives, and will
protect the city from like criticism in the
| future.
Ff|t.
| NEE have taken up the establishing of
milk station. Leaders In the Ministerial
association have shown interest in Sc
curing for the city a paid probation Of
| ficer. Clearly social survey, If II does
not Itself make changes In city's life,
| is stimulus to progressive civic en-
deavor.
each published cartoon. One represe-
sented Father Newburgh watching the
| departure of the surveyor. The old col
onial gentleman was bespattered with
| mud and held in his hand paper labeled
character with black daub upon it's
surface. With an expression of bewild-
erment he was represented as saying,
And to think paid him for itl''
! The second cartoon represented citi-
zen looking at the exhibit of survey find-
| iugs across the front of which is shown
large arrow pointing to civic progress.
| 1t was labeled, THAT doesn't look like
a hammer to me-"
| The two pictures represent the contend
ing views of two groups of Newburgh's
| citizens which came to the clashing
point when two prominent merchants
summarily removed the survey exhibit
from their store windows. This incident
and the Newburgh survey are particular
| ly interesting because In every city are
| to be found these same two groups-the
element which would suppress knowledge
| of the citys weaknesses for fear of in
juring her reputation, and the element
which is willing to face the facts as
| means to secure sound civic advance.
Is 1t worth while for city to face the
! facts? Newburgh has answered the ques-
tion affirmatively. Many other cities are
following suit. In every city. as in New
burgh, there are those who fear the facts
and prefer tranquility to progress. But
In many cities q larger group is asking
that facts regarding community life be
accurately gathered, inteligently inter-
preted and that comprehensive and uni
fed programme for civic progress be
! formulated 1t is encouraging to note
! that in this latter group are to be found
men and women of large means and
abilties-suceessful manufacturers. mer-
chants, labor leaders, professional men,
and prominent church and social workers.