The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-07-08
IN SOCIAL SURVEYS
Facts of City Conditions Ne
ceSSary as Basis for Civic
Progress.
(By SHELBY Nj. HARRISON

sS tbC hict 7tVp III IIfdhlnS our CITIES
towns and villages better places in
which to live. The day of boasted
bigness. of superficial pride, and of
unintellgent Complacency is passing
The day Of the social survey as q
scientific way a city may know itself
as at hand. Leading citizens and or
carnations, who once looked askance
at exposures and 'muck-rakine"
have come to understand the con
StruCtive value of a survey and now
take active part in efforts to hay one
made in their locality.
Since 1909, when the first reports
appeared OF the PITTSBURGH Survev
the first undertaking of the kind in
this country, cities in two-thirds of
the States have become interested.
Nearly a score of cities have actually !
completed surveys. So great became |
The interest. and SO argent the desire
for scientific ~thoroughness in the
work, that the Russell Sage F'ounda-
ton last October organized q Depart
ment Of Surveys and Exhibits. In
these nine months Over one hundred
cities-from Halifax to San Diego.
and Atlanta to ndian Head, Sas-
katchewan-have asked for SURVEYS
or advice in starting local survey
movements. In many cases euuests |
are backed by local commercial or
carnations, chambers of commerce
and boards Of trade Business men
are recognizing the commercial value
of healthier. better and more COM
Portable developing conditions for all
the city's dwellers.
The Essence of The Idea
The sen Of the survey idea rests
on a recognition Of important changes
in una relationships due to ire
mendous industrial development, the
cityward movement, immigration, the
influr Of men in industry and other
causes. With these changes have
come new problems calling for new
diagnosis and study to learn whether
the old machinery for Individual and
social advance is fitting the new needs.
whether the community has been
keeping abreast of scientific progress.
We have been experimenting with in
struments to get at, register and in
ferpret the situation. The creation of
the new department in h Russell
Sage Foundation may be regarded as
recognizing in a new n larger way
than heretofore the survey as an or
gained method OF social discovery and
h exhibit as an agency for popular
Interpretation. Their usefulness has
been demonstrated as les to be
employed in auditing present eff
cheney, in securing corrective action
and in constructive planning for the
future.
The responses of the Department Of
Surveys and Exhibits to the requests
from cities have been determined by
Of the proposed survey and its prob
able influence on other cities. As to
timelinoss, consideration is made Of
the probability Of tho project being
adequately financed and of its receiv-
ting representative local backing. II
n survey to be willing to pay for it.
especially when all overhead charges
are borne by IN outside organization,
1T Is considered not ready for a sur
yey. .
advance the well being not OF any
particular interest or set OF interests,
but of the community as generally as
possible. he survey is an EFFORT to-
ward q democratic solution OF local
problems, and therefore must be
shouldered by representatives OF al
interests and groups in the population
Emphasis has been laid upon the i'm
portance of the work being done BY
persons with adequate training n ex
perience. Emphasis has also beer
placed upon the importance of coop
hat the local program following thu
survey, whether it involves housing
organized charity, prison reform. o.
other SPECIAL effort, will be IN mar
mony with the standards set up D.
the national organizations in the vari
Gus fields.
Why Repeat Surveys.
The question has sometimes bee
raised. why make surveys over am
over again in cities all over the coun
try Won't a few sample survey
cover practically all the city problem
and thus supply to an cities the prop
er programs for improvement Blu
conditions vary in different cities, an
the citizens of one locality will not o
convinced Of a local public health {
recreation problem merely becAAs
some other city in a distant state ha
one. Each city will no and Shout
not be satisfied unless the stud
made Of it's W actual conditions
The surveys conducted by the d
partment OF Surveys and Exhibi,
nave thus far taken four geuefS
fnrna Tha first IN a Quick neighhQ