The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-02-29
KEEPING THE
CITY clean
Settling Tho Loose Paper and
Rubbish Problem.
CHILDREN AS CIVIC GUARDS

Public School Pupils Should Be Taught
to Guard tho Trees and Flowers ot
Park and Street and Should Form
Habit Of Keeping Surroundings Neat
and Clean.
BY CLINTON ROGERS WOODRUFF
Secretary National Municipal league.
"please pick up that newspaper you
have just thrown away" said one man
to another at Jackson and Biddle
streets, in Milwaukee, one morning.
"Whyg'
IF you don't pick it up / will"
The man who had tossed his morn.
ing paper into the gutter near the
courthouse thought a moment and then
retrieved the tightly twisted paper from
the street. He thought moment and
then put it in his pocket.
Again / ask why you made this re-
quest" he said.
II ask it OF you as one citizen has a
right to ask of another citizen of our
city, was the response. Have you
not seen the articles in the newspapers
about this being the first Of three
cleaning days?'
The man who had tossed his paper
in the street admitted that he had, but
declared that he thought one moro
newspaper added to the thousands
blowing around the streets would
make but little difference. Then the
man who had requested that the paper
be picked up introduced himself as the
health commissioner of the city. The
two men shook hands, and the COM
missioner obtained warm ally In the
clean city" movement.
"Wednesday is to be children's
day" said he, according to the report
in a local paper, With the mid of the
children we VIII attack the loose paper
problem and make that y special issue
Dn Wednesday. Through the pupils
Of the schools we hope to gather up
Every bit Of loose paper, flying around
the streets ara end its power of doing
damage to. the health and beauty Of
our city. VIZ aa t5a 5a
When we have the city thoroughly
cleaned we must all assist constantly in
keeping 1t clean. Papers and rubbish
must not be tossed into the air to be
blown into our neighbor's yard, be.
cause the next change of wind may not
only give back to us all the old stuff
we have thrown away but much more
for good measure"
If, however, the health commissioner
had stopped with his plans for ''cean
up day" he would have done u piece
OF work of only moderate, very moder-
ate. Importance, for spasmodic efforts
at cleanliness are soon over and soon
forgotten. 1t is the habit of cleanli
ness that counts. and 1t Is this which
farseeing social workers are trying to
inculcate. Carol Aronov:ci, formerly
Of the bureau of social re-
search of Rhode Island and now sec
retary Of the Philadelphia Suburban
Housing association, with the coop
Grafton Of the state department of edu.
cation. has sought to accomplish this
end through the organization of the
school children as ''civic guards"
1t Is the legal duty of the teacher to
Instruct pupils in moral conduct. This
ls the iden ut the basis of the effort,
MS described by the Philadelphia com
missioner OF public schools. Walter p
Ranger, and In his judgment to no 9th
er instruction are they more respon'
sive. AS practical example of such
training, children may well be taught
to help guard the trees and flowers OF
park and street and keep places clean
for the snke of public health and beau
ty. 1t is In such service that the
school may be accounted civic guard
In all activities of the school 1t should
be remembered that the school is al
ready organized for public service
Each school is unit Of a town or city
system and part of a civic institu
tioH 1t cannot be made subordinate
part of any private organization, how.
ever benefcent. 1t owes its first ale
glance to city, statc and nation. AS
every resident is a citizen of his town
or city, so every pupil, as citizen Of
mis- school, is entitled to- an equality Of
opportunity in the life Of the school.
For these reasons the formation Of
clubs and societies among pupils, not
directly by the school and tending to
ilsorganize the school itself, seems un-
necessary.
Let the school, as whole. assume
ITS civic duties, cooperate with other
public agencies and let every pupil
share In It's civic aims. For special
ends the school will properly have Its
groups or committees Of pupils, but
they will serve in the name OF tho
school.
Boys and girls are not always care
full about the schoolyard, nor are they