The bee., 1916-04-07
KEEPING THE
CITY CLEAN
Settling the Loose Paper and
Rubbish Problem.
CHILDREN As CIVIC GUARDS

to Guard the Trees and Flowers Of
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.
"Why?"
"If you don't pick It up 1 will"
The man who had tossed his morn
ing paper into the gutter near the
courthouse thought moment and then
retrieved the tightly twisted paper from
the street He thought a moment and
then put It in his pocket.
"Again 1 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 daysT
The man who had tossed his paper
in the street admitted that he had, but
declared that he thought one more
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 a warm ally In the
"clean city" movement.
"wednesday is to be children's
day." said he, according to the report
in local paper. with the aid Of the
children we will attack the loose paper
problem and make that a special issue
on Wednesday. Through the pupils
Of the schools we hope to gather up
every bit of loose paper flying around
the streets and end its power Of doing
damage to the health and beauty of
our city.
"When we have the city thoroughly
cleaned we must all assist constantly in
keeping it 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 stun
we have thrown away, but much more
for good measure"
If, however, the health commissioner
had stopped with his plans for ''clean
up day" he would have done a piece
Of work Of only moderate. very mOder-
ate, importance, for spasmodlc efforts
at cleanliness are soon over and soon
forgotten. It is the habit OF cleanli-
ness that counts, and it is this which
farseelng social workers are trying to
inculcate. Carol Aronovici, formerly
director 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
is the idea at the basis Of the effort,
as described by the Philadelphia com
missioner of public schools, Walter e.
Ranger, and in his judgment to no 9th
er instruction are they more respon-
sive. AS a 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 sake 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 it should
be remembered that the school is al
ready organized for public service.
Each school is a unit of town or city
system and a part Of civic institu-
tion. 1t cannot be made a subordinate
part Of any private organization, how
ever benehcent. 1t owes its first allie
glance to city. state and nation. AS
every resident is a citizen of his town
or city, so every pupil, as citizen OF
his 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
disorganize the school itself, seems un-
necessary.
Let the school. as a whole. assume
its civic duties. cooperate with other
public agencies and let every pupil
share I'm its civic aims. For special
ends the school win properly have its
groups or committees Of pupils, but
they viii serve IN the name Of the
school
Boys and girls are not always care
ful about the schoolyard, nor are they
careful about the streets which lead
from their homes TO school Perhaps
they would not be so careless II they
realized that the street is the hallway
which connects the school and the
home, and that the careless throwing
OF papers and rubbish into the street
means dirty streets, papers flying all
about and dust that gets into the eyes
and noses and thrOats OF DeODle often