The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-07-10
A NEW SPIRIT IN
CIVIC BETTERMENf

Noble Foster Hoggson, President
Hoggson Brothers, New York City,
Civic improvements should not ne
cessarily mean the enchantment of a
city's scheme of beautihcatioT through
governmental action. 1t might'he quite
the contrary. The effort of the indi-
vidual ought to signify as much in
spirit, at least, as the concerted ef-
fort of a community. 1t is the indl-
vidual spirit that is important. Let
that spirit be given expression and
it's effect should be of real value. 1t
shows the need and leads the way.
The point however. is this: Efforts
following along this line of least re-
sistance, though highly laudable in
themselves, most often are so thor
oughly individual and disconnected
that results little or no relationship
between older buildings and new
structures erected, or between the new
structures themselves. And of course
there is no unity of the whole.
The defect has been lack of cooper
alton: the failure to bring about con-
certed action of property owners IN
the Improvements and Identification OF
their own holdings to harmonic with
their surroundings. Certain Euro
pea countries in an effort to solve
this problem, have created commits
sions not unlike our Building Depart
ments, but which have broader scope
and power, whose function it is to
look the aesthetic as we'll as the prac-
tical phrases of any proposed improve
ment in it's larger relationship to the
neighboring setting and surroundings.
Here in America many Of the lar
ger cities have created Town Planning
bodies. This move, at least, is con-
structive That it is too late to undo
much of the harm already suffered
only adds emphais to the need. The
problem now Is not so much to cor
rect past mistakes Of others-that
cannot be done-as it is to soften .he
uglv scarifcations, and plan for fu-
ture growth. These organizations are
concerned, for the nost part, with
the preservation of park areas and
the creation of new parks, drives and
occasionally new civic centres.
1t is the smaller and suburban towns
that present the greater opportunities.
Here the larger aspects can be cons1d-
cred. They have not sinned beyond
redemption. Still better, they want
to be saved. The altered attitude OF
the last ten or fifteen years in regard
to taxation imposed for civic improve
ments of municipality to expend any
fair sum of money on parks, for in
stance, was met with most violent
opposition. This is particularly true in
one city in the Middle West that nov
boasts of the finest system of parks
and drives in this country. Here the
opposition at first was vitriolic.
At the same time the downtown
section of that city is about as ugly
and unattractire as any of the numer-
Gus ugly and unattractive business
districts in most American cities. NO
attention was paid to establishing a
small park or breathing spot anywhere
| near the heart of the town, nor was
anv necessity seen for civic centre.
! There has been and still is woefu]
lack Of constructive imagination in
connection with consistent and united
and comprehensive civic improve
1ne,t. It is not that we lack vision
a!ona-to let the ideal picture N our
minds satisfy our sense OF need
rather than taEe action to transform
J il ITO an actually.