Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-05

should be as there are people, and their
ideas would be based upon that which
they most desired and that in Which
they were most interested. For this
reason no unusual effort is made IN
any one direction or upon any one
thing, hence We gain and improve
slowly upon all lines.
In order to make rapid progress ev-
cry. citizen should interest himself in
public affairs. He should study con-
ditions, moral and financial, and be-
come familiar with all departments
and their needs. We do this in a
general way but do not go into 1t deep
enough to thoroughly understand
them. l presume every member of this
club is familiar with the arrangement
but / would like to know how many or
our citizens know that Augusta does
not own the city building, that it is
owned by the Augusta Building Co., a
corporation whose stock is generally
distributed, that the city pays four
per cent on the stock which is the
cost of the building and keeps the
building in repair with an option OF
purchasing it. The arrangement is all
right and a good one for the city. In
fact the city needed the building and
| it could be built in no other way ow-
ing to the constitutional debt limit of
five per cent, but l mention it to il
( lustrate how little attention is given
by the public to city affairs. The city
solicitor is now revising the charter
and ordinances which will be pub
lished during the coming year. In
this revision will be found all the con-
tracts and leases of the city and l
hope every citizen will study it care
fully and become familiar with it's pro-
! visions.
Under our form of government the
people get about what the majority
want for if an administration does
not give it they will elect officers who
| will, so the character of the people,
their morals, their wishes and pro-
greSsiveness, are reflected in the char
acter. appearance and government of
the town.
Augusta has a wonderful spirit
which has been stimulated and arous-
ed during the last few months as new
er before. This great world war which
is breaking down old prejudices and
| litical and economic situations which
! will afford wonderful opportunities for
advancement, particularly in moral
and social conditions. This splendid
public spirit which has been aroused
by the war and is providing fo~ its
needs should not be allowed to rest at
its close but should be diverted to
other channels and what better or
| larger field of usefulness can be found
than civic improvements and commun-
ity betterment for the management
and success Of n city is not a one
man proposition alone? nor a PROPOSE
ton for d small group Of men alone;
1t is one Of cooperation and needs the
cooperation of every citizen to attain
the highest degree of efficiency. for
city needs at all times the support of
all her people, and all the facilities
which can be placed at its disposal.
The value and necessity Of co-opera
ton was illustrated in a very practical
way at a dinner given by the Boston
Chamber of Commerce.
Two clocks We're placed on the wall
of the dining room. The clock on the
left was running along merrily. 1t
was ticking away. the wheels were
turning and everything apparently in
perfect order, but the hands were not
moving The second clock was an eX-
act duplicate of the first. 1t was tick
ing away running along, wheels turn
ing apparently the same as the first
but the hands We're moving.
The works of both clocks were ex-
posed to view and examination dis
closed the fact that two wheels were
slightly apart in the first clock, con-
sequcntly the wheels did not engage
and for want of this the clock was a
failure: in other words, there was no
cooperation. Now, nearly every IN
dustry, business and profession in
Augusta is ably represented in this
. club. Every man is q booster. He is
a thorough Rotarian, full of that splon-
did spirit of Rotary which Sam 50
wisely and gracefully keeps before US
all the time. There is enough force
IN this club, with the Influence 1t can
command to accomplish anything but
impossibilities. There is cooperation
here. The success of the club proves
it beyond a doubt. A little leaven
leavens the whole loaf and l urge you
to extend the splendid spirit we have
in this club to the entire community
to the end that we have q better city
if possible. than we now have. ] do
not mean for YOU to encourage our
citizens to boost for any one man
or any set OF men, encourage them to
boost for our city. Impress upon
them that this is their city, that they
---uld safeguard its interests and that
no man should place his personal in
terests, financial or otherwise, ahead
of the interests of the city. Talk up
the question of civic improvements, of
granolithic walks-if this club is in
strumental in placing continuous gran
olithic walks upon our principal streets
it will have accomplished a worth
while work which will stand to its
credit for generations.
Encourage our citizens to talk Au
guSta. it's attractions and advantages
When strangers visit our city, tell
them to call attention to our points of
interest-Fort Western-the route of
Arnold's eXpedition-the home of
Biaine-the distinguished men Angus
Ia has produced-our magnificent
churches-our Y. NJ. G.. .A--our com
Portable homes-our cotton mills--our
shoes factories-our pulp and paper
mils-our publishing houses our
library-the State House-our splen
did business street, the finest OF any
city of its size in all New England,