The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-06
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A ION
BUREAU
FREDERIC ]. HAsKIN. Director.
uazhgn~f,p N q
UNCLE SAM IN EVERY TOWN.
Washington. D. c.

| d
son G. Streeter of that city was elected
| community secretary" in the pay OF
the JRited States government. i
/ To the so-called average citizen VINO
knows that there are already more
war organizations than he can re-
member the names of, and that all OF
them want money, it may seem that
! another is unnecessary. But TINS
| newest one is a peace as well as a
war organization. And 1t does not
want money; it wants only co-oeera-
ton. Its ultimate purpose. is to place
a paid representative of the federal
government in every community in the
United States, for the purpose of help
ing people to understand and use their
national government at washington
Every American citizen of organizing
ability-and the war has brought
them forth in every part of the coun-
try-should know of this plan and
consider it's applicability to his own
home town.
Friendliness is the middle name of
this national plan of community ora
fganization, which Mr.. Edward j.
Ward. specialist in community organ
ization for the bureau OF education,
instituted in Bridgeport. with the ac-
tive assistance of Miss Margaret Will
son, daughter of the president. who
has given much of her time to the
work. From Bridgeport the plan will
be- extended to other cities. and event.
ually. it is believed, will become ma
ton wide in scope.
The essential feature of the plan is
that the community in each school
district in the city organizes in its
school building, and elects, in ad-
dition to the usual officers, a conn
munity secretary" who therefore be-
comes at once the servant of his
neighbors and functionary of the
United States government. with his
compensation paid in part from WASH
1 n srtO IN he at
ular intervals to discuss all matters of
common interest, but especially, at
this time, the work which it can do in
aid of the United States government in
its prosecution of the war. ,
Here is where the government par
) ticularly comes in. Mr.. Streeter, as
community secretary of the Maple
wood community in Bridgeport, has
already been made the local agent of
the committee on public information.
He will receive and in community
meeting present such messages as the
government, thru the committee,
: wishes to communicate to the people.
| Pamphlets of warning against German
5 propaganda. explanation Of our war
aims, and the like, will be consigned to
him for local circulation.
But this Is not all. The community
! organization is also cooperating in
the conservation of food and fuel, in
the sale of liberty loan bonds and war
savings stamps, in assistance to the
Red Cross and the commission on
training activities. 1t has the follow
ing standing committees: The food
and fuel committee, the Investment
: and savings committee, the health and
Red Cross committee. the recreation
, committee. the child welfare commit
tee and the executive committee. 9th
er committees may be appointed as the
occasion requires. Each of these COM
: mittees, thru the community'secretary
receives information and requests from
the government, which it thereupon
proceeds to impart to the community
meeting and put into effect in the
, most feasible way. For example, if
Mr.. Hoover requests that the country
save a certain amount of wheat, the
community may ask it's food and fuel
committee to obtain a domestic science
lecturer to talk to the housewives Of
the community and instruct them in
the preparation of wheatless meals Or
} again, if the commission on training
f camp activities requests the city to or
-. Sanize entertainment for the soldiers
in Bridgeport, the community organ
ization will instruct it's health and Red
81 Cross committee to call for volunteers
and assign to each his share of the
work
: THE local community ASSOCIATION
1 provides an agency which the national
IL
f asks that a thing be done, the COM
munity is in position to guarantee
that it will be done.
Hitherto the government has had
no permanent local organization like
this. 1t has had to speak to the peo-
pie thru the newspapers. Special
committees pass away when their
/ work is done, and give place to 9TH
ers. Newspapers, tho they can edu-
2 cate. cannot organize the people for
definite work. The community or
sanitation. holding the confidence of
its members from year to year, can
!, both educate and organize. 1t does
, not speak to the people. It is the peo-
pie. And in it's midst, week after
week. is Uncle Sam, personified in one
2 of the neighbors. personally known
and trusted by all.
, But war work, tho the most i'm
. portant, is not the only subject of de-
liberation by the community. There
! are local questions to be considered
cleanup" days, playground matters
and the like. Whatever concerns the
community is grist for this commu-
nifty mill.v
: Still this is not all It is part of
5 the theory on which the community
| organization is based, that the schools
belong to the people, and the people
should have the use of them for every
lawful purpose. The local schools
therefore, are placed at the service of
any groups in the community which
want to use them, at any time when
they are nor otherwise in USE A
n group of persons wishing to hold a
meeting for any lawful purpose what
soever has only to apply to the COM
munfty secretary, who will thereupon
4 assign them school room as request
Il ed. Here political, economic or social
questions of any kind will be dis
cussed, lectures given, debates held or
: resolutions adopted
In Bridgeport. the schools have I'M
DER this system been thrown open to
the workers in the munition plants
. for the selection of committees to deal
on their behalf with the employers, 1t
: was, in fact the need of this "collec-
tive bargaining system: instituted I'M
der the auspices of the national wa r