Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-31
RECORD OF MERTON
IN WAR IS BRILLIANT
Sixth Annual Report of Civic Asso-
citation Shows Work Done
for Victory

Merton. the suburb beautiful. with a rec
ord for war and peace community service
that has placed it among the notable places
OF America. is again checking up on itself.
: The sixth annual report of the Merton
civic Association has just been made public
by Edward Box. president It tells Of an
other year of achievement by this Main Line
town, which Mr.. Box describes as "com-
munity with civic sense and a national
conscience
Ihis is the community where wealthy resi-
dents have united to make their home town
the finest possible in every civic and com
munlty sense. Before the war these Merton
citlzens took over the. political and civic
control OF their home and made it beauti-
ful and hcalthful place to live in. During
the war they turned these community
energies into remarkable results in war work
Merlon,s war record is inspiring. The
town sent eighty two men into service, of
whom four lost their lives. The Merton
Red Cross turned out lis ,071 articles. The
town gave $685. IS in the campaigp for the
National Red Cross Fund and 5000. SO for
local work $3,300 for Y. NJ. G. A. war
work; SlS3.126.D to the war chest, and
subscribed $2.6OS,600 in the Liberty Loan
campaigns. The Merton Troop of Boy
scouts earned letters of commendation from
secretary McAdoo and Secretary Glass for
work IN various loans, by which they raised
~ ,922 400 of the subscription credited to
Merton.
What Association Accomplished
Here is list of things Gone or caused
TO be- done by the Merton Civic Association
Inc most adequate fire hydrant system of
any nelghboring suburb, taxicab service, no
pubic dumps, litter cans-twenty two of
them on the highways, miles of new road,
win start made to have all new roadways
laid from curb to curb thus eliminating all
expense of cutters to property owners uni
form sidewalks, edges and fences set back
at corners to eliminate dangers TO pedestrians
and motorists. bulletin boards of cast iron
with cork faces for the posting of notices.
Ninety seven road signs erected entirely
at the expense of the association. SO that
Merton is the only community on the Main
Line that has every road marked 1877 street
lamps. pronounced by experts to be the most
beautiful and practical lamps ever designed
Tor any community. Cast iron signs of artis-
tic design, warning motorists to blow horn
or reduce speed: the association added to the
safety of the children of Merton by having
the speed limit reduced from twenty four to
fifteen miles an hour on three main roads.
Five boundary signs, showing the boundaries
of Merton, erected for the convenience of
motorists. More than 200 bird houses.
thirty war gardens titled by men and women
employed in Merton homes. the crops going
to the farmers The association financed
the starting of them. ,-
Other Achievements
Here are some other things the Merton
Civic Association has done:
Signed contract by which the electric
and telephone companies will, in time, both
string on one set of poles, instead of two as
now, eliminating highway poles. Has start
ed to remove every electric light and tcle-
phone pole from the roads of Merton.
Has regular monthly analysis made by
an expert chemist of the water supplied to
Merton homes.
Abolished the tollgates on Lancaster and
Montgomery pixies.
Changed the method of lighting the roads
from gas to electricity.
Started uniform tree planting of roads.
Has had path made through the snow
on every sidewalk after each snowfall