The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-05-23

All towns are In about the same
condition at the same time, and the
conditions complained Of exist in
varying degrees all up and down the
valley and probably all over the
state. Blackfoot is probably little
better or little worse than the others,
and just now is a good time to do
little thinking and some planning.
We may not recite just what 1t
is that our neighboring town is ex-
cited about, but certainly there have
been clouds on their horizon as their
court records show, and our own
officers and records can tell of de-
linquencies and trips to the reform
school and parties given or "held"
In which some members of the family
take, precautions to keep the other
members Of the family from knowing
all that transpires or how thirsty
they got. The wide margin between
curfew and the retiring Of old and
young from public places and from
streets, does not bespeak moderation
and temperate conduct any more
than does the presence of so many
stills and the almost honorable dis
tinction of having bottle handy.
We do not propose to lay It all
upon the young people so long as
.gr0wn-ups act so well the part of
large children, setting the examples
which the smaller and younger set
emulate.
School is out now and there is a
lot of pent-up energy released to
engage In some form Of activity, and
it will depend on the parents and
the community generally as to how
1t Is expended. If 1t finds interesting
or useful tasks to engage It's atten-
ton for several hours In the fore
noon, some time for leisure and en-
joyment in the afternoon, and a good
chance to 60 to bed soon after dark,
that will be about the best program
to insure happy outcome and an
automatic reward.
If there are eight hundred homes
, In Blackfoot, there ere five hundred
in need Of a severe cleanup program
done in a vigorous manner that does
not contemplate finishing all in one
day or week, but settled cam
paign of Improvement. There are
probably two hundred that need the
finishing touches of cleanup, and
another fifty that afford ample room
for some improvements in addition
to the cleanup already completed.
It would be a fine, thoughtful SER
vice for the young folks who have
been afforded a complete and ex-
pensive-almost luxurious school
service for the year at public ex-
pense, to spend a week or two in
making all the homes as nice look
ing as they could. Boys can dig
and build and repair and use paint
brushes. Girls can clean house and
tint and paper and yarnish and mend
old clothes and cook for hungry boys.
There is a good opportunity right
now for the young folks to express
sincere thinks to their parents and
to the community for the little king
dom they have enjoyed at school at
the expense of the bread winners and
tax payers, and if they buckle into
the tasks suggested, the doing of the
tasks will be replete with a satisfac-
ton that will be pleasing reward
Besides that, the satisfaction will be
lasting and automatically repeated
from week to week as they view the
better conditions which their work
as made.
If any one has been waiting and
wondering why the city does not do
this or that, it is the wrong attitude.
This is a good time to put 1--WE"
in place of "city1 and lay siege to
the task and keen at it until it is
done. 1t may b6 the city's place
to do it or part of it, but we are
the city, each of us is a fraction of
it, and when each one does his bit
the total will be done.
Let's just omit all further men
tion of dangerous conditions So
cially, and put on working clothes
and work just hard enough so that
9 o'clock and curfew will suggest
the accustomed couch as the most
desirable place there is, and all the
rest will take care of itself.
When the town is properly cleaned
- and gardens all made and
watered, there should be a series of
rublic picnics where everybody can
have a bushel of fun, and that will
20 long way toward adjusting ''con-
d:tions."