The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-04-14
OUR CITY BEAUTIFUL

The movement for our city beauti-
full is gaining momentum. The Fed
Grafton chairman OF this commlttee,
Mrs. Mears, recognizing the fact that
first impressions are hard 10 erase
planned 10 begin at the depot park,
and after interviews and correspond
ence with the railroad people, and the
re-widening of some railroad red tape,
she secured a lease of it to the city
for five years at the nominal sum OF
II dollar per year, which the acting
official offered TO pay himself-and
full permission to make such changes
in it as are desired. AS the time is
%opportune this work should be begun
at once. There are doubtless retired
farmers, or perhaps experienced gar
deners, who would furnish the work
and subsequent care required, as an
a~vocation furnishing a small and wei
come addition to an income that is not
TOO large for the times.
Our college hOrticulturiSt of inter
national fame has made available to
us hardy ornamental trees and shrubs
brought from far Siberia and else
where, which would add the interest
Of the new and strange, a. well as
the desired beauty, and which through
the association Of ideas, might I'M
press the observers with the distin-
guished services rendered by DR.. Han
sen to the state of South Dakota and
her State college, and through them
to the country at large. And, now
and here, perish the thought OF
changing the name of this Land of
the Dacotas" SO celebrated in song
and story. There seems to be a CO.
ordination in this movement for a
beautiful city that spells ultimate sue
cess. The Civic League and the Com
mercial Club, working separately and
together, are evolving a plan for the
disposal of the city garbage TO bring
before the city commissioners which
they hope to have crystalized into an
ordinance, thus providing for the
city beautiful.
Then, too, the w. G. r. L. inspired
by the great need of bird ~conserya-
ton in our state delegated some OF
its members to cooperate with teach
ers of the schools to this end, with the
result that the manual training boys
have made a large number of bird
houses from the material furnished
them which are to be put up in public
places about the city hat these help
full little brothers Of the air may
find homes and shelters in our midst,
and thereby help to educate children
and adults to the great value, econom-
ic as well as aesthetic, of having a
thriving bird population. There is a
shortage both as to variety and num-
bers in our bird population, unwar-
ranted by our latitude or local condi.
tons, which a better appreciation CT
bird life would oon remedy, for they
soon learn where there is welcome and
safety for them.
In view of the seriousness of condi-
tons in the electric light plant just
now one naturally harks back to the
impracticability and want of vision
manifested by our legislature in turn
ing down the project for development
of the states water power, after the
expense of expert investigation and
the great promise of the verdict rem
dered. Imagine a cost of IL cents
per kilowat compared to the cost in
volved in our city plant, what it would
mean to BrOokings in reduced taxa
ton or in the saving of none for
vital needs now halted for lack of
funds. What it would mean, too, to
the individual users actual and pros
pective. Then think what it might
save TO other cities similarly situated
and in the aggregate to the state as a
whole. This may sound like faultfind-
ing but We need to remember that in
the last analysis the people are to
blame since they are the ultimate
power in the state. But it is time that
public opinion be organized and hap
hazard methods of public business be
abandoned. Then fimsy pretexts will
not serve as excuses, for neglect of
duty.
w. s. S.