Evening star., 1935-11-12
Transient Residents, the
Nations City and Trash
To the Editor OF The Star:

To many of us who are lifelong resi-
dents of Washington the present slovenly
and unkempt condition of the city Is a
constant source of annoyance and regret
Many of us remember the time, not SO
very long ago, when Washington as
city prided itself on it's clean streets and
clean buildings; when we had a regular
system of street cleaning, and our build
ings were not made unsightly by the un-
necessary CRIME of soft coal SCOT. Today
Washington as city seems to be steadily
growing more indifferent as to its ap-
pearance, more Slovenly and careless in
it's habits, and this condition seems to
be aggravated in proportion to the in
crease in it's transient population. In
driving about the city one is impressed
with the SelfishneSs and lack Of consid-
Grafton of citizens who drop everything
they no longer want right where they
Stand-torn up letters, envelopes from
letters, bits of wrappers from various
eatableS, banana peels, etc. The list
might be heightened out indefinitely to
include old shoes, odds and ends of wear
ing apparel no longer wearable, worm
out cooking utensils, old stoves, empty
boxes, and last but not least, full-sized
Christmas trees tin season.. Nice ap-
pearing automobiles pass through our
streets shedding from their windows
various bits of trash which the occupants
want to dispose of Immediately and
throw out on our streets.
Our residents no longer consider it
necessary, or courteous, apparently, to
sweep their pavementS, and so make a
more cleanly and comfortable place to
fnr thnca u,hn thpnn II ic
true that there are many people who are
not at all disturbed by these things, and
we wonder at the type of mentality that
can be at home In such conditions.
Is there no longer any appropriation
for cleaning our streets and parks? II
not, or if it is inadequate, why not put to
good use some of the money for which no
good use can seem TO be found at present
in doing some really useful work of this
kind? There is a great deal OF flounderlng
around in search of useful projects"
when some of the most obvious and
necessary things are entirely neglected.
Why not use some of these emergency
funds to establish an incinerator for the
capital city?
The few beauty spots within the city
are fast disappearing. Our parks are
less attractive than ever before, not only
from lack of Identification and cultiva-
ton, but from neglect-or perhaps from
lack of system. One of the most beauti-
full breathing places in Washington,
which used to be a delight to many with
It's charm of old-fashioned blossoms and
wonderful trees and natural rolling
ground-the space in front of the Agrl-
culture Department-haS been turned
into a mere artery for traffic, geometric,
level, denuded, unintereSting. Numbers
of lovely trees moved from the Mall in
the heat of last Summer and allowed TO
stand and dry out before being planted
in Lafayette Square are SO much dead
wood now.
A civic pride which would find express
sion in bringing out beauty and cleanli-
ness would inevitably induce better
state of activity and prosperity and be
conducive to greater happiness and COM
fort for the community
VERA E. ADAMS.