568 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



President Johnson has focused the attention of the Nation on the 

 need to preserve our heritage of beauty. We believe the cleanup of 

 existing litter is a prerequisite to our beautification program. Ab- 

 stinence from littering is equally essential if the fruits of beautifica- 

 tion are to be enjoyed in urban or in rural areas. 



I believe several points warrant further emphasis: 



1. A continuous program of public education is essential since 

 we surely recognize we cannot count on instant acceptance and 

 practice of any phase of the beautification effort. Experienced 

 friends in the teaching profession tell us that creation of the habit 

 of nonlittering, and thereby recognizing the importance of beauty 

 and cleanliness, is a significant process. Ideally, education will 

 start at an early age and be continuous. 



2. Obviously, positive citizen action will be fostered with the avail- 

 ability of adequate collection and disposal facilities in every litter- 

 prone area. 



3. Citizen action will flower most profusely with proper rec- 

 ognition and awards to groups and individuals who accomplish 

 commendable projects. Again, here we believe it is important that 

 antilitter work, which can be effectively performed by Boys' Clubs, 

 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Future Homemakers, and Future Farm- 

 ers, should be recognized with appropriate awards. You will agree 

 that mature folks like recognition and awards, too. 



4. Citizen action will support the adoption and proper enforce- 

 ment of legislation to penalize willful offenders. 



Other recommendations are included in the KAB Community 

 Organization Guide, copies of which have been distributed here to- 

 day. We believe that, properly motivated, every American can 

 become personally aware of his individual responsibility to help 

 insure the success of beautification programs upon which we are 

 embarked. 



Mr. TERRELL. It is people who contaminate our rivers and 

 streams. It is people who litter our streets and highways. It is 

 people who desecrate our natural beauty. It will be people not 

 commissioners who will plant the trees. And it will be people not 

 agencies who will beautify. Natural beauty therefore has to be 

 a people program. 



While the White House Conference on Natural Beauty has set 

 the stage and provides the national platform, it will merely be an ex- 

 ercise in rhetoric if leadership is not provided to implement programs 



