THE CANADIAN II () K T I C I L T U R I S T 



87 



and stones, etc., along the banks re- 

 mained covered with a foul, unwhole 

 some and death-dealing slime. 



The people gradually became awaken 

 ed. The day previous to the election 

 large streamers were used on the street 

 cars, urging the citizens to vote for pure 

 water, better sewage system, less dis 

 eases, playgrounds, parks, beautiful 

 streets, etc. No attention was paid to 

 politics. Those men who had the wel- 

 fare of the city at heart were elected 

 and the entire project was a huge 

 success. 



The results have been greater than 

 was anticipated. In four years a filter 

 system has been installed by means of 

 which pure water is supplied. Already 

 21 miles of streets have been paved and 

 are kept perfectly clean. At first the 

 citizens on various streets rushed to the 

 city buildings to ask that their streets 

 be left out. All this is changed. More 

 paving is to be done this spring and 

 the residents rush to ask that some of 

 the work be done on their streets. 

 Slum streets have been converted into 

 veritable gardens. The railroad station 

 surroundings have been improved so 

 that the new comer is at once con- 

 vinced that Harrisburg is a lovely city. 

 Mr. McFarland pointed out that Toronto 

 Station could easily be made a place of 

 beauty. Commerce was important, but 

 to some extent should be subordinate 

 to beauty. 



A notable change has taken place 

 where the old dump shown in the ac- 

 companying illustration was in evidence 

 with its conglomeration of tin cans and 

 garbage as well as its horrible odors. 

 This has been converted into a beauti- 

 ful river front one and a quarter miles 

 long. Recently 3,800 feet have been 

 added, and this, too, will be made into 

 park ground. Grass now replaced the 

 garbage, and shrubs the tin cans. 



A formal city entrance, shown in the 

 third illustration, also has been con- 

 structed. Two stately pillars were ob- 

 tained from the old state capitol. On 

 the bases of these pillars are inscrip- 

 tions of historic importance. The sur- 

 roundings have been improved in keep- 

 ing with the importance of such an 

 entrance. 



Everything has been done quickly 

 and systematically until the city is 

 surrounded by playgrounds and park 

 grounds accessible from every point. 



The practice of butchering shade 

 trees was strongly condemned, as was 

 also the erection of signboards and 

 public dumps, which showed the lack 

 of necessary attention by the citizens 

 to public duties. Shdes were used to 

 impress the evils of these practices. 

 Telephone and telegraph companies were 

 charged with undue destruction of trees 

 in many cities and frequently in the 

 country as well. City councils were 

 advised to force these companies to 

 place the wires underground. In some 



The Unsightly Dump Transformed into a Kiver hront Park 



parts of the United States this method 

 had been tried and it was being adopted 

 altogether as the most economical. 

 City governments were advised to allow 

 none but experts to prune the shade 

 trees. Mr. McFarland said that the 

 time was not far distant when the ruth- 

 less cutting of trees would be prevented 

 by law. The management of trees 

 should be in the hands of a competent 

 person who could fight fungous and 

 insect pests, and otherwise look after 

 the best interests of these shade-pro- 

 ducing, health-giving forms of plant 

 Hfe. 



Views were shown of streets with trees 

 trimmed in telegraph pole fashion, and 

 contrasted with streets lined with shape- 

 ly trees. Streets with poles on which 

 were hundreds of wires were compared 

 with streets where all wires were under- 

 ground. It was mentioned that the 

 easiest way to make he streets of any 

 city 10 feet wider without widening the 

 street was to remove the telegraph and 

 telephone poles. Just as soon as the 

 citizens said it must be done, and cut 

 down the poles, the companies would 

 find that it was possible, and would learn 

 that it was in their own best interests. 



In illustrating and describing the 

 signboard nuisances, the utter disregard 

 of private rights in Boston and other 

 cities was shown. Such nuisances to 

 the eye should be as strongly objected 

 to as foul odors or loud noises. 



Garden plots for school children were 

 mentioned as worthy f attires of any 

 school management. The dandelion and 

 apple blossom children were much 

 superior to those brought up in the 

 gutter. Each city should provide some- 

 thing better than dirty lanes and dreary 

 school vards for the children. Parks 



were cheaper than policemen. If the 

 children were to be allowed to become 

 wild and reckless parks should not be 

 sustained. In the winter the same 

 parks could be used for curling and 

 tobogganing. 



Mr. McFarland referred to the annual 

 pilgrimage to Paris and to Rome to see 

 the beauties of those cities. American 

 cities could be made as great centres 

 of attraction if the citizens submitted 

 to spending money that would return 

 tenfold because of the increased number 

 of visitors. Besides there was the satis- 

 faction of living in a beautiful city. In 

 Harrisburg the housing problem, as 

 well as walks, lawns, flowers, trees, etc., 

 was being given thoughtful attention. 

 Each city must be beautified in its own 

 way. No two cities could be treated 

 similarly. Nature unadorned proved 

 to be most attractive. Harrisburg in 

 four years had done great work. To- 

 ronto or any other city could do as well 

 or better if an earnest effort were made. 

 The taxes had made no appreciable 

 increase. In 1902 the rate for city 

 purposes was 7^ mills, whereas in 1906 

 it was but 8 mills. Citizens had been 

 assured that the increase would not be 

 over three and a half mills; insteadjfit 

 had increased only one-half mill. In 

 return for this extra levy they had pure 

 water and hence less disease: they had 

 an excellent sewage system, beautiful 

 streets, beautiful parks, and a general 

 change for the better in and around the 

 city. Mr. McFarland closed by saying 

 he was proud of the development in his 

 city, and hoped that the success follow- 

 ing efforts put forth there would stimu- 

 late other cities and towns to do likewise. 



The president of the society, Mr. 

 Frankland, urged Toronto citizens to 



