NATION-WIDE CIVIC BETTERMENT 



5 



J. Horace McFarland, Harrisburg, Penn- 

 svlvania; first vice-president^ Edmund J. 

 James, Chicago, Illinois; second vice- 

 president, Mrs. Lonis Marion McCall, St. 

 Louis, Missouri; third vice-president. 

 Gen. William J. Palmer, Colorado 

 Springs, Colorado: treasurer, Morton D. 

 Hull, Chicago, Hlinois; corresponding 

 secretary, Charles Zueblin, University of 

 Chicago; recording secretary, 0. McGr. 

 Howard, Chicago, Hlinois; field secretary, 

 E. G-. Eoutzahn, Springfield, Ohio; Mrs. 

 Cone Hamlin, St. Paul ; Edwin L. Shuey, 

 Dayton, Ohio; Clement Studebaker, Jr., 

 South Bend, Indiana; Frank Chapin 

 Bray, Chicago, Illinois; Mrs. W. E. D. 

 Scott, Princeton, Xew Jersey; Mrs. Percy 

 T. Pennybacker, Austin, Texas; Albert 

 Kelsey, Philadelphia. 



The Committee on Eesolutions reported 

 a resolution of sympathy for the president 

 on the abrupt termination of his AYestern 

 trip, and expressed the hope that he might 

 be present at the next annual convention 

 of the League. The following resolutions 

 were also reported and the committee rec- 

 ommended their adoption, and reference 

 to the proper section councils of the 

 League for elaboration and presentation 

 to the proper bodies for carrying into 

 effect. 



"The American League for Civic Improve- 

 ment notes with great pleasure the very 

 general approval which has marked the pub- 

 lic reception of the suggestions for a 'model 

 city' exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition, first 

 made at the Buffalo convention of the 

 League. Recognizing the great importance 

 of this municipal art and science exhibit and 

 its preparation and development in a prac- 

 tical and efficient manner, this convention 

 most cordially indorses the plans which have 

 been placed before the exposition manage- 

 ment by Albert Kelsey, and urges their 

 adoption. 



"Resolved, that the American League for 

 Civic Improvement recommends to the fa- 

 vorable consideration of the St. Louis Expo- 

 sition authorities the establishment of a 

 model school garden as one of the features 

 of the Exposition in connection with the 

 'model city' and the 'model farm' at St. Louis 

 in 1904. 



"Resolved, that the American League for 

 Civic Improvement favors the introduction 

 into the public school system of the country 

 of a method of instruction in civic improve- 

 ment so that its principles may be taught to 

 the children during school hours." 



The reports of both committees were ac- 

 cepted as presented. Secre''ary Eoutzahn 

 read a letter from Albert Kelsey, of Phil- 

 adelphia, chairman of tlie Municipal Art 

 section of the League, who was not able to 

 be present, advocating tlie employment by 

 improvement organizations of expert ad- 

 visors in municipal improvement. 



After a discussion of the value of the 

 Arts and Crafts movement in the home 

 and school, by Mrs. AY. Martin Sherman, 

 of Milwaukee, Miss Mary Colter, the head 

 of the department of design at the Manual 

 Training School of St. Paul, and Prof. 

 George AY. AYeitbrecht, the convention ad- 

 journed to a reception at tlie rooms of the 

 Art Worlvcrs^ Guild, where they were 

 shown exhibits of leather and woodwork 

 by the pupils of the Mechanical Arts 

 School. 



In the evening Prof. AY. AA^. Folwell, of 

 the University of Minnesota, addressed the 

 delegates on "The City Beautiful.^' "AYe 

 do not care enough for our cities." Mr. 

 Folwell declared. "I hope you will carry 

 away this expression with you — we do not 

 care enough for our cities; if we did, we 

 would not allow political bosses to run 

 them as we do.'^ Following Prof. Fol- 

 welFs address. Prof. Edward AA^. Bemis, su- 

 perintendent of the water works at Cleve- 

 land, Ohio, spoke on "Municipal Eeform 

 in Practice." Municipal ownership and 

 civil service, it was contended, would bring 

 about a great elevation of civic life. 



Dr. J ustus Ohage, whose work in behalf 

 of the civic betterment of St. Paul is 

 known all over the country, then enter- 

 tained the convention with a stereopticon 

 lecture showing what he had been able to 

 accomplish as city health commissioner in 

 the matter of abating the smoke nuisance, 

 cleaning the sidewalks, collecting the gar- 

 bage, and establishing the free baths on 

 Harriet Island in the Mississippi. 



On Friday morning the delegates were 

 treated to an ocular demonstration of Dr. 

 Ohage's work. They visited the public 

 baths and thoroughly inspected them, find- 

 ing the entire health department officers 



