Editorial JVote and Comment. 
The 'Billboards and the Parks . 
It is gratifying to note that the efforts of the bill- 
board crusaders are bearing good fruit and that a 
really positive public sentiment is being crystallized 
against such an outrageous development of commer- 
cialism. That every beauty spot of our urban and sub- 
ban environment should be marred by unsightly ad- 
vertising signs, and that almost before any improve- 
ment is consummated, is an insult to any intelligent 
community, and warrants a resort to any adequate 
means of redress and reformation. Among the later 
successful proceedings to control the abuse, is to be 
credited to Boston, whose Board of Park Commission- 
ers has adopted rules and regulations based upon the 
authority of an act of the Legislature, approved March 
17, 1903, providing for the protection of public parks 
and parkways from disfigurement by advertisements. 
These regulations admit of no general advertising 
signs within five hundred feet of a parkway or park 
boundary road, and permit no fences over six feet 
in height within the limits, constructed otherwise than 
of stone, metal, or ornamental work, or of palings sep- 
arated by spaces not less than one inch in width. This 
should minimize the billboard nuisance in the vicinity 
of Boston’s beautiful parks and parkways, and will 
have a beneficial effect otherwise. 
^ ^ ^ 
< -Annual Convention of the cA. cA. C. S. 
The approach of the date for the annual convention 
of the Association of American Cemetery Superin- 
tendents, which is to be held in Rochester, N. Y., in 
September, once more prompts us to urge upon all 
cemetery associations the advisability, or, rather, the 
necessity, of providing for the attendance of their 
superintendents at that meeting. Cemetery practice 
is advancing so rapidly and so radically, that to the or- 
dinary country superintendent a participation in the 
annual convention of this national body is an education 
of itself. The papers and discussions will open his 
eyes to the importance of the work he has in hand, 
not only in its relation to modern conditions in cemetery 
care and improvement, but also in its relation to the 
community which it serves. The expenses of such a 
trip are as nothing compared with the benefits to be 
acquired — benefits which no other expenditures of the 
year can secure in like breadth and importance. Roch- 
ester is a splendid center for such a meeting, which 
promises, as usual, a marked success. In another cob 
umn will be found the program of the Ohio Cemetery 
Officials and Superintendents’ Association meeting, 
which also occurs in October, at Dayton, O. This 
is a state association, and is, as it were, an auxiliary of 
the National Association. There is a movement to start 
a similar association in Illinois, which may result in 
a meeting at Springfield during the fall. 
c Public Works Officials. 
There is a great need in all our growing cities of 
competent direction and supervision of its public works 
in all branches. The chief detriment to their harmo- 
nious material development has been not only the di- 
vided responsibility, but the incompetency of the heads 
of the several departments, due to the pernicious sys- 
tem that still so largely regulates such appointments. 
There are no better illustrations of how to conduct 
great public works than those afforded by the many 
international expositions of late years, wherein the 
chief responsibility was laid upon a thoroughly com- 
petent man, with results which in all cases have justi- 
fied the course, in spite of the assaults of a vigorous 
and powerful opposition. We are looking forward, 
with confidence, to the “model city” display at the 
forthcoming St. Louis Exposition, believing that it 
will go far towards enlightening the people on muni- 
cipal development and embellishment ; and it is to be 
expected that in connection with the exhibit, there will 
be certain educational features tending to educate the 
visitors in matters pertaining to the welfare of town 
or city. The display will also show the absolute neces- 
sity of engaging expert and competent men in the de- 
sign and construction of a city’s public works, and it 
is to be hoped that it will exert a strong corrective in- 
fluence in the appointment of municipal officers. 
^ ^ ^ 
The Country Cemetery. 
The more we realize the magnitude of this question 
of outdoor improvement the more insistent is the cry 
from our rural communities of “more light.” And 
the serious point in the whole matter, is, if we wish to 
carry on the work in any but the larger cities, that 
of education. Look at the matter of the country ceme- 
tery. Directly that interest is aroused in the commu- 
nity looking to the improvement of the burial ground 
it is confronted with the question of how to go about 
it, and while much has been written on improvement 
associations and rules distributed broadcast for their 
formation and conduct, the problems unexplained of- 
fer too great difficulty to be overcome, in the majority 
of cases, without more practical enlightenment. While 
the criticism as to communal development, illustrated 
by the condition of the cemetery, holds good, the more 
the question is studied the more excuse is to be found 
for the criticised. Given the improvement of the rural 
burial ground as a problem, and there are probably 
very few indeed outside the expert practitioner able 
to solve it. On the other hand, one very seldom finds 
in the country places any resident unwilling to lend a 
hand when called upon for work of a public nature. 
It is very true that the burial grounds referred to 
would be greatly improved by regular attention in the 
way of clearing out weeds and cleaning up generally. 
