Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 266, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 November 1914 — MANY SUGGESTIONS TO HELP RENSSELAER [ARTICLE]

MANY SUGGESTIONS TO HELP RENSSELAER

Ideas That Should Guide Us to Improvement Made Many —Food For Thought. The Republican’s plan to secure suggestion from citizens for the improvement of the community has met with hearty approval from all sources and is certain to result in much good. We shall continue to ply the questipn and hope that will feel free to make whether they are asked directly or not. We want everyone, no matter in what walk of life they may be and no matter whether the thing suggested is great or small, so long as it contains a gpod thought it will be published. So far the following things have been suggested: - A businessman’s organization. A building and loan association. An oil sprinkling wagon. „ ' A city park.

The list is growing. Really, we did not realize bow many things there are that we might have just for the effort of getting. Many ha B ve suggested an interurban railroad. That, beyond the most needed thing for our commercial advancement, but there is npthing that a newspaper can do at this time to procure one. -Suggestions of this sort must also Cc n»tain the plan of action to get what is needed. f ' - The following addftional ideas have been presented: Dr. Paul C. Curnick: “One of the greatest needs of Rensselaer is a Young Men’s Christian “Association with a building suitable- for the moral, intellectual and recreational welfare of the older boys and young men of our comiriunity. At first a suitable store room could be rented and fixed up With a reading room and proper games. Such an institution would become a center for the young men of the city and I believe nothing could be done that would meair more for the good name and welfare of Rensselaer than the establishment of a Y. M. C. A. Mrs. Stella Zea writes: “I suggest that the greatest need of Rensselaer is to get salvation. Let* our town be on fire for God. This is the first and most important thing we should have. When we all get salvation our town will prosper and thrive and many things will be done for our community that are now left undone. Salvation will do this and it costs -nothing. It is free. I have heard people say: ‘Our town is dead; we need something to liven it up; a carnival will make the town more .lively and there will be something doing.’ Well, we had a carnival ancf we had something doing. People’s houses were entered and robbed. If all men and women sought salvation we could place confidence in* our fellowmen and we would

not have to worry in the least about having valuables stolen. Salvation will cause our town to prosper. I repeat it, get salvation and God will take care of our silver-and our gold and also take care of us.” C. E. Garver: “I believe tfie most needed thing that a newspaper could help to secure is a concrete bandstand. We have the hand, we have the crowds, we have a fine courthouse square about which the automobiles can be parked, and we need a bandstand. There is only one place to locate it and that is on the courthouse square. This should by all means be provided for and next year’s concert season will then be the most successful in our history.” ' B. F. Fenclig: “It seems to me that

the feeling of greater public spirit and less selfishness should be cultivated among our people. There should be among those who have made their money in this,city and surrounding country a number who would feel that aji opportunity existed for them to do something

for the permanent good of our city. They might donate land for a park, provide for the erection of a hospital, build a public building or make a contribution for the advancement of obr educational interests. <JFew cities the size of Rensselaer or even larger have! the wealth we have. Only two men, so far as I recall now, have ever made any considerable gifts in this city. I refer to the gifts by B. Forsythe and George Hosmer. The former gave the pipe organ*to the Presbyterian church and the latter gave one to the Methodist church. These gifts will long be remembered and will redound to the honor of

the donors for many years to come. There is a public enterprise on the part of many of our people. Let your newspaper Set the wealthy men thinking and let them do something that will permanehtly benefit oliraity and be monuments to themselves.” Dr. M. D. Gwin: “For our commercial welfare I believe the organization of the businessmen the most important thing for the community. ‘ A large body of thinking men would be able W> do mueh to help our city and could wield an influence that would be powerful for good and substantial things. I w*ould make that the first -thing to be done. As a second thought F wouM suggest that Rensselaer is ' . -

now large enough and the importance of the people’s health is sufficiently vital for us to take an advanced step in sanitation. The disposal of refuse matter is a puzzling one and every home is confronted with it. The conyopp plan is to throw refuse to the chickens where it is only partly eaten, decomposes and furnishes a breeding place for iflies and disease organisms. Where no poultry is kept the refuse is generally thrown ih the alleys. A system of collection and disposal of the garbage is needed. Rensselaer should not put this matter off. A regular schedule of collectiomcould be established 1 and penalties'’provided for failure to comply with the strictest measures of sanitation. A city team engaged at this work could also gather up the ash and can heaps and do much in our well begun plan of a cleaner and more beautiful city. Let us urge the adoption of the garbage collection. It affects the health and hap * piness of every resident of our city ”