268 SHADE-TREES IN TOWNS AND CITIES 



MASSACHUSETTS 



The act originally known as the ' ' Tree Warden Act ' is 

 as follows: 



AN ACT TO CODIFY AND AMEND THE LAWS RELATIVE TO 

 THE PRESERVATION OF TREES. 



(Acts of 1899, Chapter 330.) 



Be it Enacted, etc., as follows : 



Section 1. Every town shall at its annual meeting for the 

 election of town officers elect a tree warden, who shall serve for 

 one year and until his successor is elected and qualified. He may 

 appoint such number of deputy tree wardens as he deems expedi- 

 ent, and may at any time remove them from office. He and his 

 deputies shall receive such compensation for their services as the 

 town may determine, and, in default of such determination, as 

 the selectmen may prescribe. He shall have the care and control 

 of all public shade-trees in the town, except those in public parks 

 or open places under the jurisdiction of park commissioners, and 

 of these also he shall take the care and control if so requested in 

 writing by the park commissioners. He shall expend all funds 

 appropriated for the setting out and maintenance of such trees. 

 He may prescribe such regulations for the care and preservation 

 of such trees, enforced by suitable fines and forfeitures, not 

 exceeding twenty dollars in any one case, as he may deem just 

 and expedient ; and such regulations, when approved by the select- 

 men and posted in two or more public places in the town, shall 

 have the force and effect of town by-laws. It shall be his duty 

 to enforce all provisions of law for the preservation of such trees. 



Sec. 2. Towns may appropriate annually a sum of money, 

 not exceeding in the aggregate fifty cents for each of its ratable 

 polls in the preceding year, to be expended by the tree warden in 

 planting shade-trees in the public ways, or, if he deems it expedi- 

 ent, upon adjoining land, at a distance not exceeding twenty feet 

 from said public ways, for the purpose of shading or ornament- 



