485 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
appointed upon state conservation commis- 
sions by the Governors of the various states, 
and it is not at all a matter without interest 
to say that some twenty-two Governors who 
participated in the White House Confer- 
ence have accepted Annual Honorary Mem- 
bership in this' association thankfully, and 
with letters in many cases showing a 
notable spirit of interest and endeavor. 
The work of the association would be 
Impossible but for its members. Such 
members as they are, too! Men and women 
who set their neighbors above themselves, 
who are ready to work and to sacrifice for 
their communities and for their country — 
such are the members of the American 
Civic Association. Of the type of Gideon’s 
selected band, but ten times as many, they 
are a hundred times as effective in their 
unequal fight against the obstacles in the 
way of true civic progress. I have come to 
know, through much experience, that the 
uplift potentiality of any community is in 
direct proportion to its American Civic 
Association membership. Are there none? 
It will take dynamite to awaken the civic 
sluggishness of that place! Does the city 
possess a doz'en or more members? Be 
sure that the improvement soil is fertile, 
and ready to bring forth a hundred fold 
upon any stirring and seeding. 
All too inadequately have I touched upon 
the work of the association, past and pres- 
ent. May I now be permitted a brief look 
into the future? If the high promise held 
out by the first five years of this asso- 
ciation’s existence is maintained, we can 
see coming to pass a really more beautiful 
America, in which all the people have equal 
opportunity at healthful, uplifting recrea- 
tion, with surroundings of beauty instead 
of ugliness. We can look to see civic centers 
developed into harmony and exercising a 
benign influence on community develop- 
ment; we can expect to see the park idea 
increase in efficiency; we can hope for ave- 
nues at least partially free from the poles 
which waste the forests, and altogether free 
from the billboards which hurt the eye. 
In that happy time the city of dreadful 
smoke will have become the city of purest 
While the idea of the municipal control 
of shade trees is not new, it is only during 
the last decade that the benefits derived 
from such a system have become generally 
recognized. The state of New Jersey has 
been the pioneer state of the union in the 
successful application of the system of the 
public control of shade trees and at this 
time the plan is no longer an experiment. 
We are now able to show results. In the 
state of New Jersey more than a dozen cit- 
ies have now established Shade Tree Com- 
missions. Among these are: Newark, Pas- 
saic, East Orange, South Orange, Bast Ruth- 
erford, Camden, Jersey City, Morristown, 
Plainfield, Roselle, and Perth Amboy. The 
state of Pennsylvania last year passed a 
law drawn after the New Jersey statute, 
providing for the establishing of Shade Tree 
Commissions in municipalities. During the 
last few years our Commission has received 
scores of letters from cities all over the 
country, asking for Information regarding 
our organization and methods of work. At 
the very writing of this paper, letters have 
been received from people in Arlington, 
Rutherford, and Ridgewood in the state of 
New Jersey, Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago, 
111., and Spokane, Wash., stating that sys- 
tema,tio work in the planting and care of 
trees is about to be taken up. The corre- 
spondents wanted some suggestions that 
would help them in their own work. These 
things show that the matter of the handling 
of street trees is one of the most Important 
municipal problems of today, and concerns 
every city in the United States. 
It will not be necessary to enter into a 
discussion of the Importance of having the 
streets of our cities well shaded with hand- 
air, and flies and mosquitoes will be museum 
curiosities only. The approaches to our 
cities will be as pleasant then as are now 
the entrances to our homes, and ugly rail- 
road stations will be but a hateful memory. 
But there is much work to do before this 
halcyon time can come upon us. A dawn- 
ing recognition of the absolute economic 
value of public beauty for all must brighten 
into the clear knowledge that a Christian 
civilization has no place for the hideous 
ugliness resulting from man’s waste or care- 
lessness. 
Let us draw a little closer, in our outlook 
into the future, and plan for the work of 
the next year or two. If the American 
Civic Association could be provided with 
such support as would remove its officers 
from the necessity of pledging their personal 
resources in order to do for all the people 
work that needs to be done, there could be 
planned adjuncts to the association which 
would be of incalculable value. If there 
could be many supporters of the association 
so devoted and helpful as the woman who, 
but a few days ago, in sending a remittance, 
wrote the words which follow, the way 
would be easy; 
“Who that has any Inkling of new 
thought could criticize that splendid confi- 
dence which goes ahead where there is 
work to do, trusting that in due time the 
needed funds will be forthcoming? In the 
same spirit I send you herewith the con- 
tribution asked for, though it is just a 
quarter of my monthly income, the demands 
on which are many. If you can inspire 
others to give as much proportionately, I 
think you will not lack for funds.” 
With such support we could make our 
work for the conservation of scenery com- 
pletely effective. We could organize the 
campaign against billboards by appeals to 
the advertisers, themselves often innocent, 
and offending only through over-solicita- 
tion; we could foster the putting of poles 
and wires underground by actual economic 
showing of the benefits of such work, and 
by definite plans for doing it. With ade- 
quate resources we could institute research 
into civic conditions, so that a community 
From paper by William Solotaroff, Supt. 
Shade Tree Commission of East 
Orange, N. /., at Pittsburg 
Convention of American 
Civic Association. 
some trees. In the extermination of insects 
in ?v city it is absolutely necessary that all 
the infested trees be treated in order to ob- 
tain effective results. It is impossible to 
have concerted action on the part of thou- 
sands of people of a community in the treat- 
ment of infested trees at the same time. 
Insect fighting requires persistence and a 
knowledge of what to do at the proper 
time to obtain results. There Is a period 
in the life history of every one of our tree 
pests when it may be most easily destroyed. 
This stage is not always at the time when 
the most injury Is apparent or when the 
average citizen wakes up to the necessity 
of dciug something. The life history of the 
pests must be known in order that treat- 
ment may be given at the right time. Be- 
sides to spray trees of considerable size re- 
quires an apparatus which the average citi- 
zen cannot be expected to have. 
The inadequacy of the plan of leaving 
street trees to the control of individuals is 
becoming generally apparent and a great 
many citizens are striving to inaugurate a 
system which will place the street trees 
under the control of one official, or a com- 
mission or other organization. Among the 
cities of this country which offer good ex- 
amples of successful results of the municipal 
control of street trees are Washington, where 
for more than a quarter of a century the 
street trees have been under public control. 
could be promptly supplied with just what 
it needs of information and suggestion at 
the time of the awakening of civic impulse. 
Moreover, with support, we could take the 
initiative in arousing the civic impulse. We 
could have able speakers who could go 
where we cannot now send, to answer the 
many Macedonian cries. 
With its plan of accepting all obtainable 
aid of other associations, of working di- 
rectly and without waste, delay or friction, 
with its peculiar ability to secure authorita- 
tive information upon the subjects which 
tend toward making a more beautiful 
America; with its widespread and able 
membership, needing but to be increased; 
with the heartily favorable attitude of the 
press — in short, with the general support 
which has so uniformly met our efforts — 
we could accomplish vast things for Amer- 
ica, given the needed basis of action. 
With the financial aid which would be but 
a very small tax on the American people, 
infinitesimal in proportion to the good re- 
sulting, we could remove Niagara from the 
realm of uncertainty and seal that wonder 
of God as a scenic possession of all the 
world, through a ratified treaty. To do this 
no great work is needed in the United 
States, but much awakening is required in 
Canada. It is a work to which this asso- 
ciation stands committed, but which the 
resources at the disposal of its officers do 
not adequately support. 
Let me be fully understood. I take this 
look into the future with faith and courage, 
and in the belief that notwithstanding the 
temporary checks and the incidental dis- 
couragements which beset us, support will 
come to carry on the work which has beeij 
so fruitful thus far, and in the gloriou^i 
and beneficial future of which I have a 
complete belief. “For a Better and More 
Beautiful America” we stand, and will 
stand, and that result will surely come 
about, not suddenly, as did the abolition of. 
human slavery, but gradually, in due course 
of time. And then Americans will wonder 
as much in retrospect at the ugliness and 
waste of to-day, as they now do at tho 
ignorance of yesterday. 
TREES 
The charter of Greater New York placed 
the planting and care of shade trees in the 
hands of the park departments. Other cities 
have city foresters or committees of mem- 
bers of the common councils to look after 
the trees. 
The best solution by far of the problem 
of the planting and care of shade trees Is 
provided by a law of the State of New 
Jersey of 1893 and a law of the State of 
Pennsylvania of 1907. These acts provide 
for the establishing of commissioners to take 
charge of the planting and care of shade 
trees on the highways or the municipalities 
of the respective states. These commissions 
are composed of three members appointed 
for terms of three, four and five years and 
serve without pay. It is optional with the 
governing body of any city whether these 
acts shall have effect there. When by res- 
olution of the city council it is decided 
that the law shall become operative in a 
city, then from that time all matters per- 
taining to shade trees are placed in the 
hands of the respective commissions. All 
work is carried on in a systematic way and 
trees are planted, pruned, sprayed and re- 
moved under direction of the commisisoners. 
As practically operated the commissioners 
serve as an organization and they employ 
a professional forester who has charge of 
the executive work. Wherein these commis- 
sions differ from other similar bodies is that 
they have .the power of initiative in the 
matter of planting; they decide that a cer- 
tain street is to be planted and determine 
on the species of tree. An advertisement 
ot the intention to plant is inserted for two 
weeks in any public newspaper and all per- 
sons interested In the Improvement are given 
an opportunity to be heard. After the work 
RESULTS OF CITY CONTROL OF SHADE 
