The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-10
THE PARK AND TREE COMMISSION.

] IIfE GANh AND AOWNtISSlON.
According to an interview with the
/ Mayor, published in the Morning News
yesterday, there is a feeling of hostility
to the Park and Tree Commission grow
I ing up in the City Council, and he thinks
| it not improbable that an effort will be
made when the Legislature meets to have
the commission abolished. The basis of
this opposition seems to be the failure of
the commission to keep the squares free
from trash. 1t is no doubt a fact that
the squares have presented a rather rag
ged appearance for a number of months
and it is probable that there is a feeling
in the community that they are not kept
as clean as they ought to be. But, ought
the commission be required to keep the
squares clean? Ought not that work be
done by the Street and Lane Committee?
The squares are part of the streets. If
the streets were kept free from waste
baper there would not be any waste paper
in the squares. The litter in the squares
comes from the streets. Great quantities
Of waste paper are put out in the lanes
and even on the sidewalks in open boxes,
and the wind picks it up and scatters it
over the streets and into the squares.
The Mayor has charge of the police and
it is therefore in his power to prevent the
scattering of paper over the streets and
into the squares. 1t is also in his power,
through the police to prevent the scatter
ing Of advertising dodgers all over the
city. As the commission has no control
of the police, and hence cannot prevent
the scattering of waste paper and dodgers
in the streets and on the sidewalks it
ought not to be held responsible for the
paper which filters up the squares.
We are not prepared to say how we'll
the commission performs its duties in the
matter of planting trees. We have al
ways insisted that all of the money at its
disposal should be used in planting trees
and grass. If the Mayor and Council
think it is not giving satisfaction in this
respect they might take steps to change
its membership. There is no doubt that
better results in the direction of tree
planting are to be obtained through a
commission than through the Committee
the commission is likely to have a system
for improving the parks and squares that
will continue for years, while with every
change in the city administration a new
system would likely be adopted. The Com
mittee on Streets and Lanes is changed
every two years and each committee
would likely have a different view as to
the improvements to be made in the parks
and squares. The result would be that
the Improvements, If any were made,
would not be in accordance with any set
tied plan.
1t must be confessed that the city has
lost much of the beauty for which it was
once distinguished. Most of the trees on
Bull and Jones streets have either been
removed or are in condition to be, and
there are great bare spaces along the
sides of Oglethorpe avenue and Liberty
streets. Along the sides of all of these
streets trees ought to be planted if the
beauty of the older portion of the city
is to be maintained.
The commission of course has but lit
tie money, but what 1t has ought to be
used in planting trees. 1t ought not to be
required to use any part of ii in keeping
the squares free of trash. The police ought
to see to It that waste paper and dodgers
are not thrown into the streets and the
Committee on Streets and Lanes ought
to see to it that the parks and squares
are kept clean.