Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-01-23
ON CITY AFFAIRS.
Gov. Slower Writes About Trees and
q Sidewa, ks.
AN INTERESTING SUBJECT.
Editors Citizen:

CullOlS SltlLth.
Now that the Otero-Catron contest
has been settled by the president and
senate, and the governor has been tri-
umphantly indicated and confirmed,
and all the other federal officers have
been appointed for the territory, would
it not be a good idea to give more at
tention to home affairs and particular
ly to the affairs of our city?
AS stated by you the other day, the
city election is near at hand, and it is
important that we select officials to
execute the will of the majority rather
than their own pet ideas.
For years. the citizens manifested a
deep interest in tree planting in our
city, and we have the results in fairly
well shaded walks, and this good work
should be continued until every street
and alley in the city is thoroughly
shaded. February is the best time
to transplant trees in this locality, so
we have not much time for prepare
ton. Certainly they will grow If plant
ed in March, but they will do much
better If t~ransplanted carrier, as exper-
fence has proven that .ney make a sub
~stantial growth during the month of
February, which gives them a good
start before the very hot weather Wis
its us.
Young trees should also be liber-
ally watered during the winter months.
All kinds of trees. except the old,
deep rooted Ones, need water in win
ter, particularly such dry winters as
this, and the experimental stations re-
port that orchards irrigated in
winter only require about half
as much water in summer.
The forestry department of the
United States estimates that every
tree of ordinary size evaporates a pint
of water daily. and as this applies to
the whole country we can readily see
what a great drain there is on trees
in very dry atmospheres like ours.
1t is a waste of time and money to
plant trees unless we cultivate and
protect them.
This brings us to another important
question, viz: Sidewalks and street i'm
provements. The present administra-
ton has. in my opinion, adopted a
most costly and ruinous policy relative
to walks in the residence portion of
the city, a policy if continued will de-
prive us of our finer shade trees or
nearly pauperize the wne of resi-
dence property, for it is practically i'm
possible to maintain shade trees and
cement pavements along the same
street. except at a ruinous cost. The
roots of the trees will destroy the
walks in from three to five years, and
il anyone doubts this statement let
them examine the sidewalks on North
Second street, the walk on West Rail-
road avenue in front of the assay Of
fie. between Fourth and Fifth streets,
and almost any other walk OF cement
three years old and owe in the city
where there are trees.
The cement walks costs about twice
as much as brick and four times as
much as gravel, and the cement is
all imported, while the brick and gra-
vel can be procured within the city
limits.
| make the broad statement that
there is not another city, large or
small, in the United States that has
adopted such a ruinous policy as
have we relative to walks. Even the
seaboard cities where cement does not
cost one-sixth of what it does here, are
laying brick walks.
You published a letter. from the city
clerk of Colorado Springs a few weeks
ago, in which it was stated that nearly
all of the walks in the residence por-
ton of that city (of over 10000 inhab-
itants) were of gravel. and that they
give entire satisfaction. If they are
fine walks there, why not here?. Trees
will not tear up gravel walks, except
the curbs, and if they are of brick they
can be relaid without loss of material,
while if you use cement, once broken
it is useless. Is not the great Atchi
son, Topeka & Santa Fe setting an ex
/ ample at the new depot?. If cement
, walks were better do you not think
they would not be put in there, par
ticularly when the cement would no
cost half as much as it does us? Are
we so blind and stupid that we canno
learn from the experience of others
Let us take this question into the city
: election this spring and let the peopl,
decide it at the polls.
E. S. SLOWER
Jan. 2, 1902.