The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-22
City Council viii Issue Orders
at Once.
MisdemeanOr for Not Cutting
Low Limbs.
MAY CALL In EXPERTS
Suggested That Trees he Trim
med Uniformly.
Why Not Get h. S. A. C. FOres.
terS for Work?
MAY CALL IN EXPERTS

This fall, commencing very soon.
practically every tree OH the main resi-
Dental streets of Topeka will be
trimmed and made to conform with the
city ordinances requiring such action.
Some of the city officials decided at a
meeting last night that the hundreds
of complaints coming in from all parts
of the city continually. asking that GER
tain streets be improved. shall be hon
ored and campaign will be launched.
And while this fall trimming of trees
and shrubhery is to be ordered by law
the Commercial club viii probably join
in with the civ council and ask that
the trees be cut in a uniform manner
and by a crew of expert foresters. This
would give the city 4 beautiful appear
ance. and make the streets even pref
tier than they are at the present time
At the meeting at the city hall last
night resolution was brought up be-
fore the streets and walks committee
esking that certain trees in the east
part of the city be trimmed IN order
that a man with an umbrella and a
Panama hat may pass under them I'M
disturbed on a dark and stormy night.
The resolution came through the hands
of Councilman Miller who claims in
spite of the suggestions that he should
rot have been out late at night. that he
lad beautiful Panama destroyed net
long ago Dy overhanging tree limbs on
q bad rainy night.
This brought the question of
thorough trimming all over the city
q campaign of this kind could be car
ried out for the benefit of the trees
and the appearances of the streets all
over town.
The plans although discussed very
Informally were taken up by George
Badders. secretary of the Commercial
club, who happened to be present at
the meeting. Mr.. BadderS will suggest
to the Commercial club that they take
up the matter with the city council and
arrange in some manner to have an
expert forester come to the city and
conduct a wholesale trimming of trees,
thus making the beautiful streets of
this city more beautiful. The fall of
the year is the time for such action
and it is the opinion of the city officials
that there are very few owners and
renters of property who would not
have their trees trimmed at small
expense.
The City Ordinance.
There is a city ordinance which
reads like this:
ut is hereby made the duty of the
owner of any premises abutting on any
street of this city, to cut and trim all
trees or shrubbery growing in the
parkings between the sidewalks and
driveways of the streets. and all trees
or shrubbery growing on any part of
said premises and adjacent to the side
walks OF streets, in such manner that
the boughs or limbs thereof shall not
obstruct free and convenient travel
along the sidewalks and streets; ana
when said premises shall be occupied
by some other person than the owner |
it shall be the duty of such occupant
to cut and trim the trees and shrub |
berry in the same manner as herein |
before required of the owner. Any oc- |
cupant or owner who shall fail, re-
fuse or neglect to cut and trim trees |
and shrubbery hereinbefore pro- |
vided, after receiving five days notice |
from the city authorities to do so, |
shall be deemed guilty of a misde-
meanor and upon conviction thereof |
three dollars |
more than twenty-five dollars
This means hat something must be |
done very soon. The number of COM |
plants registered with the city against |
people owning property upon which arc |
growing practically wild and uncut |
trees are startling. 1t would seem that |
there is not a street in Topeka where |
the trees do not hang low at wet times; |
and thus delay and hinder pedestrians. |
Hats umbrellas and faces have been |
torn and scratched by the big low
hanging limbs.
Thus the city not only proposes 70
enforce the ordinance making it a mis-
demeanor for allowing trees to grow in
this manner but they intend to carry the
themselves into a civic improvement |
committee and make Topeka more
beautiful as well as practical.
In many cities there is a regular
hired forester who attends to this as
sisted by students in this work rron,
the state universities. The plan in To-
peka would be to bring to this city
some time this fall the class in frestry
at the State Agricultural college and |
practice them on Topeka trees. Cut tie
trees at a uniform height above tie
sidewalk and cut them in order that
they will be benefited by the process.
IN Buffalo, New York, the city forester
does all of the tree trimming The own
er of the land is not allowed to touch
his trees-all is placed in the hands of
the forester. A scheme to have the
agricultural students come to Topeka
and cut the trees would be very mex
pensive to the owners and would be in
structive to the students.
Topeka is richly favored with mag
n:ficent trees-iii fact there are civ
ordinances requiring their planting and |
their care At this stage the trees are
getting large and unless they are
trimmed by an expert they will lose
their strength and their vigor in use-
less limbs and in awkward branches
which will sooner or later be carried |
away by the wind Some of the pref
test trees in the city have been killed |
by the wind This summer-all because
they were not properly trimmed
With the Commercial club and the |
city council working together toward |
this one end there should be some |
thing done along this line before the |
winter months set in.
Knife Falls Three Times.