Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-15

A strong plea for the Identification of
the front and back yards of Washington
homes by the planting of flowers and
shrubbery was made by David Fairchld,
president of the Peoples Gardens Associ-
alton, before the Chamber Of Commerce
last night The chamber voted its hearty
support of the plan outlined and appro-
priated $50 to aid the association in it's
work.
The chamber also went on record in
favor Of the plan proposed by p. B..
Chase for a general campaign to obtain
increased salaries for the government
clerks as reported elsewhere in The Star.
An offer to furnish the poor babies of
the city with pasteurized milk modified
to suit their needs free of charge, and to
furnish milk to other babies at the cost
now charged by the Straus laboratory,
was made. by Prof. I. c. Weld on the
part of George NJ. Oyster. Prof Weld
declared that Mr.. oyster stood ready to
take over the work of the plant after
April 1 should the laboratory be closed.
The offer was referred by the chamber to
the volunteer committee which is making
arrangements to raise subscriptions to
keep the Straus laboratory in operation.
Stereopticon Views Presented.
Mr. Fairchild illustrated. his talk on
home gardens with number of stereop-
ticon views of homes in this and other
cities, showing what might be accom-
plished if the yards were planted with
flowers. Many of the views he showed
were of homes of members of the Cham
Der of Commerce. in which the absence
of trees and plants in the front and back
yards was obvious. Mr.. Fairchild said:
Il have come before you this evening
to point out a great opportunity-one
which. it seems to me, should go hand
in hand with some of the large financial
schemes You have to consider. although
up to this time it is one which has been
almost entirely overlooked by the citizens
of the District.
II say it advisedly, the world has never
Witnessed such an opportunity as at this
point in the history of the District is
available to its citizens. The combina-
ton of circumstances is absolutely
unique. The capital of the richest nation
that the world has ever seen. stream
of visitors numbering ten times its pop
ulation, nation of men and women who
are facing an art renaissance of a magn1-
tude which we none of us appreciate,
nation which knows little about flower
ing shrubs and plants, but is very
DESTROYS of learning.
Plants as Free Gift.
"A government that wishes to assist
you and today is bringing in from every
corner of the known and the unknown
world the best plants there are and is
willing TO place them at the disposal Of
the people as soon as they organize for
their reception; a city where in front of
every house there could be flower gar
den because the government reserves for
your private use a parking between the
house and the sidewalk: climate so
mild in winter and so warm in summer
that plants can be grown which are al
most tropical in their luxuriance of flow
ers and foliage in summer and whose
gorgeous autumn foliage is the wonder
and admiration of all foreigners: pub
lie which is spending a half million dol
lars a year on cut flowers to decorate the
interior Of it's houses, but hesitates to
spend the price of dozen American
beauty roses on precious shrubs for the
front yard simply because it is the Gus
tom to neglect the front yard and let the
mud spatters on the ugly bricks of the
basement be the only ornament which
ties the house to Mother Earth.
Gentlemen, what will be the expense