The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-03

| It is just a little bit different interview ling a real live Commissioner from my usual round of theatrical people, singers, artists and the like-not that our city Commissioners are not all "ARTISTS'- | oh, no-but it rather robs me of my news paper privilege of describing their eyes and hair and sartorial perfection, as they are too well known to Birmingham for me to have to go into details and tell just what they look like.
 1 It occurred to me recently that 1t would be of interest to the people who have the City Beautifur idea at heart to hear something from Mir. Commissioner Wealth. erly on this subject, and particularly as to the planting of trees on sidewalks and adopting a uniformity in this respect as to size and shape and quality, as the show places" of California carry out to such perfection and which our sister city, Savannah, has recently adopted and made such a notable success of. l It seems that everybody has been writing up' MT. Commissioner Weatherly about something or other lately-so, why shouldn't I?
 MT. Weatherly. always affable and agreeable, and particularly so concerning
 
 | anything connected with the object near est and dearest his heart, namely, the city of Birmingham, for which he has done yoeman service in the office of Con- missioner, was in most optimistic mood, brim full of downright, honest, whole souled enthusiasm, and d-e-e-lighted to talk about the future prospects of this great, big, growing town of ours, when called on him the other day.
 I never knew before how busy Commits sioners are, and how many people are always waiting around to see them. I had an idea that Commissioners were just sort of High Moguls'' who had an office in the city hall and talked for the newspapers and everybody looked up to them to settle things when there was a dispute about city matters-but I
 found that besides being all this, they are very busy business men-with scarce ly moment to spare-during the entire day.
 When I was permitted few moments chat with MT. Weatherly, seeing his desk piled high with documents in evidence, letters, telegrams and other formidable looking matter, made my mission known at once.
 I've come to ask you few questions concerning the City Beautiful idea, and the attitude of the city toward the tree
 planting proposition Also what you think of the city adopting certain trees for use on the sidewalks of Birmingham" be- gan.
 "In answer to your question: said MT. 1 Weatherly, "l would say that the first ,step that should be taken in that direc-
 tion is to ascertain more definitely the
 rights of the city as to Jurisdiction of
 sidewalks In a decision of the Supreme
 Court some tim. ago 1t was determined
 that the trees on sidewalks were the
 property of the abutting owner.
 AS to the uniformity of trees,' MT.
 Weatherly continued. such as you sug-
 gest other cities have adopted. l favor the plan heartily. If we could determine
 upon a general system of planting good
 results might be obtained in the direction
 of beauty and symmetry. Some trees are debarred according to the citys ordinance the Carolina Poplar, for instance, be- ing considered undesirable. The whole subject of trees on the sidewalks and the
 upkeep of trees generally is in rather peculiar position at present and we are
 confining ourselves to the simplest sort of guardianship in the matter of protection"
 But the trees in Birmingham, even the ones we love, are not kept in as lgood condition as they might be- observed.
 Many of them need doctoring- that's true" said the Commissioner.
 Then why not establish the office
 of Tree Doctor?" I suggested.
 That brings up the subject of finances" said Mir. Weathery. We have at present MT. J. P. Williams, who lis in charge of Parks and Trees. MT. Williams looks after them. He is isensible Scotchman who has devoted ? inearly all of his life to the cultivation , lof trees and flowers and kindred sub iects. and in his office of General Su- . Iperintendent of Parks, he has done his Iwork faithfully and we'll"
 Recently I heard of rather a novel scheme that was adopted out in Fort , lWorth, Tex" I observed when some . lenterprising merchant with the City Beautiful idea very close to his heart, ! bought 10000 trees and advertised that . inc would give them away to anybody who was interested enough to beautify ] their premises, and who would take the . trouble to plant them-"
 Good plan," said MT Weatherly. s'I ' make the suggestion right here that MT. W. O. Broyles, our enterprsing furniture man. take this subject up and . !begin manoevers at once. He would i: make a great success of it and I hope The will take kindly to the suggestion Its an excellent idea. Another thing, . when I was in Nashville recently by in : vitation of the Board of Trade of that
 city. to make ap address on Commis-