The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-28
NEED OF BEAUTIFIcATIoN.

! its annual convention IN this city next
summer. It bchooves the municipality TO
wake up 20 the desirability Of present
J ing gay and festive appearance as
we'll as an appearance of prosperity and
good housekeeping when the members
OF that convention come here We can.
not afford to have a slipsho appear
auce or to impress the teachers who
come here with the idea that we are n
rundown town. Therefore, such things
as arc easily remediable should be rem
edied, and the city should put on IN
appearance OF beauty, gaiety, and pros
perity. That it can well afford to do
and that it ought 10 do in its own in.
tcrest. even without regard TO the Ma
tional Education Association. Bat since
that great body OF teachers is 10 come
here next summer We should desire to
make tho most favorable impression
possible upon its members.
To be specific, Let lis note the condi-
tions of the shade trees along our pub
lie streets If we do this, the fact di
rectly reveals itself that these trees are
often in condition of dilapidatien, of
unsightliness, of neglect, SO as to make
them a reproach rather than pride.
Dead. neglected, diseased, and disfig
ured trees present spectacle OF shift"
lessness and decay that no good citizen
would wish TO show TO his friends, to a
tourist, or to visitor. There has been
some uncertainty in the past as to the
rights OF the property owners TO attend
TO trees in the streets. The result is
that property owners and their repre-.
sentatives have not taken the pains that
they should take with regard TO these
trees. and the insects and tree pests
have done their disfguring work, and
there has been a lopsidodness presented
TO the sight by reason of other ravages
such as the cutting away of limbs for
wiring Of various kinds, dis6euring tho
drees.
There is bill before the Legislature
that ought to remedy this, It would
permit the creation of park districts,
on petition OF resident property owners.
and the city At nominal cost would I'M
prove the curb borders by planting and
taking care Of trees and lawns, and
wish to comply would receive rebate
ou the tax that might be levied for spe-
cial improvements of this sort. leaving
the full tax to be paid by those who
show no disposition to comply with the
regulations that would keep up the
trees and make good showing in the
streets. II would appear that the en-
actment of some such law as this that
is proposed is the only practical solu-
tion for the evil, and the only certain
method of beautifying and making uni
form our public streets, If we could
have Tows of trees of different kinds,
planted. within certain dis
tricts, let us say. box-elder for one dis
trict, soft maple for another, eucalyptus
for another, catalpa for another, and
so on, eliminating the black locust alto
gether, and the Lombardy poplar except
in the low-lying parts of the city, our
CITY WOulC De a. CneCEeI~Doa OF ar
boreal beauty,
Something positive certainly must be
done with regard to rectifying the tree
and general street and park situation
OF this city. The matter is past argu-
ment The evil exists, everybody can
see it, and the question is what we
propose to do about it.
The parking bill! which is now before
the Legislature offers the means for ef-
fective and practical remedy of these
conditions that are 20 be deplored. The
coming of the National Education AS
sociation stimulates the desire for the
eradication Of evil conditions. The op-
portunity is here TO provide the rem
edy. If the parking bill is not all that
it ought to be, on its face as introduced,
amend it so as to make il satisfactory
and effective, and then pass it so that
the city will be a pride to its citizens
and q JOY to all who see it.