The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-11-28
Members of Municipal
LeagueSay ThatMore
Than a Forester Is
Necessary
FAVORFI CHIT
AGAINST SMOKE
j. Horace Mcfarland Says He Is
Ashamed of Condition of Trees ".
Harrisburg-All the Old Officers
Are Reelected

Members of the Harrisburg Muniei-
pal League, in their thirteenth annual
session in the Chamber of Commerce
quarters in the Kunker building. last
night, reviewed the municipal improve
ments made in Harrisburg within tie
last ten or more years; suggested the
abolition OF the smoke nuisance and en-
dorsed the suggestion recently made 70
the City Commissioners in which tie
appointment of commission for the
caring of the city 5 shade trees was
advocated. There is now pending Ne
fore the City Commissioners an ordi-
nance providing for the creation of the
post of city forester at salary of
$1,000, which, if passed, it is under
stood, would result in the city not avail.
ing itself of the legal right to Shade
Tree Commission.
Mayor Royal and Commissioners
Bowman, Gorgas, Lynch and Tavlor
were guests of the League at the meet
ing. All the old officers were reelected
for another term, as follows: Presi-
dent, Vance c. Mccormick; vice presi-
dents, +. 4. Wallower and Henderson
Gilbert; secretary, j. Horace AIcFar,
land; treasurer, J. Austin Brandt.
Half dozen speakers confined their
remarks to the improvements already
made and those in progress in this city,
and J. V. W. ReynderS, vice presi dent
of the Pennsylvania Steel Company
and a member of the Steelton Council.
impressed his hearers with a talk On
the benefits Steelton has been deriving
l. -.
in that borough.
Umberger Favors Commission
Among the League members who al
vocated creating Il tree commission in
Harrisburg was Benjamin F. Umberger,
formerly president of the old Select
Council and now member of the City
Planning Commission. He compared
such a plan to the tentative plans lail
by the old Couneilmanie bodies at the
time the question of paving streets on
Allison Hill was originally discussed
Like the paving work. he said. the
people NAV not be unanimously in "a
vor of the tree commission. but it VIII
be matter of only a short time. he
insisted. until they would be elamoIiuc
for it, J. Horace Mcfarland, with lau-
tern slides, pictured TO his audience lust
how Harrisburg s so-called shade trees
are being butchered annually by ''in-
competent trimmers.'
Gas president of the American Civic
Association have been laughed at he
cause of the terrible tree conditions i'll
Harrisburg until l am ashamed NJ.
Mcfarland said
"A tree authority told me some time
ago that there is not healthy tree IN
the city. We trim our trees here to ft
the telegraph poles and there are many
butchers who think that they can i'm
prove on nature in the shape of shade
trees. Others we leave to rot aud
die. We certainly like trees, but we
seem to like them dead
As to Forester's Salary
There is no serious objection to the
appointment of city forester under
the bill now before Council, but WHY
experiment! The forester should work
under the direction of a regularly-ap-
pointed commission. Under the $1,000
salary limit in the bill broad and COM
petent expert could not be obtained. -
Mr.. Mcfarland touched on the
smoke nuisance and said that it is oh
vious that the city must soon undertake
to combat the clouds of black smoke
pouring out from railroad and factory
chimneys.
Mr.. Mcfarland spoke of the many