Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-31
TREES RUINED FOR AN OLD HOUSE

house through the streets. blocking traffic, injuring the pave
ments and running trees, is the worst. The house is now on its wa.
through East avenue. The people living there have watched
with tender care the growth of a row of shade trees. They Sc
these trees out themselves. Year by year they have developed unit
now they are big enough TO give some real shade and they ado
greatly to the attractiyeness of the street.
What must be the feeling of these people, then, when they
see this great big building, reaching from curb to curb and tower
ing up above the ordinary house, being hauled through the street
:. crashing through the branches of these trees. breaking off limbs
and doing damage that it will take years to repair, if it can be
repaired at all?
Have property owners no right, whatever? What is the use
of a man spending money on his property, fixing it up and beau-
tfying it and at the same time helping to beautify the city, if
"a permit can be secured by the mere scratch of a pen giving any
one the privilege to 90 through the streets running that which
it has taken so much time and money to develop? The ineon-
venience caused by the blocking Of the street by this house, and
The damage done in moving it, will amount to far more than the
house is worth. When is Perth Amboy going to outgrow such
outrageous practices?
One of the greatest needs of this city is shade trees. Every
encouragement possible should be given those who will grow
them. The trees are dying off much more rapidly than new ones
are being planted. At the present rate, Perth Amboy will be a
tredess city within a comparatively short time. Who wants to
establish a home where there are no trees2 Trees are the greatest
asset a municipality can have. Newark spends thousands Of
dollars annually on the shade trees that line the curb of her resi-
DENTAL thoroughfares. There they appreciate the value of trees
and they protect them.
How different it is in Perth Amboy! It is doubtful if trees
were even thought of when the permit to move that house was
given. Instead of doing everything possible to save trees that we
already have and planning for more, anybody who desires to drag
an old building through the streets can secure permission to do SO
as if trees were not worth thinking about.
Now that the old house is in the middle of East avenue that
it has got to 60 through. But at least some attention can be given
the trees as it moves along. What trimming is necessary can be
done so as to preserve the trees as much as possible, and the cuts
can be covered to keep out the insects and prevent decay. The
propertv owners who have set out these trees and who take pride
in them are entitled to this much consideration. at least.
little more civic pride is what Perth AmbOy needs if we are
ever to have a city that we can be proud Of. A house can be built
IN a few months, but it takes years to grow a tree.
MORE MUNICIPAL COOPERATION
A few days ago the Evening News drew some lessons for Perth
Amboy from a city of about 10000 population in Ohio. The key
note Of that city is cooperation. Its ambition is to please the indus.
tries already located there and to make the place attractive for
new industries. 1t will be remembered that the city manager was
quoted as saying that the city officials realized that the life and
growth Of the community depended upon the industries.
Another city from which Perth Amboy can learn something
along this line is Wilmington, Del. There they are making every
effort to attract new industries. and one of the methods adopted is
10 please the industries already located there. The Wilmington
star carries the following at the top of its letters:
eve all believe new industries are desirable. We
all want them. But most of all, we need to think right
about the industries and institutions that we already
have"
LET us support and encourage in every way the in
dustries already established here. Loyalty to our own
manufacturers, producers and merchants should be our
first thought
The towns and cities that work along such lines are the once
that are going to grow. The industries furnish the life blood Of
the community. Without them we would have no city. The more
we have and the larger those already here become, the greater
will be the city. And the greater the city the greater the bust
ness that will be done in every line. By adopting a friendly atti-
;tude toward the industries and cooperating with them in their
efforts to grow and develop, the city does not surrender its rights
lit does not sell itself out to the corporations. Only petty and
incompetent officials would take such a view. Men of ability
!know how far to go and they are not afraid to favor the industries
in every reasonable way. Perth Amboy, which depends entirely
on the industries for its prosperity, can well afford to be excep-
tionaly liberal along this line \