New Britain herald., 1924-05-10
THE 'OBSER VER- Makes Random Observations
 On the City and Its People

challenged the power of the repubIi- can machine and helped to reelect Mayor Paonessa he little realized that that power would be used to thwart his appointment as superintendent of the charity department, which, the mayor was prepared to give him.
 | Mir. Gill must be satisfied with the knowledge that he helped to wreck the machine on election day and that he played a large part in disappoint- ing the republican leaders. So far as holding public office to which a sal ary is attached, he must give up all hope. The machine has long mem- ory and the strength of its arm will be used to crush him.
 It was almost foregone conclusion that Mir. Gill would be named super- intendent of the charity department. There was hardly any competition for the place as everyone in politics seemed to realize that the berth was his if he wanted to take it.
 The machine which he had chal- lenged could not prevent his appoint ment but a plan of action was made to cheat him out of the fruits of his victory. A man may stand for punch in the nose, but when you hit him in the pocketbook it hurts and the sting remains. It is understood that if. MT. Gill had been appointed superintendent of the charity depart ment one of the first acts of the re- publican majority in the common ! council would have been to reduce the salary connected with the posi- tion to such point that he could not afford to continue in service. Under the circumstances, Mir. Gill had no other alternative than to decline to accept the appointment. Like most of us, he depends on his salary for his bread and butter and with that sal ary cut to low figure his income would have diminished appreciably There has been talk that pressure was brought to bear on Mayor Pao- nessa to appoint a democrat to the position. Regardless of this pressure it is said that the mayor intended to appoint Mir. Gill if the latter would have accepted.
 Although rain interfered 10 great extent with plans for the observance of Arbor Day, there is no reason why planting trees cannot be carried out during the remainder of spring and summer. One fault with Arbor Day enthusiasts is that they lay too muck stress on beautifying the world and do not pay enough attention 10 the practical results of tree planting.
 Tn some European countries where wood has been used for hundreds of years the inhabitants are required to plant tree for every ono cut down. Trees grow slowly and all which are planted do not reach maturity be- cause of pests, fires and other yicissi- tudes 10 plant life. Almost all the wood used in the construction Of buildings today comes from far-off Oregon and Washington as the eaa has virtually ceased to produce lum- ber.
 An interesting fact in connection with Afbor Day is printed in the "Arbor and Bird Day Manual" issued by the state board of education in which is an article by P. l.. Butterick, secretary of the Connecticut Forestry association. Mir. Butterick writes that Tong long ago when the first set. tiers came to Connecticut there were so many trees that they were in the way When the Green at New Haven was laid out, the surveyors made an error in their measurements because there were so many trees on the land that they could not see what they were doing" It is hard to imagine the Green, that smooth expanse of vclvety grass, so densely populated with members of the tree family as to closure the vision from end to end.
 Arbor Day should mean something tA New Englanders besides a pretty thought because it was first suggest ed by q hard-headed Yankee. A sc- lectcd list of trees for New England states includes: sugar maple. Norway maple, scarlet maple, green ash, white ash, American white elm, red oak, white oak, pin oak, American linden, scarlet oak white spruce, Col orado blue spruce, white pine, Scotch pine, balsam pine, hemlock and ar- bor vitae.
 Persons having occasion to pass along West Main street have re- marked at the beauty of the floral embellishments at the home of the Misses Whittlesey at the corner of Grove Hill. 4 more attractive and mosaic Of lawn and flowers would be difficult to find. The Misses Whittle- sey are nature lovers, a fact that is expressed by the beautiful flower beds and pleasing landscape of the grounds surrounding their stately home. With true artistry they have arranged the flower plots in a manner 10 charm the eye of the passerby and to make one glad an errand brought him in that direction.
 4 bit Of Northland is making it's appearance in this community. It is a little flower. patterned after one of the first spring blossoms in Sweden and is 10 be sold to aid in the fight against tuberculosis.
 Not many years ago a woman in Gothenburg, Sweden, conceived the idea of linking mercy with the beau tiful traditions of May-day in the northern country. As Mrs. Bcda Hall- berg saw the happiness on the na- tion's play-day of all. who were in the possession of health. her thoughts turned to those. who had been strick- en by the great white plague" and she resolved that they should not be forgotten. To aid them in their strug- gle to regain health and to spread a