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Ladies and gentlemen. Tonight is a very special occasion it is the high point in the eight year old salute to season's program to make New York a much more beautiful city and tonight is the moment that we've been working up to and waiting for notwithstanding the whether it is New York's own beautification program which it last merges with and becomes part of a great national design I can imagine President Johnson as he's traveled around America these last few years through the steel and asphalt wilderness through such ridden and air polluted cities across teeming networks of superhighway this past giant mechanised mechanized farms and automatic complexes and computerized missile sites I can imagine him thinking what ever became of Thomas Jefferson's America village greens and peaceful parks reflecting pools and splashing fountains flower filled malls landscape walks and shaded roadways and I can imagine the president perhaps recalling those immortal lines of Ralph Waldo Emerson if eyes were made for seeing then Beauty is its own excuse for being and resolving them to do what no other president before has ever done to make the restoration of natural beauty throughout the land a great part of his administration's program and as everyone knows throughout America President Johnson did just that but back of every great man there is always a great woman. And President Johnson is no exception for as he himself has publicly acknowledged much of his thinking and planning and policy making with regard to national beautification has been in large measure influenced and shaped by the woman in his life the woman whom we honor here tonight the very practical visionary who while assuming leadership and direct responsibility for beautifying our nation's capital is at the same time rallying hundreds of cities across America to answer the president's call for a massive effort to establish a green legacy for tomorrow tonight therefore we take great pleasure and pride in dedicating New York City's eighth salute to spring to that gracious and dynamic dreamer our first lady of the land Mrs Lyndon Baines Johnson. We we had arranged a very special program this evening but we've been rained out. But nonetheless in keeping with this great occasion I have the privilege to introduce a glittering star who burst like a bombshell on Broadway a few seasons ago and has been storming the theatrical heavens ever since she turns up at the White House rather frequently for command performances and as a personal friend of our guest of honor she is the fabulous the incomparable dolly of Hello Dolly Carol Channing. Telling you there E. Gray thank you dear our new guests dignitaries city officials beloved first lady and Mayor wearing your dear we I am proud and honored to be here tonight it's a joy to see all of you at this salute to spring of the salute two seasons sponsored by The New York beautification program New York Public Library. Fifth Avenue at Forty second Street New York eighteen New York. You know we three are people who tour so much think of New York as the nerve center of the nation and the Capitol and I am honored to be here tonight at this occasion you all look so familiar I know that many of you are the same people who come to see our Broadway musical shows you just smell or say. This the same waves of friendship and warmth are coming here as do Ed I Hello Dolly down at the St James Theater and I never did see an audience of such good natured. People as lovers of spring that's what. We are all are we are the keepers of the birds and the Bee And you're exactly like me or where near said you'd be only more show well you know each show has a basic philosophy each Broadway show or play and our basic theme in Hello Dolly ears you might say money you should pardon the expression is like manure it should be spread around well from what I have seen of Park Avenue and it's ricin A-T. our Dear Mayor Wegg near is an expert at spread near around. Here. And we're going to do more of it aren't we that we're all here for tonight then there is another Broadway show with which I am familiar Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and you need the Arthur is a neat a loose taught me that all good word is rewarded with diamonds ribbons trophies medals all these wither and fade but diamonds are eternal NOW I NEED A is not the only one who feels this way mama Gabor you know your ear where she raised three lovely daughters in this cult you know them Zhao Ziyang Eva mad Well I have told you about diamonds and I sing about diamonds but these girls have been out doing the word. Well there is all kinds of good work being done in this world not just what the good boys do and tonight I am very proud to be able to give my very special Di amand award for distinguished work well done and need for the beautification of our nation and it goes of course to our beloved first lady Mrs Lyndon B. Johnson now we know that the president of the United States has given Mrs Johnson many diamonds because they are a token of sentiment but this is Mrs Johnson's very first Diamant Trower and since since a shirt garden extends from Maine to taxes this little and since the slogan this year is geraniums are in junkyards are out this track will be very busy a Balliol idea here and beloved first lady I'm going to give it to you. Now I know that your are asking are these diamonds real well as I say it's the amount of sentiment involved that makes a diamond real I have learned the diamonds are a girl's best friend now tonight tonight Mrs Johnson is our Diamond and we are all her best friends so yes. So I know that on this glorious spring evening the show must still go on so I will have to rush to the saying change theater but Dear Mayor where near and beloved first lady I'm so proud to be a part of your beauty. Program thank you. Thank you Carol. You know it is no accident that the beautification program headed by Mrs Johnson is the greatest and the grandest and the absolute most What else would you expect from a Texan but of course New York has its king sized wonders as well and I'd like to introduce one of them now I believe the most exciting star on the Broadway stage or for that matter throughout the stages of the world ladies and gentlemen Sammy Davis Jr. Thank you. May I first of all say how very proud I am to be in the presence of such a MUST be as company Mrs Johnson. Dignitaries. I would like to explain this is Johnson since I represent several of the ethnic groups. That is indeed my thrill to be here America the Beautiful I think that just about sums up what the president and Mrs Johnson are trying to recreate for us and what the salute to season programs of the honorary chairmanship of Mayor Wagner has been trying to achieve right here in New York and judging from the thousands of new trees and flowers which now grace our streets I would say that they've been doing a mighty fine job of it would you not agree ladies and gentleman I think so. Well there is a lady and lady who is living proof that you don't necessarily have to come from Texas to have a king size sense of beauty with us here I refer of course to a lady who has been responsible in so many areas for doing so much good in so many worthy causes in terms of our country and our city and I think that without too many words to be exchanged it would be suffice enough to say that she is a marvelous human being who has never forgotten that there are certain things as individuals we must do to try to achieve the overall prospect may I therefore introduce to you that tremendous ball of energy that has never stopped bouncing Mrs Rosenberg Hoffman. Thank you Sandy Davis and Frank you so much for coming over and now is returning to. This is Mayor Wagner very ladies and gentleman. This is quite around ironical to call this a spring salute but somehow or other in spite of the rain our day was brightened today related on not we were to take a trip with Mrs Johnson to see the flowers and when I called to ask that of course she would call it off because it's raining she said not at all she's perfectly willing to come out in the rain so through the rain Mrs Johnson Mayor Wagner two of the city saw the flowers and the beautiful new trees that have been planted and I had never seen a better spot in my life than Mrs Johnson was today my cochairman commissioner Paris now asked me to give you his regrets that is the first salute two seasons he's ever missed but he's out of town unavoidably out of town and I know that all of us missed a day tonight also the lovely presence of Mary Lasker who is generosity and spirit and inspiration has done so much to help build a Finally our she's in your Europe but her thoughts are with us you know at this moment we were supposed to listen to a beautiful song called America the Beautiful and I wish we could have heard it for I think this would have been the most fitting song for tonight because we are dedicating this salute to one who not only shares the president's dream of a more beautiful America one who is devoting her energy and her great ability to see that dream become a reality to her the America the Beautiful is that abundant America where no one is haunted by the specter of poverty where every child has the fullest development of my transfer the full is development of his mind and spirit. Remember the president's statement in his State of Union message for three centuries the president said the building of America has sustained our spirit and large dovish and we must act now he declared to protect this heritage This is Johnson has taken the leadership in seeing that we preserve this heritage and increase it she has taken the leadership in making sure that we plant trees and flowers to make our great cities more livable to make our highways greener and create new parks along cities in cities and I joining highways she's making a special effort to beautify Washington our national capital so that every American can be proud of our national capital we're grateful to her for being with us this evening as here in New York we are strong believers of a beautiful America and yes a beautiful New York City and we've had the good fortune in New York to have a mayor whose vision and foresight to begin such a program where the vision and foresight to begin such a program a few years ago thousands of trees have been planted by the city and if the weather had been food does Park Avenue would be ablaze with tulips and azaleas flowering Hawthorne's in azaleas would be blooming in Harlem is Maine sorrow Fair and Lovely flowers would be in Brooklyn Queens and all along New York where they are now in their glory to give us joy I think with Mrs Johnson's coming and bringing the rain which we badly needed we might have that full blooming by next week. This effort of Mayor Wagners has been appreciated by all the city's nothing really off to the extent where they gave their help and some especially beautiful plantings have been done by private businesses in Park Avenue by hotels banks have that they also added to this display and the side street residential areas look greener and greener through the efforts of the city and the many people who live there and have planted trees we hope that in this next Mother's Day these people well will celebrate Mother's Day and plant trees for their loved ones now New York City deeply appreciates what the mayor has done in not only beautification but his dedication and his efforts to make New York a better and a mob uniform city and it gives me great pleasure to present to you a very beloved man and a great mayor for a great city the Honorable Mayor F. Wagner. Very much. Misses and erosion Halfman. First Lady Mrs Johnson. Gray and friends had the saving the Senate as an important moment of our city's history this is an occasion for relating these annual local observances of us to a great and exciting national purpose the national beautification program proclaimed by President Johnson on January fourth of this year we welcome the president's vision of this city beautiful the landscape streets playing fountains and dramatic illumination. As and I Rosenberg have been mentioned she and Mary last. Spoke to me and we started moving in this direction back in one nine hundred fifty seven when we started salute to the seasons since that time just eight years ago apart from what has been done to improve and beautiful parks and playgrounds the city has appropriated nearly four million dollars for the planting of thousands of trees the elimination of public buildings bridges in mind the immense and for the landscaping of miles of city streets with flowers and greens I would like to add to with deep appreciation that whatever the city itself has spanned has almost been equalled by the many gifts and plantings and other beautification activities of the business community private citizens and citizens groups the truth is however that we have just begun to fight ugliness in our city. I am determined and I'm sure we all are. Determined to see the current wave of interest in national beautification translated into new and comprehensive measures for our city beautification here in New York I want to say magnificent city truly become a beautiful city beautiful in the searching light of the day as well as by the softening lights of night let our city be beautified in all possible ways with the dawn mints produced by nature but arranged by man trees plants greens plazas Och AIDS powers lanes pock let's sitting squares strollers paths everything that man can make for man's delight these are words. They must be turned into actualities through more ambitious programs and we have had before in order to move forward toward the goal of making our city panorama of CHOGM as well as a power of grace as well as of greatness to achieve this will take scale and imagination and all out mobilization of the general public along with community and business leaders but it can be achieved as a first step in this direction in order to support the nationwide movement led by our great president President Johnson and espouse so persuasively by his lady I have decided to convene here in New York City a Gracie Mansion conference to discuss examined and propose projects and plans for the beautification of a city and the achievements of the goals President Johnson has described the purpose of our conference shall be to translate those goals into New York City terms to this conference we shall invite community leaders and business leaders along with landscape design is planned as another specialists with ideas above all with ideas for programs of action I shall ask you who have directed and conducted the salute to the seasons particularly particularly day of friend and I Rosenberg Hofmann and friend who is overseas marry Lask and to play a leading role in planning in arranging for this conference and I shall ask chief guest of honor today. As our nation's chief apostle of beautification his service as chief honorary patron of that conference. Obviously the mere holding of a conference however inspired will not accomplish our purpose I emphasize that actions and activities must flow out of that conference all of us citizens must be enlisted in the crusade for cleanliness and beauty the public my spare man beauty and my show its interest and appreciation of beauty then true beautification which is more than a cosmic treatment will begin I look for that time and I know that you who have joined here in saluting the seasons over these years will join me in saluting the people's crusade for beauty in our city and now Mrs Johnson on behalf of the citizens of New York I wish to express our deepest thanks and to present you with our city's highest award the gold medal of honor which but one exception has never before in New York's history been given to anyone by the head of state and we give this to you with the love and affection of all of the people of New York City and in appreciation of what you are doing in the leadership to make sure that we have here in our country the most beautiful country as well as the greatest country and it's great on it to present this to you and with it as I said before the love and affection of all of update. Thank you. Thank you. Mr Mayor. Thank you so much for the honor you have bestowed upon me it's just about the nicest thing that ever happened to me I sure treasure it and remember always this spring evening when this great city is filled with blossoms and let's not even be sorry about the rain because it's good for the flowers no one can drive to New York at this time of year I sat down this afternoon without realizing that the emperor of a green thumb persists in the city dweller I congratulate you Mr Mayor and the City of New York for setting the example which many cities are now following but please don't rest on your laurels those responsible for this burst of beauty hope to be joined by every one of you we want to see landscape streets at every turn flower boxes on Windows. And masses of flowers where the masses pay us as New York's own merry Lascaux say is we want to see more historic buildings churches and monuments aglow with light we want to hear more fountains splashing with water we want more parks and plazas open to the sky with benches where we can enjoy the vistas I think we want to say it is with a more country air a city does not speak to you because it is big but because it is beautiful and it is the citizen who makes it so he can work wonders in neighborhood associations apartment dwellers can raise funds for trees business and civic groups can finance plantings and playgrounds. And the key of course to widespread beauty and in a city is H. and a vigil and his own front yard and we are thankful for the generous gift of cherry trees of the United Nations and for the transformation of Park Avenue the donors have reminded us how accurate Lewis Mumford is a city does not exist by the accretion of houses but by the Association of human beings but we still have a long way to go we want not only the entrances to the city its great airport highways and waterfront but all its complement parts as welcoming and beautiful as the avenues to which we point with pride as we hail a salute to spring in New York with knowledge something more fundamental about the society of which we are a part for the beautification program although it delights in appearances will succeed only if its roots assure not only annual but perennial growth that is slab believe in this program and if you agree with me I ask not the usual showing of hands but a more determined digging of brains. Thank you. OK. This is Johnson the Mayor Wagner and distinguished guests thank you very much and thank you ladies and gentlemen for being with us this evening on this eighth salute to the season's performance perhaps next year the weather will smile on us and we'll have the music and the great singing that we had expected but nonetheless I feel it's been a note where the evening our thanks to Hillard Elkins and theater authority Mr Elkins is the producer of golden boy who produced this evening's get together and theater authority for allowing the performers to appear thank you very very much and good evening.