The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-03-02
OUR PUBLIC SQUARES AND PARKS.
A Plan for Their Establishment.

70 tho Editor Of the Democrat:
II there IL ono thing that prominently thruats
itself forward AT all times TO make the citizen
Of New Orleans ashamed 81 his home. II ID tho
ahocklnw condition Of our public squares and
uo-cNiled parks. undertake 10 say TINT no
other city In tho clviltsed world presents such
spectacle 70 tho stranxer Ia this respect Aud
syot no people need more land few as mueh)
than wc do the health. giving and joy-xiving
Influences Of auch public resorts. All these
places, eAve jackson SQUARE. are dilApidated.
repulHtve, brutalIEtnE In appearance
hour soaring tho human heart instead Of sooth-
ing it: everywhere bllghtiag adjacent properly
Instead OF enhancing II In value. Not ono OF
these words u too strong. The truth II even
worse than hero PAINTED and no sensitive aud
hcme-lovinx member OK the community, DO he
hixh or low. rich or poor. Ia there but must feel
that although the city authorities OF the past
and present are directly responsible for tho ex-
listing condition Of things. vet every one Of us
should share tho disgrace that IL on us.
Ought such \ state Of things to continued mol
Shall It oontinuep I say no. Gan Il be reme-
disdi Tea Can It bc cheaply remcdied2 Yea
Hows
!. Tho magnificent public park OF Baltimore
70 sustained and progressively improved by a
tax al one cent on every passenger who rides
In street car Instead Of paying nvc cents for
ride. tho passenger pays stx cents. A large
fund IL thus collected without burdening any
body, md by taxing everybody. ana II Il de-
v2tSd 70 clviiix ng and invigorxting all classes
ri. propose that our Lcsialature do the
game thing tor US. Lot that body Insert clause
IA our new chArter or pa q q special law. to the
No new railroad shall henceiorth be chartered
by the city without establishing the park tax Of
That no existing railroad shall have It's char
ter renewed without this feature.
That all existing companies that will from
this moment adopt the park tax OF one con,
ehall. ~ the expiration OF their present charters
have m extension Of ten years without cost to
III. All park taxes thus collected by tho rail
ronde y be paid monthly into the city tire asury
Commission. TO DO appointed every four years
~ the governor. By and with the consent OF
Nv. A Park Commission Of ave or ten mon Of
culture and refinement and known to be zeal
Qua Advocatee oi Asystem OF adornment OF our
CITY. 70 be established by law.
V, A system OF park mprovement extensive
and progressive ~ It, nature. to be deliberate-
" DECIDED On ~ the commission, aud to 'be
faithfully adhereu to- 80 As to develop our OK.
tensiye grounds into parks. conducive to health.
civtiKing TO the peotle and attractive 10 all who
teetde ia or who visit our city.
WI. What ARE the advantages OF handsome
public eunares ana magnihcent parks?
J. They tend M Mdireotiy and Indirectly. to the
power, slowly but sure y improving the moral
tone OF men. women and children.
They attract population to city. thus In
q. They enhance the value Of property around
them. and along the approaches to them. thus
6iving paek the silent tax proposed.
Y. 40 th-ir RttrActiveness they draw money
from atrangers and residents and bestow It on
The lahorer will receive nearly all the
money, paid out In their establishment; rail-
ROADS, nackmen, ETC. will reap the harvest that
comes I, om travelling to and from them
VII. viii this plan be objected to by anybody2
Of course. and on the principle that every I'm
provement tnat man ever proposed. how
eve ever isasiele nn, and however adyantaxeeus.
An enliRhtsned legislature should only re-
can b. substituted. This plan viii be no On
pertinent, on the CONTRARY, the system is In
force In Baltimore. and II 1t be by their fruits
We shall know them" then every man who has
visited the great PARK OF that city will say
VIII. Willthe railroads oppose the plana Why
should theyr The Gre-nville Park would be OF
infinits value to ths Carrollton road. as vel as
IDENTITY look tor An extension Of the Prytania |
street road as q necessity to accommodate
travel. Soalso. the Me.airie Park would be OF the
greatest advantage to he city and to the SDan- |
ish Fort railroads. Indeed, as all our roads |
centre on Canal street, no road could Be built |
that would not be directly or Indirectly bene-
dtted by splendid i'm provement OF our parks |
Y IA. Can the parks b eheAply Improved1 Yes |
The manner OF raising the necessary money Il |
one dollar viii 60 further Ii embeliishment |