Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-09
The Park Con.n.iissto

The GLOBE endorses the position taken
by Aid. Glenn in the city council on Wednes-
day evening upon the bill proposed by a
number of real estate men which would
create certain park commission in this
city. The GLOBE favors public parks.
They are an especial pleasure to the poor
who are only afforded limited amount of
the pleasures of life, but to place the con-
troll exclusively in the hands of a number
of spectators and property owners would
be an outrage upon taxpayers. The pro-
posed bill conte mplates the creation of a
board of commissioners with unlimited
powers, to purchase or condemn lands for
parks, and fit them up at any expense the
board likes, and to meet the bills for the
same, and to issue 5 per cent bonds which
the taxpayers must pay. The taxpayers
are not even granted the privilege of
word as to who shall comprise that COM
mission, nor where the park shall be locat-
ed, and if any member or members of the
commission should oppose the action of
the board, he or they may be peremptorily
kicked out and others who will coincide or
agree with the balance be placed upon the
board instead.
The probabilities are that the parks
which would be established by this board
would invariably be in the immediate vi
cinity of land owned by the members of
the board, which lands would be enhanced
in val ne, and thus would what is now IN
desirable property, become valuable and
marketable. 1t is big scheme, but hap
PLY nipped in the bud by Aid. Glenn. That
gentleman made proposition which
the jealous property owners
who drafted the proposed bill, if they are
sincere in their claims of being anxious to
contribute to the comforts and pleasures
of the poor people By providing them a
delightful place of recreation and rest in
the establishment of one or more beauti-
full parks, would vindicate their generosity
and honesty in their position by accept
ing. That proposition is that he, Col.
Glenn, although man of limited means,
and not blessed with nearly so much of
worldly possessions as the scores of land
owners and spectators who proposed the
bill, will donate 800 to the park fund, or
more if necessary, providing they, the in
stigators of the bill, will do likewise, and
thereby thousands of dollars may be raised
and one or more beautiful parks provid-
ed.
And just why the press of this city should
attempt to mislead their readers in the
matter of this bill, is not exactly clear.
They have given repeated publication to
falsehood, in that they have again and
again published statements that COM
mittee, appointed for the. pur$ose from
the city council, had met with the COM
mittees from the board of trade and the
chamber of commerce, and agreed to the
conditions of the proposed park bill. The
truth of the matter is, there never
was committee appointed by the
council for any such purpose, and conse-
quently no committee empowered to take
official action met with the other commit
tees. Two of the members, however, of
the committee on public grounds and
buildings from the council, at the special
request of Col. King, who is now real
estate dealer and AGENT, did attend the
held few days ago,
but they, not being authorized,
took no part in the meeting
as such committee, and took occasion at
the meeting of the council on Wednesday
evening to renounce the assertions made
by the Minneapolis press, that they coin
cided with the provisions and conditions
of the bill. They further place themselves
on record as most emphatically opposing
the bill as inconsistent and unjust to the
tax payers of the city.
In conclusion, let US have fine public
park, but for the benefit of all, and not ex-
clusively in the interest of bloated proper
ty owners and spectators.