The Wilmingtonian., 1885-03-28
PEOPLES PARK.
WHAT is DUE THE CHILDREN
OF THE CITIZENS.
-sa-e
Needed Equally with Maihe-
MATES and Grammar

The leading citizens of New York City,
including August Belmont, William Dowd,
Jesse Seligman, D. Willis James, W. S.
Dodge, Austin Corbin, Collector Robinson,
Jacob D. Vermlye, Chas i. Tiffany, Genel al
Horace Porter, William II. Travers, and
Others are strongly in favor of the PROPOSE
tion of the city corporation buying lands foi
the purpose of public park.
In reply to questions apun the subject oi
another public park for New York city,
Collector Robertson said to representative
of the Ne,o York Herald:
81 am very earnestly in favor of
the proposed parks. 1 was in the State
Legislature in 1S49 when the question OF
locating Central Park was before it.. There
was considerable opposition to that scheme
but l voted for it, and every day live l am
more and more satisfied with that vote.
Suppose the ground for Central Park had to
be bought now, how much greater the cost
would be than it was then. Sol say ofthese
proposed parks, ifthc parks are wanted why,
then, buy them now, for there will never
be chance of buying them cheaper than
to-day. AS to the question of taxation,
think there should be no difficulty about
that. Central Park has repaid all its cost,
and understand has paid into the treasury
of the city $1zOOO,0OO. 1t will be the same
with these new parks, for they will immense
ly enhance the value of adjoining property"
sit is said by those who object to the new
parks that the poperty owners in the down.
town wards would lot derive any benefit.
That think is a mistaken supposition. All
experience shows that property adjoining
parks increases in value, aud the effect of
earring out the proposed scheme would be
to SO largely increase the area of taxation
that, in my judgment, the downtown prop
erty owners would find taxes lessened there
by,
''But about all this monetary question is
the far higher one of what is due to the
people of great city like this. These
parks are absolutely needed; even when we
have them We shall not have more than they
have IN EuTQpo III tnt same pofpVfT K q
population. Forexample, even with Cenara
Park, New York has less than a thousand
acresC without its reservoirs) Of pleasure
grounds, against t72, 900 acres belonging tt
Paris, %, 900 to London, 5000 to Vienna
and 5000 to Berlin.
In regard to the purchase by the city
of the Brandywine Park property we have
only to reterate the old assertion again
that it is anactual necessity for the inhab
itants Of Wilmington. The assertion tha
the City Council has no surplus in its treas
ury for investments of this nature, is re
piled to by the assertion that having one,
conceded the necessity to the citizens of {
Brandywine Park, the continued putting of
it's purchase is most condemnable by tn
Council as in a very few years the value o
the property will increase ten fold, and th
necessity for it in sanitary seuse will in
crease one hundred fold,
Collector RobeItson's assertion in rogart
to lands in New York apply with equal fore
here in Wilmington. The property adjon
ing the the park will increase greatly il
value, and as Mr.. Austin Corbin said of tn
proposed Park lands in New York, they vii
be indirect sources of immeasurable incom
to the city eventually.
1t is always our duty, as citizens, to Civ
some consideration to the probable require
ments Of postpelity. Simple attention to tn
needs of to-day is selfish and does not cove
what is demanded of us.
The people of the coming generatio
will have just cause for Judgment upon u
if we fail to take this opportunity Of buyin
the Brandywine Park propertyatits its preser
price.
The health of this city, its prosperity
attractivenes, culture and reputation ar
conditions which we should not lightly Sc
by and they are closely bcnnd up wit
l question discussed.