St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-20
PARKS FOR ST. PAUL.
Interesting and Important Lecture on
This Subject by Mr.. Cleveland
of Chicago.
BE Discusses it at Length From an Eco
nomical and Financial Point
of View.
Parks Not Only Hea1thful and Pleas
ant but Also an Advantage to
Property.
Experience of Cities Shows That
They More Than Pay for
Themselves.


Paul have been interesting themselves lately
in the subject of having more parks for the
city. In order to wake up public senti-
ment on this theme the council and the,
chamber of commerce sent an invitation to
Mr.. II. w. S. Cleveland of Chicago, the
eminent and experienced landscape archi-
tect, to lecture on the subject. He con-
scented, and the lecture was delivered last
night in Market hall to deeply interested
and thoroughly representative audience
THE LECTURE.
Mr.. Cleveland began by referring to the
fact that thirteen years ago he had addressed
the chandler of commerce of the city on the
subject of ornamental improvements, and
assured the audience that it gave him great
pleasure to again address the st. Paul peo-
pie on the same subject. Thirteen years
might seem an insignificant space of time,
vet it comprises about One-third of the life of
St Paul, and is therefore little more than
eighty years in the life of the oldest East
ern cities. while they in turn are mere
mushrooms in comparison with many of
the cities of the old world. ...-...
As a criterion of the future necessities
which demand present provision, the record
of the changes of this period is too import
ant to be unnoticed. New discoveries
and new inventions will create
new demands and thought. We
cannot foresee and predict in detail
what will be the exact form, we can..judge;
from the nature of the growth already made
what will be their general character and
determine certain features which must fail
of development unless we make provision
for them before the possibility of action is
destroyed by the presence of the demands.
We are now so well aware of the essen
tial Importance of parks to every city that
it is difficult for those who do not remem-
Der the discussions which preceded their in
auguration to realize how vague were the
ideas entertained fifty years ago upon the
subject,
There is no need of argument to-day to
prove the value of parks on the score of
health, beauty or moral influence. | should
deem it waste of time to repeat the stereo-
typed phrases in which they have so often
been set forth. But the public in general
IS less familiar with their financial history,
which has developed important and unex-
pected results of vital interest in the con-
sideration of the question.
THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER CITIES.
The speaker here referred to the history
of New York parks. The first purchase of
land for the Central park, made in 1856,
comprised $50 acres, at an average cost of
81, 500 per acre, the land at the northern eX-
hemity costing, of course, much less. Three
years later, however, when another tract
was purchased north of the original bound
airy, the city was forced to pay nearly $780,
900 an acre, the result of the increased
value conferred by improvements thereon
in progress in the park. Yet this advance
at the northern end was exceeded by that
of property adjacent to the southern end,
where the advance was more than 800 per
cent. the first year.
New York has now over 900 acres Of
parks, and yet the area is SO inadequate to
park association has been formed OF pri-
vate citizens to urge upon the
city authorities the importance of
purchasing additional area. This
association published a carefully pre-
pared address to the citizens, setting forth
the benefits derived from Central park, and
showing the necessity of buying 4, 900 acres
in Westchester county, north of the Har-
lem river.
They stated that though New York was
the first to move in the matter of parks
other cities had profited by her experience
to such an extent that Philadelphia, Chi
cago, st. Louis and San Francisco had each
more than double New York's park area,
and that the relative proportion of park
lands to population gave to Chicago and
Philadelphia an acre for every 215 inhabi-
tants, while New York had only an acre
for every 400 Of her citizens. The argu-
mentS were so convincing that the legiSla-
ture authorized the purchase of lands
which is now in progress.
Following is an extract from the address
spoken of: From calculation Of the in
creased tax income derived from the territory
surrounding Central park, 1t is estimated
that the city has received 1000, 600 over
and above the cost Of the land, the inter-
est on the bonds and the expense Of i'm
provement and maintenance. This, how
ever, was
THE LEAST PORTION OF THE GAIN
from this magnificent real estate transac-
ton, for, after having realized all this enor-
nous profit over and above all expenses,
the city had acquired in addition and owned
free of debt the tract of land valued at
$500 600, 900.
.sIf the city should issue its bonds for the
purchase price Of all the lands now recon-
mended for parks, making the same pay
able in thirty years, at an interest of 81
per cent, the argument based On past ex-
perience shows that at the maturity of the
bonds the amount of both principal and
interest and the cost of constructing and
maintaining the parks would be more than
repaid by the increased tax income, while
tie city would hold the title enhanced in
value thirty-fold, free and clear, and with
out cost"
If this answer is valid and unanSWerable
in New York in regard to land ten miles
out of town, how much more forcibly does
it apply here to lands lying between the two
cities only ten miles apart, each containing
more than 100, 600 inhabitants and both
increasing in more rapid ratio than Chi
cago ever did in the days of her most rapid
growth.
But it is still urged with vehemence
against the establishment of parks that.
while they benefit adjacent property, they
impose all unequal share of taxation upon
other portions of the city. This objection
has been effectually disposed of in the park
reports OF Boston, New DIRK, Philadelphia,
Buffalo and Chicago, which all concur in
statement that-''The increased val
uation of property in the vicinity
Of the parks has caused pro-
portionate reduction of the aggregate
taxation of the city. In other words, but
for the existence of the parks very con-
siderable part of the enhanced real estate
in their vicinity would be imposed on the
rest of the city.
THE OWNERS OF PROPERTY
all over the city, therefore, are sharers in
the benefits resulting from it; and secondly,
the creation of parks and extended park
ways or bouleyards, has been the means of
retaining in the city a large proportion of
the population and especially of the wealthy
classes, who would otherwise have sought
the relief thus afforded in attractive outside
places.
The lessons of the experience of Min
neapolis for the last two years are the same