Morning journal and courier., 1889-03-01
PARKS FOR THE PEOPLE.

The Movement now i'm Progress i'm
 this City for More Parks-The Com.
 mon Council COmmftIee's Fovora-
 ble Acknowledgements of the Three
 Respective Committees-What New
 York. Buffalo, Rochester and "Or-
 eester are DoiRs-Publio-Spirft Ctt-
 izens Planning for New Haven's Fu-
 ture.
 The movement in this city to take steps for providing more public parks, or breathing places for the masses, is taking definite shape and the public-spirited and influential citi- zens who are giving freely of their time and using their influence and talents to promote the project, are much encouraged at the shape the case has assumed, the committee of the common council to whom the matter was referred having reported favorably for the project. This committee will report to the council at it's next meeting in favor of the plan of obtaining power from the leg islature for the town of New Haven to issue $2O0, ,oe0 in bonds, the funds to be applied from time to time in the purchase of land for public park purposes. The report of the committee is entirely favorable to the pro- ject A brief resume of the case is as fol- lows A committee was appointed on the subject by the chamber of commerce. The matter on being brought before the board of seIeotmen, met that boards hearty approval and committee was appointed by that board to cooperate with the chambers committee. The selectmen's committee consists of Messrs. White, Beecher, Klenke. The chamber of commerce committee are H. D. Blake, chair man, N. Easterbroek, jr., Joel A. Sperry, H. H. Strong, Eli Whitney, jr., J. N States, ex-Mayor George F. Holoomb. The com- mittee on squares are Aldermen Prince and TounoiIroor1 Conhorn o1au and Chamberlain. The committee on squares will report to the common council in favor of the appointment of @ committee to CO., operate with the committee of the chamber and with the committee of the selectmen in furthering the project of ruore parks. The gentlemen advocating the project are ID earnest on the subject as matter of wise foresight and public policy. They advance cogent reasons, which are embodied as fol- lows: New Haven is growing rapidly; we are no longer 8 village or small town; we have emerged from the village and small town in- to the large and constantly growing city and soon will equal Providence in population at the rate we are now growing, and become the second city of New England. All is changed here, therefore, since fifty years ago. Ex Governor English and other of our older citi- zens we'll remember when the territory below Chestnut street was chiefly an open field and when Grand avenue, now continuous line or 6tOr6S rom 0Eal0 Slr66G to LE0 rlVer, Q6O but two or three stores and very few houses on 1t. Only thirty years ago Barnum's circus was exhibited on then big open lot close to Grand street (Grand avenue nowl between Bradley and Franklin streets. Now the prudent man taketh time by the forelock. New York is spending from $10,- OOO, ,00O to $15, 1000, ,000 to open parks on ter ritory that is nowadays very expensive. and great is the regret that this same land had not been set apart for parks when it could have been bought 'tfor . soHg." Rochester has appropriated $500, 1000 for buying land and laying out new parks in that city. Buf- falo is spending $1,000,000 or more for like purpose. Worcester has just appropri ated from $200, ,000 to $3o0,o00 for like this to wait. How bitterly have patriotic New Haveners regretted not accepting the generous offer of City Point by Gerard Hal lock for 8 public park, at nom- inal figure. Posterity will not com plain if we, of today, provide them more public parks, more breathing places for the toiling masses. We ask but for s2o0, ,0OO. That is not much for a city of our size. Besides the money is 10 be spent in beneftting the public and beside that 1t will be good investment for posteTity and not only in the matter of parks, the land thus bought, will, in 10, 20, 30 and 40 years, be worth from two to ten times what it is to-day, ana II so wished, one piece or park land would sell in those future days, for enough money to pay off the whole $200, 900 of bonds and the rest of the parks wouldn't cost posterity sou. The idea is to furnish more breathing places for the public in the heart of the city. Bitterly will posterity regret if this is not done. For the health and comfort of thousands these parks will be invaluable. If we wait ten or twenty years before making this move we will have to issue half million or @ mil lion in bonds to purchase land that can be bought for $200, 900 now. We want, too, a seaside park where in the hot weather mothers and children and men can take the fresh, cool sea air and get beautiful view of the harbor and Sound, and see something else beside the brick walls of hot workshops and dwellings. There are other strong reasons for this movement, and it appeals to the pub lie heart.