Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-08
TERMS OF THE DISPATCH.
PITTSBURG, WEDNESDAY, OCT. s. 1890.
lRK ENTRANCE AND LIBRARY SITE

The reconsideration by Common Council
OF its indefinite postponement OF the park
entrance measure, and its pa ssage by con-
siderable majority, warrants, as stated yes.
terdav, the expectation that Mrs. Schenley's
offer will be accepted by similar action Of
the Select branch. This is undoubtedly the
correct disposition of the measure. The
arguments which were advanced at Mon
days meeting against the purchase, would
be of much force if they were pertinent.
With regard to street improvements, the ex-
pend1ture of $4,000 for the park entrance,
can have no bearing at all, either for or
against the improvement of streets; and the
fact is that the impossible condition of many
streets to-day, IS because they have been
caught in a rainy season before the improve
ments going on have been finished.
AS to the cost which the acquisition ofthe
nineteen acres is supposed to entail upon
the city, it should be recognized that it will
necessitate no expenditures that would not
have been required ANYHOW and will, on the
contrary, save some Of them. 1t is plain
that an entrance of some sort would have
been necessary from the Oakland side OF the
park. II would be an absurdity to suppose
that Pittsburg would accept a gift OF 300
acre park and then make 100000 OF its 240,-
900 citizens go around to the rear side OF the
park to get into it. The bridge and the ex-
pense of the roadwavs will be Just the same
with the purchase as without it; but with
the land purchased, the cost of condemning
the ground through which the entrance runs
will be saved. BY whatever sum the SIS, 900
cost of the nineteen acres may exceed the
cost Of condemning a mere entrance for the
park, it will be bagatelle beside the ad-
vantage of gaining nineteen acres of addi-
tional park ground with frontage OF 200
feet on Forbes street.
One OF the objections TO the acquisition Of
this tract urged in Common Council is
based on the idea that, if the tract is ac-
cepted, it locates the Carnegie Library there
The fact is that while the tendency NAV
strongly point to that site for the library,
no authoritative action has vet been taken.
Gentlemen prominent on the Executive
Committee may have committed themselves
10 the effect that this is a site that they
would recommend to the commission; but
no one can have said 80 the site is decided,
because no one has tn. authority to do So
Perhaps the most significant indicatiol on
this point is the open secret that Mr. Car
Cegie himself is in favor of the site: but
whether that is not equally significant as to
its merits, is matter which the public can
take into consideration. There is much
force in the arguments Of gentlemen who
maintain that ceLtral library should be
located near the point where lines of transit
center: as there is also cogency in the argu-
.nents OF those who point to the trend of
ponulation to the eastward and the diff
Gully of obtaining eligible sites in the down.
town district II is rather peculiar phase
of the question that the Councimen who
opposed this purchase on account of the
library question are members of the Library
Commission. Whether their opposition TO
the purchase in Councils indicates their ap-
prehensicn that the park location will be
supported BY majority Of the commission,
Or is only a mani ni'estation OF their determina-
ton to oppose that site wherever they can
bring their opposition to bear, it is an in
teresting aspect Ct the antagonism aroused
by that important question.
The most obvious commentary on the
whole matter is that the park entrance ques-
ton should be settled on its merits, as it
seems to have been done in Common Coun-
ell on Monday; and that the library site
should be settled on its merits when it
comes before the commission. That deter
mination will lead to the purchase OF the
ground simply on its value for the park.
We should not be surprised if a similar
treatment of the library question should re-
salt in locating tn museum, art gallery and
q large branch library at the park entrance,
with an adequate building down town to be
used as the central library until the growth
OF population and Improvement of transit
shall require the transfer of the central
library to the park. and the conversion of
the down town institution into q leading
branch.