St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-13
THE PARK QUESTION.

There is a fatal discrepancy between
the reports of the proceedings of the
st. Paul Park board at its last meeting,
as published IN the two leading news
papers of the city. One paper says that
the board met and adjourned without
having done anything. Tho other paper
says that the board met. unanimously
resolved to take drive to Lake Como,
and then adjourned for that purpose.
The public will at once see that there is
a serious difference between the two &C
counts, but until the secretary of the
cOmmission,can get week of leisure in
which to write up the official minutes of
this important session. il can not be
positively determined which is anthem
tic.
The st. Paul park board is composed
of four very capable and interesting
men of the world, with long heads and
a complete knowledge of the city's
needs. But they will earn their salaries
of 500 per annum if the pres
ent popular conception of their
functions continues uncontradicted.
The real estate boom in this
town is over for the time being,
and the owners of corner lots find rather
a dull market for their wares at fignres
which agree with their sense of justice
and right. The impression seems to be
prevalent that our park commission
was devised by the last legislature with
the benehcent object of atfording some
relief to their distreSsful condition.
The patriotic zeal with which these
gentlemen now offer to sell anything
they have for the public use in guam
titles to suit, at an adequate price but
on easy terms, shows both that unself-
ishness is not dead virtue, and also,
that the average man dreams of the
city's park fund as comfortable source
of supply for landed proprietors in need
of ready cash.
Mr.. HORTON and his associates proba-
bly, understand their business, but the
GLOBE suggests that it would facilitate
matters il they should issue bulletin
to the effect that they know without be-
ing told that they can buy any piece of
property in the city for a park if they
are willing to pay twice as much for it
as it is is worth. This will save them
the serious physical effort of making
complete list of the additions to st.
Paul, with the prices put on each lot in
them by their oWners-a task to which
they have thus far devoted them
selves with much vigOr, but wi tn
some waste of strength. having accom-
plished this, they will then have some
time for what would seem to be their real
sphere, and that is to map out cOnsis-
tent system of parks of considerable
size on the outskirts of the city. with
connecting boulevards. The situation
of Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun may
have given Minneapolis natural adj
vantagein a competition in this field, but
with the river drives which are available,
and the attractions of the many lakes in
our suburbs, there is no good reason
why, with some concerted effort, we
should not supply our deficiencies at no
burdensome outlay. st. Paul does not
need as many parks as some places, be-
cause its bluffs and handsome avenues
are parks in themselves; but it needs
some, and now is the best time to get
them, before the growth of the city has
pre-empted the situations which would
be desirable for the purpose.