The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-02
uNExpEcrED OBSTACLE.
PLEA FOR PUBLIC PARKS.
Massachusetts Again In the Lead on an
Important Question.


Important Question.
An act was passed by the Massachu-
setts Legislature of 1892 which ought to
other State which contains one or more
large cities, says the Century. 1t pro-
yides for the appointment by the Cover
nor of three men, to constitute a Board
of Metropolitan PARK Com ~missioners,
whose duty it shall be to consider the
advisabiiity of laying out ample open
spaces for til use of the public in the
towns and cities IN the vicinity or Bos-
ton" and to make a report, accompanied
by maps and plaBS, to the next session OF
the Legislature. Governor Russell ap-
pointed Charles Francis Adams, OF Quln-
cy, Philip A. Chase, Of Lynn, and William
de las Casas, of Maiden, as members Of
the commission, and they proceeded Inn
medlately to a vigorous prosecution OF
the WORE assigned them.
1t is the intention of the commission to
ascertain nrst what is the present pubic
holding of every community within twelve
miles of the State House. The next step
will be to inquire what more is needed.
All public beaches near Boston will be
examined with a view to seeing what
right the public already has in them, aud
what additional rights and improve
ments are desirable. River borders, like
those of the Charles River, will be
examined with a view to ascertainlug II
the river can be made a pleasure water
way with public rights npon It's banks.
Finally, the question of making y state
reservation OF about 1000 acres of BLU
Hills, the highest tract of laGd near
Boston. will be considered and recon-
mendatien made.
What the commission is doing for Bos-
ton aud it's suburbs. another organization,
called the Trustees of Public Reservation,
r. q n far 70 Dir for fhn yUhnla Sfafa nj
Massachusetts. 1t has issued a public
appeal ia which the scope OF it's work is
defined, as follows
10 whom ie may concern: In your part
of Massachusetts are there any beautiful
beaches. bluffs. hilltops. ravines, groves,
r~iverbanks OF roadsides?
Would it not be well to secure for the
public the most interesting of these places
before their beauty is destroyed, or they
become fenced in for private gain or
pleasure.
Owners of such places. by giving them
into the Keeping OF the trustees OF public
reservations. will euhance, the value OF
adjacent real estates. Neighbors OF such
places, by giving them into the charge OF
the trustees, may prottably increase the
attractiveness of their districr. Men and
women of Massachusetts who v
gained wealth within or without her
borders can find no mora acceptable way
Of benefting their. native land than by
dedicating one or more of her places of
beauty to the enjoyment Of al forever.
1t would be difficult to conceive OF pro-
jects more deserving approval thar these
we have mentioned. We have urged many
times. in this and other departments of
the Century. the great public value of
park-crestion aud preservation. Every
city in the country ought to have a COM
mission like that of Boston appointed to
secure park preservation Units suburbs.
The time to secure such preserves is be-
fore the suburbs are closely built up and
before the land becomes too valuable to
be spared for sucn use. There are suburbs
within the vicinity of New York and
other large cities, which have been al
lowed tosbe built up solidly without leav-
ing a single large open DpAce for public
| uses. This Is a blunder which will be seen
to be more and more grievous as time
goes on. Other cities ought to see to it
chat so far as they are concerned, the
blunder shall not be committed.