St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-02-02
OVER 1926 900 FOR PARKS.
Interest IL Per Cent; the Park
Board Making Forced Loans.

TO THE PARK BOARD.
Perhaps absence from the city, per-
laps absorption in Your own private
business. possibly unusual financial
prosperity Individually have concealed
from you the present financial situation
OF your neighbors and fellow citizens, or
have made you blind to condition of
things that you ought to recognize. " hen
acting i'll Il trust capacity, viz: as park
commissioners of the city of st. Paul.
In 1892 POSSIBLY earler). when the
financial Situation was very different
from what it was III 1898 and now. yoa
evidently determined upon a park
SYSTEM. When you reached the question
OF condemnation and pay for these
parks in 1873 we had entered upon a
different financial situation than had
ever existed before. The people (al
classes) found it necessary TO economic
TO the utmost, and there began to be i'll
dicatloHs OF the distress which followed.
The people who were to be taxed 10 pay
for these parks became aroused and
held public meetings, drew up and pre-
sented protests. ana, i'll every orderly
manner. indicated their disapproval of
the purchase of parks in time of great
financial depression aud distress. The
park board apparently answered this
public clamor by acquiescing in policy
OF delay. The West side park was
abandoned; Indian Mound, Phalen and
Rldgewood parks were permitted to
sleep. or, in other words, were not
pressed for Immediate condemnation
and consequent assessment.
January Ii. 1893, the park board
ordered the board of public works 10
proceed with the condemnation and as
seSsment for RidgewOod Park, and lave
never rescinded that order. The people
TO De assessed became aroused and held
Indignation meetings, sent protests and
did all i'll their power to get the park
| given UP. The board of public works
Under the law was powerieSS, and could
| only continue the hearings, which
| they have done from time to time
for twenty-Six (26) times committees
| and citizens could not attend the
meetings of the board of public
works forever, and when the commit
| tees and citizens were worn out with
| repeated continuances and delays, the
| park commissioners sent DerenDtory
order to the board of public works 10
| proceed, dated Aug. II, 1893. This was
| about the course that was pursued in
| reference to Indian Mound park and
| Lake Phalen park. The Indian Mound
! park assessment has been completed,
| and the other TWO will be as soon as the
| board of public works cah fix tie
boundaries of assessment districts, de-
| termine the value of the land proposed
TO be taken and make the assessments.
| NOW, gentlemen. let us review the
present situation. The panic of 1898
wrecked the fortunes of many of our
| citizens; it shrunk the capital or one of
| our best local institutions one-half "a
| million Of dollarsl; it shrunk all bonds,
| stocks and investments very heavily
indeed; it closed a multitude of fac
| tories; it threw thousands out of EN-
| pioyment; it brought about condition
OF things which no man living had ever
| witnessed before. The results now upon
us are these: Our public moneys from
taxes available to relieve the destitute
are exhausted, committees of citizens
are raising funds by begging from all
| who can spare dollar 10 care for those
who are absolutely destitute, city GER
| tltcateS are being Issued 10 help the
unemployed and keep them from starv-
! ing. A Friendly Ina" has been eStab-
| lished, the board of control is in daily
session trying to relieve the thousands
| who would suffer from cold and hunger
were it not for public charity. Men of
| property walk the streets with shut lips
| and grinding teeth, planning and Won
| derIng how, and working 10 sustain
| their own burdens and keep their bust
ness aftoat till a change comes for the
| better" Our newspapers are full of
mortgage foreclosures and notices for
! Judgment on street assessments, and of
insolvency proceedings. You, gentle
men, apparently Obllvl0uS TO all this,
insist that the people are starving for
parks" when all thoughtful men agree
| that parks can be postponed to better
cad ~ RI,
| that Indian Mound park would appeaSa
| the real emptiness of the hungry on
| Dayton'S bluff. so you bought seventeen
acres of land for SO, 1920, and called it
Indian Mound park" You allowed
$4,000 out of the funds realized from
| park bonds towards paying for ii, and
| the board of public works assessed the
| balance, S45, 1920, on property which
| they deem to be benefited by these
warts on the face of nature" and the
poor mans home has been sold Gin hum
| Greds of cases. or will be-, and ne has
| the privilege of redeeming from these
| judgment sales at II per cent per an
| mum.
| This Seyenteen-acre dose of "warts''
| did nor satisfy the park boards craving
| for "Deauty and taxation" and so you
| have peremptOrily ordered the board to
! proceed and condemn ninety-siX 1861
acres on the shore of Lake Phalen, and
| they are at work on 1t now. ordered
Jan. 10. 1894; and also to proceed with
| the assessment for Ridgewood park,
order dated Aug. IL, 1898, which en-
| braces about nineteen and a half acres.
The price for the ground taken in the
two latter parks has not yet been fixed.
They are, approximately, going to cost
as follows, viz;
| Indian Mound, cost. ...... SO, 1872 20
| Rldgewood park Estimated. 10000 90
| Lake Fhalen park (eStmated) 100000 co
--
| Total. $685., 1872 20
Or this there has been allowed, or it is
supposed will be, out of park board
| fund:
| Indian Mound $50, 900 90
| Ridgewood ............ 10000 90
| Lake Phalen. $4,000 90