Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-08-10
SYSTEM OF SMALL PARKS,


SYSTEM OF SMALL PARKS.
Eastern Oitiss Are sssang the Advantogo
The Philadelphia ; Times has the
following which viii be Of particular
interest in the two cities Just at this
time: %en
The founders Of the old CITY of
Philadelphia with commendable fore
sight included some open squares
foa breathing places in the city
plan. When the city grew beyond
the original limits no one took any
interest in the matter, and Q vast
area has been buils over without re-
serving any small parks. Recently
IN association Of public spirited ci,i-
zens has been agitating this subject.
with the result that . number of
new squares have been acquired, .
very few at . large outlay whore
they were most needed-that 10, in
the crowded sections-and others
where they will serve . useful
purpose In the near future.
Two of these acquisitions, Bartram's
Garden and Vernon, have been Sc
cured to preserve historic localities.
and one or moro seem to have been
purchased to promote somebody
private specUlations, and viii hardly
be available for park purposes 1t all.
The duty Of thoughtful provisions
for the future having been neglected
ct the time when it could have been
most satisfactorily performed. the
deficiency must be supplied - il best
can be, and it would DO unjust to
condemn what has been done at this
late day to remedy past neglect. But
It will not be amisS to suggest that
there 10 better way of anticipating
the wants of the future in the way
of small parks than by leaving the
selection of localities to the chance
Of q political pull. or the shrewdness
Of private greed. There should be
. system Of small parks for the Sec
lions yet to be built over. which
should be. planned by the best en-.
cheering skill with the double view
Of providing small parks where they
will be most needed, and having
them connected BY suitable and sp-
proPriate driveways. Boston has
an admirable park system,
and q metropolitan park
commission has been created
by the Massachusetts, legislature
with view to extending this 81 stem
to the 81 cities and towns contiguous
to that city. This commission con-
sists of five distinguished citizens
appointed by the governor, who
serve without pay, and their terms
OF office are so adjusted that there Is
one vacancy every year, the new ap.
pointee serving for the full term of
Eve years. This commission. ap-
pointed under an act passed in 1898.
has already secured several admira-
BILE park tracts. including every va
riety of landscape, from q stretch of
sea beach to . chain Of craggy wood
ed hills. The advantage or this
method of selection is that ca III tract
acquired Is in the right place. and 90
capable under proper Improvement
of becoming an admirable feature of
q general park system.
lowing to constitutional limita-
tions. the Legislature of this state
could not create Just such Q COM
mission for Philadelphia. nor enlarge
the powers of the Paramount park
commission to include this duty, but
it is within the power of the coun-
ellis, by ordinance, to create a COM
mission of this kind. or to Commit
the necessary power to the exciting
park commission, and in .sw of the
plumbers and neglect of the past in
this matter this should be done. The
puo bile has been aroused to the neces-
sity and importance of wise provis-
ion for the future in the matter of
open squares, and there should be
no further application of the chance
or haphazsrd method of selection.
Future purchases of land for open
squares should be made with view
to special fitness. the needs of local
ity and the possibility of connection
In one entire system, and these con-
ditions can be better secured by an
intelligent commission with the aid
of skillful civil engineer and land
scape architect than in any other