The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-02
TALK OF NEW PARK LAW
ADMINISTRATION WILL ASK LEGIS-
LATURE TO PASS ONE.
The Board Should Not BE Subjected to
Frequent Changes - ASSESS
ments Of Benefits.

The city administration is considering the
advisability Of a new park law, and from
present expressions it is certain that the
Legislature to convene next January will
be asked to re-enact the old park law,
minus such constitutional defects as were
pointed out at the time it was assailed. All
who have had to deal with the park ques-
ton since the Park Board was abolished
realize that the subject is too big for the
Board of Works to handle in addition to the
many cuties placed upon it by the charter.
Those pest posted with city affairs say that
the board has enough to do in disposing of
questions in regard to street improvements,
sewer work, street sweeping and cleaning
and the. multitudinous questions that come
before it without having to devote a good
deal of attention to park matters.
The main objection to the Board of Works
dealing with this subject is that it is SUBJ
ject to frequent changes. 1t is a rare thing
for Board of Works to continue with the
same personnel over more than two admin
istrations, four years. In the present board
President M. A. Downing is the only men,
Der that has been on it all the time since the
present administration came in. If a change
occurs next year there is bound to be a new
board, which will have no knowledge of
what the present board has done and the
plans it had in mind when various projects
were undertaken in the parks. At best, it
is asserted, new men can hardly get an idea
of what has been done and what was con-
templated inside of six months. New men,
bringing new ideas with them, would doubt
less upset carefully laid plans Of their
predecessors. This being true, it is asserted
that the park system, which naturally will
take long time for development, should
be under the control of board practically
perpetual, or one changing gradually in its
makeup. For this reason it is urged that
the plan Of constituting and perpetuating
the old Park Board was admirable. Under
the old park law new member of the board
was to be appointed each year by the mayor.
Each new, member coming in had time to
acquaint himself with what had already
been done before trying to inject new ideas.
AT the same time it is argued that by
partial change each year the board would
have the advantage of fresh blood and new
ideas without running the risk of having an
entirely new policy introduced by green
hands. For this reason the members OF the
administration who have given the subject
most thought favor law that will create
new Park Board upon practically the same
lines as before.
There is a difference of opinion as to what
general provisions the law should contain.
Conditions are different now as compared
WIFI the time WneH the OlO law was
drafted. The city owns several hundred
acres Of park land and the board would
have more to do with developing the land
than with settling problems of acquisition
Still, it is said the board should have broad
powers of eminent domain to enable it to
acquire more land in the future, when it is
considered necessary and wise. Many argue
that the old laws system of assessing benz
ef1tS and damages should be carefully kept
out of a. new law, and that instead some
sCrt of a park sinking fund should be
created. A very small sum would suffice,
1t is said, to provide for paying for lands
already purchased when the bonds are due.
Councilmen and other city authorities agree
that the park board should have at it's
disposal an annual sum unincumbered by
OF one-tenth of one cent, it is set out, would
at this time place a sum aggregating
$4,000 a. year at the disposal of the park
board for use in improving lands as in its
discretion might appear necessary. On the
other hand it is asserted that such a plan
would be contrary to the spirit of the char
ter, which explicitly provides that the
Council shall determine all annual appro-
priations that are to be made.
Such questions as these are being con-
sidered by the administration in consider
ing what sort of a park act to ask the
next Legislature to pass. 1t is probable
taken to have a law drafted. There is a
suggestion that it might be well to inter
est the Commercial Club and Board of
Trade in the matter, as was done before the
old park law was passed. 1t is pointed out
that to make law now would be easier
than four years ago, as since then the city
has learned much by experience.