The age-herald., 1898-01-29
MR. ALI TMAN'S RESOLUTION In Regard to the City Park Con-
 mission DOES A GREAT INJUSTICE Says Commissioner Enley-Have Received No Regular Appropriation With Which to
 Carry On the Work

The question of the management of the Birmingham public parks still continues to be an interesting one. At meeting of the city council several weeks ago, Alder man Altman introduced an ordinance di- vesting the park commission of all super vision over the parks and placing it in the hands of the park committee of the city council.
 Alderman Altman stated at the time that the park commission had proved it's ina bility to improve and keep up the parks and thought it was high time for change. It was also stated at the time that the park committee had ordered a thousand trees and that they were being planted as fast as possible. The ordinance is on it's second reading now and has not been passed.
 The duties of the park commission are defined in section 4O4 of the city code as follows:
 'The public parks of the city shall be under the immediate supervision of park commission to be composed of three citizens of the city, selected by the board, who shall, subject to the approval of the board, have authority to adopt rules and regulations for the parks, who shall su- pervise the improvement thereof and who shall expend thereon any sum or sums of money appropriated by the board for the benefit thereof''
 The present commission consists of the following gentlemen: Charles F. Enslen, Lenox Bennie and L. w. Friedman.
 It is claimed by members of the con- mission that the park committee of the city council have antagonized the con- mission in the discharge of its duty, and that little money has been appropriated to. carry on the work.
 The members of the park commission re- ceive no pay, the position being merely honorary ones.
 It is said that certain members of the commission favored enjoining the city council from taking such action, but that it has been decided to let the matter drop. MT Enslen was seen yesterday and said:
 ''The board of aldermen have not acted on the square in this affair.
 "The criticism of MT. Altman and other members of the board is entirely unjust. They complain that we have sat idle year after year and have done nothing to im- prove the parks. This is partially true. The board has consistently refused to ap- propriate any regular sum to maintain the parks. and ours being purely an honorary office, we did not feel called. upon to pay for new trees ourselves A year or two ago a small amount was appropriated, which we invested in trees, and these trees are the only ones now living.
 Under the city code as it now stands, no one except the park commission is per- raitted to touch one cent of the money ap- proprated for parks. A member of the board of aldermen has no more right to buy trees and spend park money than any other citizen.
 "rhe impression seemed to have been given out that the park commission had received regular appropriation and. that they had used it for some other purpose If this impression was created, 1t is en- tirely incorrect. If any appropriations were made they were used by some persons other than the park commission. Last summer and previous summers I went re- peatedly to the city authorities and asked for money to keep the parks decent, but with the few exceptions mentioned above, have always been refused. I have on one or two occasions paid for having the rank weeds cut down out of my own pocket.
 However, the members of the park com- mission will not fight the matter, and the board of aldermen can do with their parks as they fit. only make this statemenIb in order that we may not be too grossly misreprcsented."