Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-31
PARKS GIVEN Up TO WEEDS
Commissioners Will Make Earnest Plea for a
Larger Allowance,
PRESENT LEVY is WHOLLY INADEQUATE
Flower beds Abandoned md Insects
Allowed to work Their VIII on
Trees aud Shrubs-Thirty Thou
sand Dollars Needle

The Board of Park Commissioners will
make a vigorous effort to secure a more
liberal appropriation for the coming year.
The commissioners feel that they should be
granted the maximum levy permitted by
the charter, which would bring their in
come to 100000, in addition to the $3.50 0
road fund set apart by the legislature.
During the last year about $4,000 has
been available, and this amount has been
wholly inadequate to the demands OF the
parks,
AS a result Hanscom park has been main
tanned on one-half the lowest amount ever
previously appropriated for the purpose.
The lawn was either left uncut or run over
roughly with a horsepower mower. The
flower beds have been taken out and no
effort has been made to prevent the ravages
Of insects in trees and shrubs. Riverview
park has been kept up after a fashion at
even less expense. At Bemis park a slight
attempt has been made to keep the grounds
in condition by the surrounding property
owners, who have contributed to a fund
for that purpose. The other parks of the
city have been abandoned to the weeds,
| which have made rapid progress during the
year.
New Duties Are Assumed.
In speaking of the new levy Commissions
Il. J. Cornish said: Next year the park
board will be called upon to care for sew
eral new parks which have recently come
into the city's possession. There are thir-
teen acres in the Kount2e tract which will
need dressing up to a considerable extent
before the reserve will be of any use to the
city. Turner park. two blocks square, be-
tween Farnam and Dodge streets east of
Thirty first, is another naked piece of
~,,,,,l ,,.,N, ,rh,,1, ana fn1et hn nNnnn1n1
before it can be any credit to the city.
Then there is Woolworth park at Thirty
first and Poppleton avenue, and Deer park
on the south side, all newly acquired strips
Of ground, which will require attention. On
the west, Fontanelle park, acquired by the
city at a cost of $4,000, is lying idle, a
pasture for cows. If trees could be planted
on this site there would be at least a pros
pect that the city might reap benefit from
the investment at some future time. 1t
should be borne in mind also that the longer
the public reserves are left in neglect the
more difficult is their final redemption, as
the weeds and insects are doing a mischief
that can scarcely be calculated.
Full: Amonnt is Needed.
"In my opinion the park commissioners
will need the full amount allowed by the
charter. The law originally specified that
the board should have $50, 900 as a minimum
allowance, the allotment ordinarily reaching
anywhere up to $50, 900. The old minimum
was fixed at the present maximum when the
charter was revised with the tacit under
starding that the full amount would be
granted. While l, in common with all tax
payers, am in favor of a low general levy, l
think the exercise of such rigorous economy
in the care of the parks is poor business
policy"
Commissioner J. H.. Evans is also in favor
Of expanding at least $25, 900 on the mainte-
nance of the parks during the coming wear.
III it had not been for the road fund estab-
lished by the legislature last spring. he
said, sit would have been impossible to have
met necessary expenses with the money al
lowed us. While the road fund, of course,
could not be applied to parks, we are abba