The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-08-04
NOT ENOUGH PARKS
AMERICAN CITIES ARE Still, Ia
MENTALLY DEFICIENT IN
BREATHING PLACES
HARD WORK TO SECURE LAND
Great Progress Has Been Made in
Past Five Years, and Hopes
Are Entertained That IT
Will Continue.

Fifty years ago not an acre of land
had been purchased for park purposes
by any American city, says the Phila-
delphia Record. Some of the larger mu-
| nicipalties had received gifts of land to
be devoted to that USE but the idea that
city must provide its breathing places
for the great mass of people had not yet
been conceived as among the public re-
sponsibilities
Today in the seventy-e:ght cities having
$1,000 population and over there are near
ly 1900 parks and squares with an area
OF 5000 acres, valued at $500, GOO, 900. Last
year fully five millions and "a half were
expended for Improvements, while about
six millions were expended for mainten-
ance
The larger cities are greatly embar-
raised in their efforts to secure an ade-
quate number of parks and squares in the
tenement and congested districts, because
every available foot of square has been
long occupied by tradesmen or by tene-
ments which swarm with life Despite
the fact of largely increased cost per
square foot of this land whole blocks
are being purchased by New York and
other American cities, the old buildings
razed to the ground and open spaces
created for the tens of thousands of men,
women and children who live within
stones throw of the new park area.
A half dozen parks have been created
In this way in New York since 1893, when
the late Mayor Strong began the work.
The effect of these open spaces upon the
life of the contiguous communities has
been very noticeable in the reduced death
rate and the lessening of the number of
arrests for minor offenses among children
AS compared with London, New York
has nearly twice the area devoted to
park purposes, but here the favorable
comparison ends, for London has many
amusements and other means of recreaS
ton that are unknown to New York or
to any American municipality. But even
London has not always been as well
equipped with breathing places and
amuSements for the great mass of peo-
pie The reform in that city began in
1889, when the London county council
came into control of all the functions of
municipal government of Greater Lon
don.
Then there were about 1000 acres de-
voted to parks and open spaces; now
there are nearly 1000 acres. The county
council found the park system to consist
Of 43 areas of various sizes, which was
kept in order by a staff of 27S, while at
the present time there are 10 parks, SO
gardens and 81 open spaces, making a
total of SO places, which are cared for
by staff of 781 men, with an ~addi-
ClOllcLt 1OU dIlu upward WHO are called out
for special Improvements.
Places for all sorts of games for all
sorts of people are maintained through
out the season at public expense. For in
stance, there are 1856 pitches per week to
be allotted for cricket games. During
1900 about 1900 games were played
There were $4,000 games of tennis played
on the 466 tennis courts located at diff
ferent places in the park system During
10 fhn1I oct
March 81, more than 5000 games were
played. Liberal space Is devoted to golf
links, quoits, lacrosse, polo and other
games. Abundant provisions are made
for bicycling, gymnasium and chiIdrens
Fairgrounds and for places of refresh
ments, the administration being careful
that pure food and drinks are supplied
at reasonable prices. There is ample op-
portunity for boating on the ponds and
lakes in summer, and for skating in win
ter, there being surface area aggre-
eating sixty-eight acres, which Is kept
In excellent condition in the winter
While American cities have been trif9
slow in beginning this necessary work of
providing breathing places, amusement
and recreation, free to the general public
the progress that has been made in the
last five years, when compared with that
which has been made IN foreign cities In
the last decade, furnishes grounds for
the belief that within the next ten years
American cities will lead the world in Its
parks and public entertainment
Besides the 5000 separate areas of vary
Ing sizes which are cared for by a small
army of commissioners, superintendent
and attendants in the employ of various
cities of $4,000 population and over there
are some 200 street railway parks having
an aggregate area of WEI on to $1,000
acres, which are equipped with free and
paid amusements and created with the
special purpose of feeding the traffic Of
the street railways. In every case these
places are located from one to ten miles
from the center of the city
A study Of the park conditions in the
seventy,edght largest cities, which in
clude all of the $1,000 population or over.
reveals many curious and interesting
facts. For example, out of the total
number twenty-five have per cent or
purposes. Only fifteen cities out of the
seventy-eig expend 2 per cent or more
for parks. while the per capita cost for
maintenance ranges from II cents to
three-fourths Of l cent.
Frederick Law Olmsted Of Boston,
maintains that one-twentieth Of a city's
area should be retained for park pur-
poses. But that is an ideal condition that
is not found in any city either on this or
the other SIDE of the Atlantic The most
beautiful park systems, as well as the
most extensive in areas, in America are
to be found in New York, philadelphia
Boston Washington, Baltimore, Chicago.
Buffalo, New Orleans, San Francisco and
Detroit. In European cities an effort is
made to have one acre of park land to
every 200 of population. Twenty-seven
cities of the seventy-eigh largest in this
country already have that amount or
more, but most of them fall way below
the requisite ratio.
A general comparison of the park svs-
tenn in the number of cities mentioned
SHOWS that the average cost, for develop
me mnent mas been at the rate of about $780,.
wv Tor l00 acres, and that the cost for
maintaining this amount of park area
amounts to $4,000 per annum
mere is one great lack in American
park systems as compared with those
of foreign cities. especially where there
as in manufacturing centers. For exam
pie, the cities Of Scranton Pa: Law
renee. Mass; Elizabeth. n. J.. Holyoke
and Fall River, Mass, are sadly deficient
in this respect.
One city. which shall be nameless. while
1t is delightfully."- located. and has a
population of more than 100 COO has only
eighty acres of parks, not one of which
Is completely developed-in fact only
small portion of the eighty acres is even
kent clean.
Altogether, this city spends less than
$1,000 per year for park purposes and
even this amount is expended through
politicians. so that the parks do not re-
ceiye ANYTHING like the full value of
even that small amount This is $50 O9
less than should be expended when
measured by reasonable standard
What is true of this city is true of most
Of the other manufacturing centers Of
the country. The old Bay State may
ton. but it should hang it's head in shame
when contemplating the conditions which