The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-26
NOT ENOUGH MONEY
CHAIRMAN DAFFIN THINKS COUN-
Gil SHOULD BE MORE LIBERAL.
WITH PARK IMPROVEMENTS.
COMPLAINS THAT HE CAN DO LIT
TIE WITH AMOUNT ALLOWED.

VIII Ask for an Increase in ApprO-
printiOn for Next lear-Says the
Beauty of the City should Not suf-
fer and That Ii Is False Economy.
People Want Parks and Squares
Carefully Attended to-Chairma N
OF Park and Tree Commission De-
clnres That He Can Scarcely Care
for Trees Already Planted With
small Amount Allowed by Council.
He Is Anxious TO Cut Down the Old
Trees on OSIethorpe Avenue so
That the Young Ones VIII Get a.
Chance to Grow.
city Council has simply been starry
ing US to DEATH"
This is the way Chairman P. D. Daft
fin of the Park and Tree Commits ion
feels with reference to the annual ap-
preparations made by Council for the
keeping of the parks and squares. 1t
is about time for Mr. Daffin to figure
on contemplated Expenditures for next
year and he remembers that every
year his estimate is almost cut in two
by the aldermen.
The chairman of the Park and Tree
Commission will probably ask for
something like $4,000 for next year.
This is about the amount that is
usually requested and Mr. Daffin fig
ures that the city is done a great in
justice if anything short of that sum
is appropriate For the parks and
squares $500 was allowed by Council
for this year. Mr.. Daffin says that it
has been with the greatest difficulty
that he has been able to take care of
the trees now in the ground. There
was not enough money to the credit of
the commission to make any improve
ments at all possible.
improvements Out of Question.
'Why with the money allowed us we
could scarcely keep up appearances, "
said Mr. Daftin in talking of his plans
for next year. Improvements have
been out of the question and the
beauty of the city is suffering. This
is an important matter in the handling
of a municipality and Council should
not be so stingy. Trees are hard to
get now and we have to so way out to
dig them.
THE politicians tried to have the
Park and Tree Commission abolished,
but the people wouldn't have it. Since
then we have been kept barely alive.
| am in hopes that Council will see the
necessity of increasing our appropri-
alton so that we can do some improv-
ing next year Many citizens who
have talked to me on the subject thinl.
that We should be given more money.
To Cut Old Trees.
cit costs us about $50 to cut down
and dig up an old tree like the one we
recently pulled down by the Chatham
Academy. We have only been able to
take down the dead ones that Were
really dangerous, but l hope to be able
! next year TO clean out the old and ir-
| regular trees ON Oglethorpe avenue. II
they don't come down they will surely
kill the young trees that we have
planted. The young trees are in reg
ular alignment while the old ones
stand as they did in the forest. in nc
regular order, and unsightly. They
should all be cleaned out from Ogle-
thorpe avenue. Then the younger
trees would thrive and we would have
a really beautiful avenue"
1t will be recalled that last year
| Chairman Daffin announced that hi
had grown tired of having his esti.
mates slashed by the aldermen and
would not make up one. 1t was shown
to him that under the law he would be
required to furnish an estimate. This
was done and the same old story OF
| slashing was repeated. Mr.. Daffin
| however, is more hopeful now anC
| thinks it possible that he will receive
an increase in his appropriation after
| Council has gone carefully over his
| figures