The Jersey City news., 1902-04-28
Fagan's Opposition to City
Hall Flower Beds Re
sented By Citizens
Generally.
DENOUNCE HIS HYPOCRISY
Benefits Derived From the
Beautiful Lawns Far Out
weighed the Expense.

The announcement that Mayor Pagan
will not allow the expenditure OF SUM-
! cient moneys to properly maintain the
! four flower beds in the lawns about the
| City Hall, has caused widespread discus
sion and general condemnation for the
i administration. The City Hall Commis-
: sioners were informed that Mayor Pagan
would not approve the payment of money
this year for flowers, although 1t had been
done ever year since the completion of
the City Hall.
/ The four beds now stand in the centre
/ of the lawns undecorated, and as ugly
| as four such mounds of earth could pos
sibly be. Their ugliness is the more ac-
centuated by the carefully kept lawns.
and they are an eye sore. Those employ
ed in the City Hall and those who live
about the square are loud in their de-
nunciation of Mayor Fagan's plan of
keeping down expenses in Insignificant
matters while in greater things that are
worrying the Board of Finance out Of
many nights sleep the expenses are be-
/ ing piled on every day.
| The lawns and flower beds about the
City Hall have been the most beautiful
in the State. They were the pride Of
every public spirited citizen here and the
delight of great many who spent their
evenings and afternoons walking about
the City Hall enjoying the spot When
! people came to this city from out of town
they were always shown the City Hall
/ by their local friends and the building
came in for no more praise than did the
| lawns and flower beds. People who were
drawn here for any reason looked at the
City Hall and the beautiful surroundings
and were forced to the conclusion that
the city was a progressive one. In those
days there was no stinting of moneys.
Past administrations felt that it was
their duty to make the city as beautiful
as possible Most of Fagan's predecessors
have gone on record as the friend and adj
vocate Of parks and similar improve
ments They always insisted on the ib
! provement of the City Hall lawns.
People who contemplated going into
business here were most favorabiy i'm
pressed with the City Hall and its sur
roundings and considered it an indication
of the public spirit of the citizens and
authorities.
Everyone in the City Hall had some
thing to say this morning the matter
Commissioner Datz, VINO cares for the
building and everything In connection
with it, was as down hearted as man
| could well be. He learned rom "Thc
News" on Saturday of the facts and said
it should stir up the people to action. He
said:-
'Tt is a shame that those flower beds
should be left as they are. They are az
eye sore and it would cost little enough
to make them as beautiful as ever be
fore It has always been the plan to
plant pansies early in the year. The
plots could be filled with 5000 pansies at
cost of $1,60. Then later in the spring
other flowers are added. The whole cost
of the work for the season lis between
$500 and 5000 The Mayor opposes this
expenditure He says it is too much.
No other Mayor ever said so. I am sure
that were the peopleasked to vote on the
question they would be willing to pay
twice as much. There are different de-
signs in every plot and the plants we
have beenin the habit of using are the
most beautiful that can be had. Expei.
gardners have estimated the cost OF these
plots in the past at $3.50 and $500 each"
City Clerk ODonnell said
ut is the duty of the municipal au-
thorit!es to make the city as beautiful as
possible Any rea sonable expenses should
not be spared These lawns have been the
delight of our citizens and have won
praise from those who came here from
other cities Everyone enjoys them. They
have been we'll kept and Mr.. Datz has
taken a worthy pride in them. They were
the best kept and most beautiful, grounds
of their kind in the State and they should
I ha maintained 40 they afWays have been'
Corporation Attorney John Wahl Queen
said THE city should feel ashamed If
the lawns and flower beds are not main
tanned as they always have been. Moth
ing in the city is more appreciated and
beneficial. 1t is false economy to cut
down expenses by neglecting the City Hall
grounds
City Collector Davis said
/ The lawns have been the pride of all
! who have seen them I have seen NUM-
berless poor women, and wealthy ones
/ too, walking about this building day af-
| ter day, and they and their children have
been greatly benefited. Environment
moulds character. you know, and these
| beautiful grounds should be kept up as
well as ever they were. / suppose Mayor
Pagan thinks the taxpayer will praise
| him for not allowing the expenditure of
money for such a fine purpose. 1t is like
ly he has the wrong idea
..rhis IS the first time ever heard that
the city was too poor to keep up its rep
I utation, and the information CONF from
a strange source. Mayor Pagan is sure
he has plenty of money to make improve
ments that will cost at least s134,000, ac-
cording to his own figures, but he cannot