Evening star., 1904-03-19
Plans Of the City Gardens
Association.
COMMITTEES NAMED
MEETING OF EXECUTIVE COM
MITTEE YESTERDAY.
Ground Set Apart for Cultivation and
Congress Asked to Legislate
Business Considered.

City Gardens Association seems to be as
sured. At a well-attended meeting Of it's
special committee yesterday afternoon at
the New Willard 1t was announced that
the District Commissioners had rendered
the association the unrestricted use Of
such portions of the site Of the proposed
municipal hospital, on Brightwood road,
as is not now under cultivation, and that
the Miller Shoemaker Company of George
town has rendered the use of four lots In
the extreme western section Of the city.
A plan of action was adopted, and it was
unanimously voted to place the membership
fee at mot less Liam 81" Persons inter-
ested in the work may pay as much more
than dollar as their purses and sentiment
will allow. Committees on bylaws and
ways and means were appointed by the
president Mr.. B. H. Warner, and the belief
expressed that the association had finally
become settled on a permanent foundation.
Further than this. Col. T. w. Symons
U. s. A, superintendent of public buildings
and grounds, is in favor of the scheme
He attended the meeting yesterday after
noon '.just to get few pointers and find
out what all this hubbub is about" After
various elucidations by Mr.. Warner, Mrs
Giles Rafter, Prof. l.. c. Corbett and other
well-informed members Of the association
he declared himself as not opposed to the
idea, and said he would cheerfully grant
permission for the use Of unimproved prop
erty under his Jurisdiction, provided the
bill now pending in Congress involving this
matter becomes a law. So enthusiastic
were the members that before the meeting
adjourned the table in front of Mr.. Warner
was covered with dollars, representing the
first fees paid into the organization, The
ways and means committee, composed of
Mrs. C. D. Merwin. chairman; Mrs. Giles
Rafter and Miss Susan b. Sipe, announced
that 1t would go out into the highways
and the hedges and secure a vast array
of new members and al imposing display
of the more essential dollars.
Report on Legislation.
Following the reading Of the minutes of
a former meeting and the transaction of
other routine business President Warner
called upon Mr.. ]. Fl. Ralston Of the legis-
lation committee for report Mr.. Ralston
said his committee had drafted an amend
ment to the District appropriation BILL that
the amendment had been introduced in the
Senate by Senator Stewart and had been
referred to the Senate District committee.
The committee was to have acted on this
matter yesterday, but Mr.. Ralston said he
had received no report. There is every
reason to believe, however, that the amend
ment will receive favorable action, In view
of the fact that 1t involves no expense on
ment, the text of which was given in The
Star week ago. gives the association use
of certain unimpr0ved property In the Poto-
mac fats, where the poor persons Of the
city may grow vegetables enough for their
own table and the table of their more
wealthy neighbors.
Colonel Symons was apparently in the
dark concerning the intent of the associa-
ton when he arrived. for he asked If it
was proposed to dig up the cultivated
parks, and the parks improved with flowers
and shrubbery, for the purpose of substi-
tuting vegetable gardens.
mot a bit of it." replied Mr.. Warner.
I'VE are only after the use of such vacant
jured by the process Of vegetable garden
ing
Are you going to dig UP the Mall and
the grass plot around the base of the mon
ument?' inquired Col. Symons.
I'VE are not" said Mr.. Warner. I'VE
are going to get out of the way. and give
the poorer classes an opportunity to grow
vegetables or flowers where they will 90
n, harm and lots of good"
Experiment in Philadelphia.
Prof. Corbett came to Mr.. Warmers as
sistance at this point and explained how
the idea has met with great success in
Philadelphia, under the management of q
competent superintendent. He also re-
ferred to the Pingree idea as materialized
In Detroit. and said the scheme was prsc-
tically the same as the one contemplated
ny the lily GdTueuS ASSOCtdtlOn OF WASH
fEgton. Col. Symons said he was stationed
in Buffalo. N. Y, when a similar effort was
made In that city, but that 1t failed sig
nally. Prof. Corbett and Mr.. Warner an
swered this by saying the Buffalo manage
ment was inefficient. Col. Symons then ad-
mitted no care had been taken of the gar
dens, and no municipal or charitable con-
troll established.
The question of superintendent was
then discussed, and Prof Corbett of the
committee to select a suitable man for this
position reported several any one of whom
he believed to be available. He said, how
ever, that to succeed in project of this
character Ii was essential that the superin-
tendent enter in the spirit Of the work
Upon suggestion from the chair he agreed
to go into the matter more fully during the
ensuing week and to make report at the
next meeting.
Prof. Corbett added that he had made
Inquiries as to the price of seeds, and had
obtained from a local dealer a price of
$50 per package Of seeds adequate for
planting one-eighth acre garden. At a
former meeting he had estimated the cost
at S4.e0 to s., and the saving therefore was
considered to be significant. This pack
age said Prof Corbett, would supply seeds
for both summer and winter crops
The Financial Part.
Then Mrs. Merwin asked: How do YOU
expect to pay for 8 cents worth of seeds.
or get a superintendent or buy postal
cards or anything else unless you have
some money in the treasury? 1 think
this scheme has, developed far enough to
warrant formal organization, with fees
and dues, which we all know are the life
blood of every charitable work"
Il think we are all agreed on that point -
replied Mr.. Warner. What would you sug-
gest, Mrs. Merwin. as a proper initiation
fee?'
"A minimum CT ST." she answered. with
no maximum limit" and good as her word
she drew dollar from her pocketbook and
laid it on the table. Mr. Warner was a
close second with his initiation fee, and the
rest OF those present followed In rapid
sequence.
When the meeting had settled down to
business again, Colonel Symons made a
statement which in itself insures success to
the undertaking of the association He said
the Potomac flats contain acres upon acres
of ground which Is as fertile as any In the
country, and should Congress see fit to
allow the city's poor the use of that ground
enough vegetables could be grown on this
tract alone to supply the entire Washington
market. 1t was hoped by the members pres
ent that this statement could be brought to
the attention of the Senate committee be-
fore action is taken upon the proposed
amendment to the appropriation bill.
At the conclusion Of this discussion ad-
journment was taken until next Friday
afternoon at 4:30 o'clock, when the commit