Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-12-07

The evening paper seems to have
taken brief for the parties who
projected the Dabney hill park
scheme, and shyster like, abuses the
Herald for opposing it. Its unripe
editor constructs "graresA story and
proceeds to cnarge the Herald with
1t, and demands this paper shall "re-
tract, plead guilty to ignorance or
stand convicted as low scandal
monger." The Herald will do
neither. This paper will do just
what it has been doing in this mat
ter-tell the facts, and allow the
public to determine.
The Herald has accused nobody of
grating. 1t has termed the scheme
a wild cat realty speculation, and
review of the manner in which
the entire affair has been worked
fully justifies the term. The city
was very nearly inveigled into an
immense expenditure for a park site
that is wholly unnecessary at this
time by park board that is utter
ly without authority to either Sc
lect or purchase park sites, and it is
perfectly proper for those who must
pay the bills to inquire the where
fore.
The Herald has said the scheme
oifhop Lot
a foolish proposition. These respon-
sible know best which, but to the
taxpayer the result is the same. We
will, as briefly as possible, relate
the origin, growth and demise of this
scheme, for the defense of which, if
there are any "bits" going, the
World is entitled to it's share. On
August 10. 1908, the city council
passed an ordinance creating a park
board, defining its duties and estab-
fishing park fund. The only fund
provided was the proceeds of the dog
tax. Section 2, of the ordinance de-
fines the duties of the board as fol-
lows:
"Section 2. The board of Park
Commissioners, shall organize by
electing one of their members, presi-
dent, and one Of their members, Sec
retary of the board. The shall hold
such regular and special meetings
as they themselves shall determine
Two of their members present at any
regular or special meeting shall con-
stitute a quoram for the transaction
of business. Such board of Park
Commissioners shall have control and
supervision of all parks belonging
to the city and shall have power to
prescribe the rules and regulations
for the government and management
thereof, and which rules and regula-
tions shall be enforced by the police
department Of the CITY,"
Nothing there authorizing the Sc
lection of park sites. yet we find
that almost as soon as the board is
appointed. somebody opens negotia-
tions with J. B. Dabney for the pur-
chase Of his holdings on the hill for
a park. Did the park board, in de-
fanc" of its prescribed duties, and
without the direction of the council
begin those negotiations? II so, does
their minutes show the authorization
to whichever member wrote Mr.. Dab
ney? Mr.. Dabney tells the World
last Saturday that he "was earnestly
solicited to sell, urged to make a
contract, assured that the council
favored it, and was asked for an
option for 60 days" Now, there was
but about 60 days between the date
of the appointment Of the park board
and the ratification of the deal by
the city council, so that such rapid
action leaves no room for doubt that
the matter had been fully considered
somewhere before the creation Of
the park board. 1t was not a mat
ter of public demand. Indeed. few
heard Of 1t until negotiations were
made with Mr.. Dabney for its pur-
chase, and the columns Of the even