The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-06-15
SEEK
REPEAL
Of LAW
THIRD wARDERs TAKE I'M.
TIATIVE IN MOVEMENT TO
WIPE OUT PARK BOARD
SCHEME.

Tacoma citizens will try to
abolish the Metropolitan park
board.
A mass meeting has been called
for Thursday night of this week
by Third ward citizens for Wall
halla hall, and the movement will
be started there to Organize the
city for a descent ON the legisin-
ture with petitions for the repeal
of the whole Metropolitan park
law.
People -Mistrust Whole Scheme.
Ever since the first organiza-
ltion of the Metropolitan park
board when IL started out on
great scheme of expenditure, fit
ted up offices and hired attorneys
and ran over $4,000 beyond its
income In the first year. the peo-
pie have been gradually losing
faith, in the new idea.
The charges OF graft and the
disruption which caused one mem
ber to resign added to the unpop-
ularity of the Metropolitan
scheme, and when the people got
la chance they got rid OF all the
old members that they could.
The apparent high-handed
methods of the new board and its
evident failure to take the people
into it's confidence and show what
was being done caused loss OF
confidence in the present regime,
and when a vote was asked to Is
sue bonds the people rebelled conn
lpletely.
Bennett's SALARY Last Straw
The recent developments by
which 1t appears that Marshall X.
Smell went to Olympia and sDt an
amendment to hte law which orig
inally prohibited members OF the
board from getting any money out
of 1t, so that new members can
vote themselves any amount they
wish, and the succeeding action
of the board In voting 5000 O.
month to President Nelson Ben
nett, has stirred the public to
the highest pitch of Indignation
and open revolt is promised.
A meeting has ben called by
Third warders for Valhalla hall
Thursday night to take action.
There promises to be lively time
and unless the movement Is side-
tracked there will be delegation
headed for Olympia when the leg
islature meets demanding the re-
peal of the whole Metropolitan
park law and the legislating out
of office of the entire park board.
But there will be a good many
friends of the park board meme
bers and of the Metropolitan park
board idea at the meeting, and
strenuous opposition to the repeal
move will no doubt be made.
Since the fact has been made
How Amendment Came In.
lpublic that the park board had
Slipped joker into the amends
ment which was gotten through
the legislature recently by which
the board. members. may vote
themselves the funds of the board.
the people are beginning to find
out some state secrets
Hatched by Park Board.
The thing, 1t is said, waa al
carefully Matched by the board.
The program was mapped out In
advance by Bennett and Smell. II
Is said. When 1t was laid before
the board the story is that Craig.
at that time a member of the
board, wanted to submit Il to the
people and Sc what they thought
of 1t. Smell and Bennett, 1t ia de-
clared, sat down ON this hard and
leffectually. intimatfng that the
whole thing would be smothered
IL the people ever got hold of Il.
So it was decided to sneak the
thing through, and Smell went
down to Olympia and did the job,
even the legislature not knowing
what was up, barring possibly