The San Francisco call., 1910-11-12
METSON ROASTS
PUBLIC ATTACK
ON PARK BOARD
Reply to Mission Promotion
Committees Article in Ex=
aminer Is Adopted
Head of Commission Charges
That II Was Not Given
Credit for Facts

in reply TO 4 public attack on Ihe
commissioners and by unanimous vote
OF the board it was made part Of the
minutes of the session. as follows:
In the article published by the Mis-
sion promotion committee in SUNDAY
Examiner, referring TO proposed cnar-
ter amendment No p, there are some
errors. ooe
First-The available funds of 1908
1903 are stated TO be $42S,SS9, whereasa
the actual appropriation was SllO,OOO
less, or about S3lS,995. Ihe larger
sum was probably arrived at Dy IN
cluding therein special appropriations
made by the supervisors OF $t,5OO 10 pe
expended only on Junipera Sierra ana
Sloat boulevards, both out OF the park
Jurisdiction. and the further sum or
s3O.44475. receipts for the chlldren
quarters in Golden Gate park, put
which is only a revolving sum coming
in and going out in the maintenance
of that institution, and the rest oelns
made gIp Of back taxes and surplus
against outstanding warrants from
previous years and paid out Tor pllls
contracted during prior years.
MISSION AND HOLLY PARKS
Next, as to neglect in the MISSION
district:
Mission park was one Of the first TO
be reconstructed after the fire II was
put in condition Immediately after the
refugee houses were removed there-
taken up and relaid, loam was spread
over the park, and fertilizer folioWeo'
after which 1t was ploWed ana planteo-
The trees and shrubs destroyed We're
taken M and growing ones replaced.
The macadam from the walks used oy
the Red Cross people was hauled away
and the lawns and Whole park were
quickly brought into condition.
AS to Holly park at the time com
Shortly after the earthquake and when
every effort was being made TO restore
after the refugees, who were moving,
there has been q four inch water main
hran0hnS installed
foot path with grass broders across
the park. and e small lawn planted IN
the interior OF the park. Furthermore:
although during the commencement OF
rbis fiscal year there were no taxes
coming in and money had to be an
ticipated.> >$1l. 600 had been set aside Tor
4be Improvement Of Holly park and
active operations have been com
menced. ,. - 49,.
under the exclusive jurisdiction OF lhe
playground commission for more than
q year and q half, and is not one OF
our burdens
BALBOA PARK TRACT
As 10 the House of Refuge or county
iail tract, now known as Balboa PARK,
II was not turned over TO the park
commissioners until May, 1908, ana
even then was in the possession OF a
lessee as vegetable garden. The
communication says "a small corner Of
the tract Balboa park containing less
than three acres, has been put IN con-
TfrfOT Tor q DlaEEIOulIQs anu liz
mainder of the land is allowed 70 re-
main q barren waste" Nine acres OF
that tract IS and has been, in lawns;
After the park commissioners obIalneq
T7Ossesfou thereof they had 1t ploWeo
and had dug over 1900 feet OF trencheS
and in which were laid water pipes.
They have had planted 40 acres of the
same with trees and shrupbery, ana
there is now improved 4s acres instead
OF 8 acres. ,,s.s
condition. and has been since the re-
rnoval Of the refugees, so 1ar as grass
ing and watering thereon is concerneo;;
All that remains to be done is TO build
vail along sixteenth and Seventeenth,
Bryant and Harrison streets, at Whlch
there are Is men now employed
As TO Garfield square, II mas beel
fullv restored and is in good CONDITION
LINCOLN PARK EXPENSES
As to Lincoln park. the statement
saws thousands of dollars are now be-
ing spent in the removal of tombstones
1hority Of law. Lincoln PARK was
placed under the jurisdiction or the
Dark commissioners by the board OF
Supervisors in 1903, az whlch Il1ne lse 5s
sUpervisors, not out Of the park FUNDS
sppropriated $4,000 for the special
pilrpose Of commencing the parking OF
said tract of land. The money se Gouio
The park commissioners have peen az %ao-
z-ised bv the law officers of this city
s5si snd o91ntSd 92D1TntsSdiction S6 and and that they are
Simply iiT5 performing their duty with ref
erence to the same.
Fairrnont plaza is an abandoned
quarry in San Jose road To put the
same in order as a park VIII take
very large sum Of money, which Inc
mark funds can not now stand:
The same applies TO Sunnyside park
which is a small piece or ground IL
irwin peaks far removed from any
residences.
GOLDEN GATE PARK CHARGES
It is charged that the management
e[ S5oIee5 Js9e eant ,' Without specifications
no explanation can be made Ger
tainly. If true, it should be set right
No waste or extravaganza should bt
More PARKS are desirable in the Mis-.
sion section When the ,ade maIse+ II was 5aTs u
the municipality purchase park lands
in the Potrero and Bay View districts
but q majority Of the people believed
fhe money could not be spared and the
matter was voted down
Many forget that when the charter
was adopted the various squares ane
inside city parks were for the first time
placed under the jurisdiction Of thu
board Of park commissioners. A grea'
many Of them, and especially those
north of Market street. were then i'm
proved When the calamity came IL
1905 miles and miles OF pipe wer'
broken and destroyed and had TO be re
placed. The pumps, sumps and wells
IN Golden Gate park were practically
DESTROYED. The bullQlnSS, museum
and bandstand were greatly damaged
The lawns. shrubbery and trees were
tremendously injured and a great par
there and thereafter destroyed during
the occupancy OF portions thereof b.
refugees.
FACTS KNOWN TO COMMITTEE
Many if not all OF the foregoing facti
were known TO members Of the Mission
promotion committee. but neither men
ton nor credit was given therefor II
that publication.
Golden Gate park is known the worlt
over II is the greatest advertisement
the state and city has. 1t belongs no
TO any particular section or promotion
committee. but TO all OF the people, an'
its advancement should not be ham
pered by any conditions. II the parl
commissioners do not attend 10 thei
duties properly get others who VIII.
MONEY OFFERED BY WOMEN
Curator Barron announced that so
ciety Of women had made him a ten
der of $4,000 If the commissioners
would accept the same with the under
standing that Il should be used {
build an addition to the museum. II
was told that the gift would be ac
cepted when presented in the regula
way.
Secretary Clark Of the Stanford uni
versity, IN behalf Of the United State
scba-xy mission offered fhe com