The San Francisco call., 1910-09-02
MAYOR Wants CITY
TO IMPROVE PARKS
Letter to Commission Says
''Grave and Serious Neglect
Has Obtained in Past"
Mccarthy Suggests Expenditure
of Money and Names the
Proposed Betterments


In a lengthy communication present
ed to the park commissioners at a spe-
cial meeting yesterday Mayor p. III
McC arthy drew attention to the various
parks of this city. He said that pub
lie parks and squares that were neg
lected were detrimental to- their re-
spective districts, while those well kept
had tremendous value as improve
ments for the whole city. He said:
In no instance with which have
treated as mayor of San Francisco
is there more need for a just and
equitable distribution of public
funds than in the matter OF the
money expended in connection with
the Improvement of our public
parks and squares
We find ourselves in the posses
sion of 1851. 900 plus { per cent on +
the increase of the valuation OF the
real and personal property over the
basic figure of $492. 900 900 used by
the supervisors in arranging the
budget, which will bring approx
mately $4,000, making the. grand
total $4,000. to be. devoted to
parks and public squares under the
management and control of the
park commission.
GRAVE NEGLECT CHARGED
In looking over and carefully
scrutinizing the public parks and
squares outside OF Golden Gate
park / find that grave and serious
neglect has obtained in the past.
and without desiring in the least to
discuss situations over which ] eN-
ercised no control or men with
whom l had no association, / desire
to call TO the attention OF your hon
orable body that in the future a
fair and proper distribution OF the
public funds allowed for the i'm
provement Of the public parks and
M CIT MN 81 al nj all
The following facts give a very ac-
curate idea of what has heretofore
been done in the premises:
Taking Market street from the
bay TO the ocean as the line OF
division. We find that out of a total
OF 36 parks and squares. exclusive
of Golden Gate park, 20 OF those
parks or squares are north of Mar
ket street, 13 OF which are I'M
proved; with some improvements
and 3 without any improvements
While on the south side of Market
street there are only a total OF Is
public parks and squares and but
5 of these are improved. with
some trthtng improvements and
without any improvements at all
The parks and squares which are.
improved north of Market street
present in every respect a beauti-
ful finished appearance, embracing
as they do everything that goes to
make a park really beautiful,
standpoint.
On the south side. embracing the
great Mission district. the five
parks so far improved do not pre-
sent that appearance. South park.
Garfield square. Bernal park and
the Mission park are by no means
as presentable from the standpoint
of care and attention given them.
though they appear upon the pub
lie records as being Improved, as
do Washington square, Alamo
cite square. Duboce park. Alta
Plaza square, Jefferson square or
Marshall square, all OF which are
on the north side of Market street
IMPROVEMENTS SUGGESTED
1 would. therefore, respectfully
recommend to your honorable
board. now that the parks and
squares above mentioned, with pos
sibly one or two exceptions. are
taken care of, except in the matter
located south of Market street and
embracing the great and thickly
settled Mission district. be given
your attention generally.
The mayor then called attention &c
what he considered necessary for va
rious parks and the amount that would
be required to carry out his sugges
tions; For Mission park, $4,000: for
Balboa park. s25.00O; for Holly park
s11 900; for Franklin square. $4,000
for Bernal park, $4,000; for Mckinley
park, $4,000.
He also asked the commissioners tc
give due attention to the following
Sunnyside park. at Thirty-third
and Stanyan streets. Fairmount
park, at Bemis and Fairmount
streets; lot between Rhode Island
and De Haro streets. block between
Minnesota and Tennessee streets;
block between Channel and Irwin
streets; block between Delaware
and Massachusetts streets; City
and County hospital grounds at
Protrero avenue and Twenty sixth
street; Lincoln park; equares be-
tween Twenty-second and Twenty.
fourth avenues; square between
Twenty sixth and Twenty -eiShtf
avenues; Mountain Lake park. az
Lake street and Thirteenth avenue
GOLDEN GATE PARK NEEDS
Regarding Golden Gate park the
mayor said:
A suitsbl and up to date con-
venience station should be located
within easy distance OF the chill
dren's playground, also one should
able building should be located
within easy distance of the chill
dren's Fairgrounds with accommO- E.
dations for the care and proper
treatment of children by those who
accompany them to the play
grounds in the park. e..
only one solitary room having
for it's purpose such accommoda-
tion is now to be found In the vi
cinity of the chiIdren's play
grounds. This Is by no means suf-
ficient. Rather is IL absolutely
inadequate; il can not and does
not afford that degree OF comfort
and proper care to which the thou
sands OF children who visit the
children's Fairgrounds in the park
are entitled.
Drinking fountains should be
placed at intervals throughout the
park, wherein an abundance Of the !.
same kind of water that is used BY
our citizenship generally through
out the city may be had by the.
thousands who visit the park as
well as the workmen emplOyed
therein. This at first sight may
appear difficult. yet IL is quite easv
to- accomplish. 1t can. be either
taken from a small center line OF
pipe with branches estended from
that line or from locations now
harboring such water and con
veniently situated to the points OF
location for said fountains.
PLEAS FOR MOTOR CYCLISTS
In another letter the mayor asked
the commission to take up the request
OF the San Francisco motor cycle club
for the privilege of the stadium raca
track for the American motor cycle
club contest once a month