The San Francisco call., 1910-11-15
METSON ANSWERS
mission CHARGES
Commissioner Replies to Promo
ton Association in Amend
ment Controversy
Produces Engineers Affidavit
and Letter From McLaren
to Prove Statements


charter amendment %, which provides
that half of the money available for
park purposes be used in the cultiva-
tlon and development of parks outside
or Golden Gate park Metson answers
the charge that Balboa park and other
parks have not been fairly treated by
the park commissioners.
Appended to his statement is COM
municat1on from superintendent of
Parks bhn McLaren and an affidavit
or John'G Hopper, a civil engineer, re-
gardlng The cultivation of Balboa park.
NELSON'S STATEMENT
The communications follow:
In some of the morning papers of
Novemper l3, 1910, there is printed an
artlcte ar With reference to, proposed
the voters of this city should be ad-
vised about before voting.
=. NO one is more willing than | that
people, but square deal that means
that the Mission promotion association
snaii impose principle upon the city
pased upon. wrong logic. distortion of
facts and untrue statements so that the
district which is represented by said
association may get more than their
cripple the other districts of San Fran
CISCO, particularly Golden Gate park,
wish to oppose
A square issue of veracity is raised
tain members of said association.
:, For instance. it is said in said pub
lication, speaking of Balboa Park. "A
small corner of the tract containing
less than three acres. his been put in
condition for a playground. The re-
mainder of the land is allowed to re-
tempt has been made to improve any
apprecia bic part of the 80 acres.
About year or two ago number of
trees were planted in and around the
OF a few Scotch frs, withered away
and died of neglect.
TO check on the above statement by
the Mission promotion association / to-
day employed John G. Hopper, a civil
engineer of repute to go TO Balboa park
and make hurried survey of the
oath, states that while he could not
make an absolutely complete survey
of each portion in the limited time al
lowed. that he finds that there are now
more than 80 acres on said tract actual
ly growing to trees. Shrubbery, lawn.
etc, and that there are many thousands
of trees, consisting of acacia, cypress.
eucalyptus and pines, of which 9S per
cent are in a healthy growing condf-
tion at the present time and that they
appear to have been set out months
hereto and ask your readers to deduce
the truth as between the civil engineer
and the Mission association.
Our superintendent reports that up
ward of 5000 trees were planted in
Balboa park months and months ago,
consisting Of pines. cypress, sequoia.
eucalyptus, acacia. also broom and other
shrubs and while it is well known
that in planting trees they are put out
thickly. because many wilLrdie or be
destroyed. and as they grow. many will
be thinned out If they survive outside
attacks Mr.. McLaren estimates that
there are now upward of 1000 of said
trees actually growing on that tract OF
those transplanted. There never were
any Scotch frs planted there. What
object is there to say that there are
trees when there is none?
the Mission association as another illus
tration and complaint is made because
money was not spent upon it in 1869
AT that time every dollar was being
utilized in restoring wreckage. and
when, if the commission had the money
they would not have wasted 1t upon
could be utilized at that time at that
place. Water was not available until
the pressure was put on some time
about the latter half of 1909 and since
work and have appropriated and are
spending all the money necessary to
put it in good shape. Therefore is not
the Holly park illustration political
Again complaint is made that money
is being unlawfully spent on Lincoln
presumably because 1t was a cemetery.
Mission park was also an old cemetery
and criticisms are made against the
commissioners because they do not
spend more money on Mission park. Is
it lawful as to one cemetery and un-
lawful as to the other? 1t makes "a
great deal of difference whose OK is
gored.
But to explain: Money was given
specially by the board of supervisors
to be used on the old city cemetery
to use it there and they have got to
protect that money by spending enough
more to get some good out of that
first expended or else hean the oragteai eS
Now that the great bulk of the re-
habilitation from the calamity has
money to divide among the parks. but
the park funds are practically up to
a maintenance proposition at best. In
It be MISSION said BARK as
year than on any of the small squares
In. the city. Leave 1t to the Mission to
get their share and then some or any
public funds that are to be distrfb-
uted.
Therefore. 1 assert that by untrue
statements or suppression or distor-
juggle figures. is this association at
Everyone knows that the park makes
no money out of the chi1dren's quar-
ters, nor out of the police department.
or other departments mentioned by the
promotion association, and that they
are simply reyOlVlnR IuHuS anu HOt
properly charged to Golden Gate park.
am led to the conclusion that
amendment % is not intended for the
benefit of the city, but is intended to
divert more ~ublic funds to the Mis-
sion district and hamper and Cripple
Golden Gate park.
The entire line of argument In the
publication means simply this: That
the park commissioners are and have
been wasteful and extravagant. and
that they are misapplying public funds
and therefore % should be passed. In
truth if the city is to be benefited and
public servants are 'corruptiy and neg
ligently wasting the city's money they
should be removed and others put in
their places who will do their plain
duty. No charter amendment is re-
quired for that
I do not believe that the Mission
promotion association has desire
for square deal, as it asserts. but
is only agitating like other pollt1-
clans for the benefit of its own par
ticular district. Yours truly,
November IA, 1910.
San Francisco. Nov. IA, 1910.
Mr.. w II. Metson, Balboa Building,
San Francisco.
Dear Sir: In answer to your inquiry
of November IA 1910, as to Balboa
park, and a statement, a portion OF
which you quote printed by the Mis-
sion promotion associatfo would cay
that more than 5000 trees were trans
planted In the first part of the year
1910 to Balboa park, consisting OF sew
/ I<,-a .t<{; l7.,1 n