Omaha daily bee., 1911-08-27
Council Bluffs
PARK BOARD ON DEFENSIVE
Makes Showing of Income to Members
Of City Council.
BLUFFS HAS BIG PARK AREA
Less TO Expend on same Than other
Iowa cities in PropOrtiOn-Dead-
lock Continues over Paving
willow Avenue.

willow Avenue.
The city council and the Board OF Park
Commissioners had long conference yes
terday afternoon relative to the use of the
park funds for paving the portion Of VIII
low avenue lying along the south side of
Bayliss park. The members of the park
board attended the committee Of the whole
meeting of the council for the purpose of
discussing the request Of the council, which
has assumed the form of an ultimatum
uuiring the park board to agree to pay the
paving bill or submit to having its annual
levy reduced one-half of a mill. There was
much earnest discussion, but definite action
was postponed until next Monday night,
when the board will give its answer and
the council will act, approving the general
tax levy with or without the amount asked
for the maintenance of the parks.
| All the members Of the park board we're
present and the boards attorney, Emmett
FINLEY, appeared as counsel. The board
submitted a statement OF its finances for
1910 when the product Of the 21h mill levy
was approximately $4,000. 1t was shown
that II the board had not carried over a
balance from the previous year and further
! increased the income by the sale of more
| than $1,000 worth of deer and elk the yield
of the tax levy would have been insufficient
to have provided for the expenses Of the
parks.
Comparison of Git ie..
Mr.. FINLEY showed the area and expenses
of parks in other Iowa cities, showing that
Council Bluffs with the largest park acre
age In the state, had the smallest income
| to expend Des Moines has 63S acres in its
park system and last year expended s57,3Se
Davenport with only eighty acres, had
$50 439 TO expend for park maintenance and
| betterment. Council Bluffs, with 653 acres
in public parks, had only $40. 1876. Other Iowa
cities were shown to be far ahead of this
city in the attempt to beautify and per-
manently improve their public Fairgrounds.
The financial report showed the total
amount expended last year on each OF the
parks. Paramount park. with eighty-four
acres, received the benefit of the expendi-
ture of S4,779.S2; BRyliss, 3.67 acres, S7S3. 80;
Cochran 25S acres. $64s.s9; Lakeview, forty
| four acres, S1032.74; Island park, 102 acres
1 S2i Lincoln, 431 acres, 81, 211S6; Graham, six
acres, $751; with the amounts not specified
! for Macrae, LILO acres; Prospect, 2.15 acres.
and Cook park, with three acres, with mis-
! cellaneous expenses including the salaries
| OF the commissioners and clerk hire OF
s722.1S, leaving net balance of the years
receipts of $500, which amount must be
used for the maintenance of the parks until
the new levy is available 1t was also
shown that every man in the employ OF the
park department works and earns his
money, and that the highest salary paid
FOR full months work is $50 1t was shown
that If the council persisted in cutting the
levy some part of the park work must
suffer, and the commissioners asked point
eddy If it was the desire to cut down the
pay of the workmen.
| Details of Income.
Details of the financial statement showed
that the income from all sources for 1910
was S1O,2TOOl from the 2h mill tax levy,
s5O5s2 for concessions and s1O7.S5 for sale
or deer and elk, making a total Of $11, s47 49,
and that there remained OF this a net
balance OF s1.577.17 1t was also pointed out
that the sale of park stock for the year
was exceptional and would not be avail
able another year. The attorney for the
board argued from this showing that any
reduction of the levy would mean serious
results for the parks.
Mr.. FINLEY also cited the park laws and
showed that the park board had no
authority to turn over to the city any
funds and that the paving of city street
would be equivalent to turning over so
much money. There was no opportunity
given for an expression of sentiment on
the part of the aldermen, but the feeling
seemed to be pretty strong that unless the
park board agreed to use the one-half
mill levy to pay for the paving it would
be cut off.
''TOOtinE' Ordinance Killed.
After it was decided to lay over the
matter until Monday night and get an
opinion from City Solicitor Kmball the
aldermen called up and fully killed the
proposed footing ordinance" introduced
at the request of the West Council Bluffs
Improvement club, requiring all automobile
drivers to sound their honk horns three
times in every block on West Broadway
and whenever meeting another auto or
meeting or passing a team. When the
residents realized that each automobile
horn would have to be footed about 100
times while going from the Northwestern
tracks to the bridge they earnestly begged
TO have the ordinance killed II was called
up yesterday and laid on the table, and
will not be reported out of the committee.
SI425 n Month Ito Meet that $1,000
Loan that You Made to Come
Due in Five Years.
hot