The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-07-15
.bAv|S GUARANTEES
SUPPORT OF BOARD
TO RIVERSIDE PARK
President of Works Body
Promises West Side to Ask
Resolution Recommending
Sites Purchase.

Degrees OF uncertainty attending the
plans of West Richmond people for
the conversion of the west side dump
into a riverside park are dissolving
into thin air.
At meeting last night in which
the attendance was double that of any
previous meeting and where enthusi-
asm was running high, city officials
spoke words which have caused west
siders to have no fear that within a
year the ill-smelling, unsightly dump
ing ground with its fires and odors
will be transformed into grassy park
with driveway along the survey of
that portion of the Whitewater boule-
ward and plenty of young shade trees
well scattered over the grounds.
President Bavis of the board Of
works said he will ask the board to-
morrow to pass resolution recon-
mending to council the appropriation
of money or the issuance of bonds, if
necessary, to buy the land. H
Bavis Sees Way.
Mr.. Bavis said he believes enough
money can be appropriated out of va
rious funds on which the Robbins ad
ministration has saved to buy most of
at $4,000. Some of the land probably
will be condemned, but Mr.. Bavis be-
lieves that options should be secured
on the ground which property owners
would dispose of for park purposes at
reasonable price.
Il am even in favor of issuing
bonds" was the assurance Mr.. Bavis
gave the west side residents that he is
for the park, "up to his neck with the
west side people," according to his
own expression.
Mr.. Bavis explained that the city Is
not bonded excessively and that a
small issue such as may be required,
would make little difference to the
city's finances.
Charles Jordan, secretary of the
Commercial Club, and George E. Sci
del, president, pledged the support of
the club. Clayton Hunt, John Reth-
meyer, John Fosler, A. w. Gregg, w.
A. Bond, Frank Waidele, T. C. Hub
bard and many others were speakers.
Council to Consider.
Council will hear officially of the
park proposition from both the board
of works and the Seventh ward coun-
Gilman, Frank Waidele. Mr.. Waidele
will present a resolution in council
next Monday night as an official intro
duction of the subject
City officials assured the meeting
that" council is in favor of the park.
The matter was brought up and dis
cussed at Columbus when most of the
councilmen were present at the Munic-
ipal League meeting a short time ago
The expression there was heartily in
favor of the park.
%oiv cS1 &c
that they will have a park on the
bank of the Whitewater that last night
the matter of setting out of three
hundred shade trees was seriously dis
cussed. 1t did not come to a vote
however. Other members wanted tC
wait until the buildings have been re
moved and the dump fires extin
guished.
1t is thought the dump should be
allowed to remain in it's present con
dition without dumping additional
trash on it for six months or a year
in order to allow the ground to set
tie. Considerable money will be re
quired to put the ground in shape fol
use as a park, and parts of it must
be leveled and plowed.
Seidel Defends Dump.
In his address last night President
Seidel of the Commercial Club, caused
sensation when he told his audience
that he had come to defend the dump
against the attacks made on it by
other speakers.
"If the dump had not been there
there would never have been an agi
tation for a park, and probably the
ground would have become a residence
section long before this" he explain
ed. "Something good often comes
from such things as this"
| Mr.. Seidel and Mr.. Jordan in assur
ing the people of the support of the
Commercial clu, said the park would
be purchased, not especially as Wes
Richmond park, but as city park
This gives the city officials broader
field Of consideration than if the parl
was wanted only by West Richmond
residents, they asserted.
| Another meeting of the resident!
will be called after council meeting
Monday night to determine what &C
ton to take.