Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-04-26
ANOTHER PETITION
SIGNED FOR PARK
No Hearing on Parks Mayor
DecideS-Writer Shows Ar
gumentS are Incorrect.
ANOTHER LETTER ON PARKS
In Opinion of Mayor Garretson
a Public Hearing Would Not
Give the Desired Result.
ANOTHER LETTER ON PARKS

NftV kIIC GCO1t Gu ItCOults
Believing that he has enough in
formation at hand to properly judge
the merits OF the case of the city's
purchase Of the former Merritt land
for park purposes, Mayor Ferd Gar
retson announced today that he
would have no public hearing upon
the subject, but nevertheless would
be yelling to listen to arguments.
Petitions are being circulated in IA
vor of the Hayes property about the
lower ends of Catalpa and Brighton
avenues. 1t was reported today that
the special park committee of the
Board Of Aldermen would probably
report finally at an adjourned meet
Ing Of the council tonight and that
the park subject would be finally
disposed Of at that time.
In the opinion OF Mayor Garretson
public hearing would not give the
desired results. In stating last week
that he was seriously considering
the holding of public meeting, the
mayor said he had thought 1t would
bring forward some tangible inform
alton and argument concerning the
issue at hand, namely the purchase
Of the Merritt property. The mayor
has gone into the question In detail
and considered it from a financial as
well as other standpoints. Whether
or not the land is dump does not
seem to enter into the question as to
whether or not 1t would be for the
best interests of the city to have the
mayor sign the resolution authoriz-
ing the purchase. 1t is believed by
many that he will sign it.
The following letter on the park
situation has been received by the
NEWS:
Answers Arguments Against Parks.
EDITOR EVENING NEWS:
Much, indeed, has been said
against the proposed park site, but
when all the arguments are collected
and put into a nutshell, they prac-
tically amount to the following:
/. Land is too close to cemetery,
hence unhealthy.
2. Proposed site dSTnaassa nassapI q lay ia. and
about two-tht9ds Of the distance is
covered with tin cans and various
kinds OF garbage peculiar to gar rbags
dumps in general !"
8. Price paid is too high.
4. Vegetation will not thrive in
that neighborhood.
s. Parks are needed in other parts
of the city worse.
s. Tract Of land is too large.
Let US now look at the above
points separately and see if they are
good, sound, substantial ones.
AS to the park being unhealthy be-
cause of its proximity to the ceme-
terry. there seems to be no founda-
tion- have been told by Mr. Rich
ards, chief engineer of the Park De-
partment of New York city, and also
by the landscape artist of the same
department, that there was nothing
particularly unhealthy, so far as
healthy because of cemetery in the
immediate vicinity of it. They point
ed out that Van Courtland Park
(largest in New York city, is con-
tiguous to Woodlawn cemetery, that
Hudson Park was formerly st. john S
cemetery, that Prospect Park In
Brooklyn has a cemetery in one cor
'ner OF It. Washington, D. c., has
just bought an abandoned cemetery
which is to be turned into a park.
Another writer has already men
toned the recreation grounds in
Bayonne-a former dump-at the
base of hill, alongside of which is
a cemetery. Point l therefore is un-
tenable.
AS to the second point, the favor
ite argument Of our well-known al
derman, 1t might be said that that is
the best argument that might be adj
vanced by the "pro-parkers." 1t is
admitted that the grounds are un-
sanitary, but that Is all the more rea-
son why a park is dire need there.
AS to the price being too large, 1t
would be well to let men better
yersed in land values than myself de-
eide. When we consider, however,
that land in that section is selling at
$500 lot, and that is what the city
intends paying, we are not about to
be overcharged for the tract
The fourth point in regard to
vegetation not thriving on this land
does not seem to be borne out by
the facts. Fifteen years ago that
section was the most thickly wooded
tract in town. Fifteen years ago.
too, the cemetery and the Goggles"
plant were where they are now.
Where are the trees now? The saw
mill which stood to the north of st.
Mary's cemetery, together with the
axe of the first settlers in that sec
tion have disposed of them all.
In no part of the city is a park
needed more. The section is becom-
ing over-erowded, as is already the
case of the first district in the sixth
ward. Provision must be made. The
to large extent work
In the midst of poisonous gases in
the nearby factories and 1t seems
pity that when they go to their homes
they must breathe the air, one breath
OF which nearly knocked out our first
ward alderman And what about the
element? These youngsters
are barred in the summer from the
river by the signs, mo Trespassing.
They have no place to play baseball.
They must not even play In the
streets. The inevitable result is that
they drift into the pool rooms, sa-
looms, etc, where there is always a
welcome for them. Such is the en-
and it does not speak
we'll for our city.
Some say that the tract is too
large. 1t will be found that when q
ball diamond or two are laid out, 8
number of driveways built and when
4~.aos q wo z,lop4ay7 a+n that ffenrg Wffl