South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-05-11
PARK BOARD AND
RECREATION BODY
IN TILT, REPORT
Joint Conference With Mayor
Said to Have Revealed JeaI-
ouSy, But Everybody Is
Mum" About Proceedings.

That the report issued recently by
the municipal recreation committee
embodying its work of the first six
months of its existence and proposed
future activities does not rest well
with the park board seems apparent
| from reports trickling in from va
rious sources during the last few DAYS.
| Although nothing definite has as vet
been stated still IL appears from va
riOus reports that the park board does
not like the things that the recreation
1 committee has done nor those things
! which il recommends TO be done in
! the future. 1t was intimated Tuesday
that the park board is harbOring a
feeling Of jealousy against the recre-
alton committee.
The two bodies were called into
conference Monday night by Mayor
Keller. What tranSpired at that ses-
sion is pronounced a closed book eX-
Cept to the members of the two bodies.
Efforts TO learn details of the discus
SlOns that went on failed. All that
could be learned was I'VE merely dis
cussed in general the report of the
recreation committee This was
from Mayor Keller.
Others Fear to Talk.
1t appeared everyone else connect
ed with the meeting feared to talk
about it. l.. NJ. Hammerschmidt,
chairman of the recreation commit
tee was first asked and he referred
the inquirer TO L. @. Manning, city
controller. Manning said you better
see the mayor" The mayor didn't
happen TO be in his Office just then
and Richard Elbel, chairman of the
park board, was approached. Mr..
Elbel said he didn't want TO do any
thing against the wishes of the ad-
ministration and you better see Mayor
Keller"
Mayor Keller was finally reached by
telephone and after studying a mo-
ment said 1--WE just discussed the COM
mittee's report"
+. b. Barnes, director of municipal
recreation, was not present at the
meeting last night. He said he was
aware of what transpired at the ses-
sion but was not in a position 10 give
out anything.
Mayor Keller. Elbel and Manning
sidestepped the question of any fric
ton existing between the two bodies
when told that such was the report.
The great amount of work done under
the direction of Mr.. Barnes in the
way of providing recreation and the
contemplated plans have been report
ed as a sort of a bone in the craw OF
the park board.
Oliver Field Deal Figures.
1t is further reported that the plan
of the recreation committee to make
a big playground out of Oliver field
hurt the park board. According to
information from reliable source
everything towards leasing and plan
ming of the grounds on Oliver held
had been practically completed
through the efforts of Barnes about
two weeks ago. An eX-member OF
the park board. Horace Green, is re-
ported to have seen Barnes plans and
talked with him informally on the
matter shortly after it is reported
the eX-member went to the park
board and suggested TO that body
what good scheme il would
be for it TO adopt il as its own. The
suggestion was made at the meeting
of the park board last Friday night.
The recreation committees report
was scheduled to be presented TO the
council Monday night but for some
reason it did not come up. Ii Is
stated that il will be a feature of the
session Of the council committee OF
the whole next Tuesday. The recre-
alton committee will ask for an ap-
preparation.