South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-14
MEASURE To RID
CITY Of EXTRA
BOARD FAVORED
Board of Works, According to
Local Official, Gould Handle
Parks at Less Expense =
Would Avert Clashes.

That the bill before the state sen
ate to eliminate from the municipal
government the present form of park
board, and vest its powers back in the
board of works. would be quite salts
factory to South Bend, was asserted
Saturday by a public official connect
ed with the present city adminstra-
ton.
The theory of the bill, and OF the
local official who asks that his ident-
tv be withheld is, that it would in
crease the efficiency of the park ser
vice while at the same time decreas-
ing the expense of the department
and avoiding a lot of clashes between
the two boards. The measure as 1t
now stands applies to both first and
second class cities, and has the back
ing of Ft. Wayne as well as Of Indian
apolis. 1t is contended that II would
serve to place the maintenance of all
public property upon a more bust
nesslike basis.
At present all public property in
second class cities. to which South
Bend belongs. is under the mainte-
nence and control OF the board of pub
lie works and the park board. This
means that the former board has
charge of the streets, the city hall,
the water works and all other realty
with the exception of the parks and
the boulevards which come under the
Jurisdiction of the park board.
There are three members OF the
board of public works. These mem
bers are appointed by the mayor and
are each paid a salary. The board
meets regularly three times week
and on such other times as the pres
ident of the board may see fit 10 des-
ignate. Under this board are the su-
perintendent OF water works, the su-
perintendent Of streets, the city en-
gineer and the other technically train
ed men who superintend the various
departments.
Functions of Park Board.
The park board has four members
who are also appointed by the mayor
and who serve without pay with the
exception of the park executive and
secretary of the board, who at the
present time receives a salary OF ST.
500 a year. This board meets twice
a month and transacts the business
arising from the opening and care OF
the citys parks and boulevards.
There are approximately 60 miles
of streets and alleys in South Bend
and these are maintained by the
board OF public works. The board is
fully equipped for this work so that
the highways under its care are kept
in repair and lighted at low cost
In other words the board of public
works has charge of % per cent of the
streets and lights Of the city with the
remainder under the care of the park
board.
With their organization and equip
ment the board of public WORKS Is en-
abled TO maintain the streets in repair
and to avoid repaving oftener than Is
ordinarily necessary. However, the
park board finds it difficult to keep
the boulevards in proper condition for
the reason that they have not the
equipment for road work. Also while
the board of public works finds ii
easy TO maintain uniformity in street
lighting il often happens, with the
two boards that a conflict of lighting
plans arises where a street may be
come for part of it's length boulevard
or where a street may cross a boule-
ward.
Results In Clashes.
1t was through this divided interest
in the care of streets. boulevards and
parks that much of the annoyance and
extra expense arises which It is con-
templated the bill which has been in
troduced in the state senate will avoid
If the work were all under the care
Of the board OF public works that
board would then Sc cure superin-
tendent for the care Of the parks and
boulevards and with the equipment OF
the street department at his service
the work would be made simpler and
less expensive.
1t is believed. by those who are cen
versant with such work. that a trained
landscape artist could be hired FOR
$500 OF $4,000 a year who could
develop and work out a comprehen-
sive park plan which would result IN a
large saving TO the city and which
would show results more rapidly than
in former years such trained super
iHtendent would do away with the ne
cessity OF bringing men here to plan
the city's parks. etc, as in the case OF
George Z. Kessler st. Louis, No, Al
a considerable extra expense. lie
might also serve the city in the ca
pacity of forester.