The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-09-10
Park Board Created by Ordi-
nance, But Nobody Has
Ever Been Selected
CITIZENS VIEWS GIVEN
Many Favor Immediate Action
to Provide Recreation
Places in City

The election of park board, TO
the city of Bismarck, is considered b,
many citizens as being the first stel
necessary toward the establishing o
adequate parks and Fairgrounds II
the city.
A park board is already provide,
for in the city ordinances, thougl
such a body has never been elected
To elect one now would require !
special election. ..
Not all of the people believe tina
increased parks should be created a
this time. The reasons which the.
offer for delaying the matter are tn
present unstable condition of prices
and the high taxes.
The only park, now legally estah
lished in the city is the small striI
of land along Main street, west of thu
city, known as Custer Park. Thii
land has never been improved to all,
extent, partially because of the lack
of funds in the city treasury tha
could be used for this purpose. The
present plan of the city commission
seems to be, as expressed by theil
last few meetings, to build swim
ming pool there next year. A ta,
levy large enough to provide for a
swimming pool this year was passed
last fall, but the budget was cut by
the state authorities.
How Custer Started.
Custer park was formally opened
by the city during the war. in the
year 1918. Up to this time no pro
vision had been made for park and
no land had been purchased by the
city for use as park.
In 1918 Mayor Lucas and G. N
Kenniston, accompanied by troop
of Boy Scouts and squad Of soldiers
from Company A formally dedicated
the present Custer Park and raised
the American flag over it. Mr.. Ken
iston made a short speech at thai
time, and large number of citizens
attended the ceremony.
The Legal Aspects.
The legal aspects of the park ques
ton, as set forth by II. F. O'Hare are
briefly as follows: approximately /
year ago the city commission passed
an ordinance creating park district
including the entire city of Bismarck
This same ordinance provided TO.
the election of a park board, VIII
would have power to acquire parks
and spend money, Independent of tn.
city commission. This park board
has never been elected, however.
TO elect park board would at
special election require a public no.
tice of 20 days before the election
To have put any tax levy on the
years tax roll the proper papers must
be filed with the county auditor about
November l. Thus if it. was desired
to cover any park improvements by
direct taxation or to make tax levy
for the purpose of providing a sink
ing fund and interest charges on q
bond issue it would be necessary tc
file the tax list with the county aud
itor by that time.
Mr.. O'Hare expressed the opinion
that it would be possible to call
special election and put through tn.
proper legislation for the creation o.
parks in time to file the tax levy will
the county auditor this year. .
advertisement for City,"
Good parks would be great ad-
vertisement for the city, says E. H
Howell. ''The present park doesn'
amount to anything. More parks are
something Bismarck needs and needs
badly. They would not only be ;
comfort to the people of the city bu.
they would be a distinguishing fea-
ture of the city's assets"
Against Tax Boost.
Mayor A. w. Lucas expresses him
self as being opposed to increasin=
the city parks at the present time
because of the tight money market
and the inflated and unsettled real
estate market.
81 am in favor of more parks fol-
the city, but I do not believe that the
present is a good time to agitate the
matter" he said. "Prices are higt
everywhere and conditions are to-
unstable. For example at the present
time municipal bond which in nor
NAL times would bring S104 or $40
now brings but 500. To buy land ant
construct parks now would cost lo'
of money and the city would have t.
issue bonds to meet the bill. Thus il
might be, that under present condi-
tions, $65,0OO bonds would have to b'
sold to raise $4,000 to use on the
parks.
s"Taxes are high now. The people
ought to have a breathing spell. Next
year Custer park will be improved
and we hope to have swimming
pool; part of that excavating will be
done while grading Main street. +
"I would not be in favor OF taking
steps to elect park board at this
time because the minute you elect a
park board they Immediately want
to do something and the easiest thing
for them to do would be to spend
some money.
when conditions return to normal,
say in year or so, believe we
should push the park program"
Mr.. O'Hare declares, 'The city
hasn't any park, except for that little
piece of grass called Custer. I would
be in favor of taking immediate steps
toward the creating of suitable parks
and Fairgrounds.
Should Elect Board.
eve can do nothing about increas-
ing the city's parks until a park
board is elected states George Will.
"PersonallyDI would be in favor of
electing park board as soon as