The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-04-15
Barometer of Public Opinion
Chairman Graham ON Parks.

Editor World. notice your interesting edl-
toral about the sale Of park property In your
Wednesday issue ana although / think you
make an unfair and unjustifled insnuatou, yet
| thank YOU FOR tho editorial because 1t gives
opportunity to direct your attention TO some
facts about park work iu this community
ru set YOU at rest regarding the Woodward park
matter This came up before tho park board
more than two months ago ana was then ap-
proved. The matter Of appraisement was then
placed In the hands of the Tulsa real estate ex-
change and T.. G. Cunningham, John Miller and
Dan Davidson then made the appraiscment Of
100000 Tho matter was then referred To the
city commission and the city attorney in whose
hands II has been since.
our decision to sell this small strip OF seven
acres, which is without trees and Is almost a
sand pile, came after scvcn years OF effort by
various park boards to obtain money with
which To improve this park | agree with you
that tho policy of selling park land is not a
good policy aud have followed that idea
Just FAR as we Could--hut after seven defeats
In our efforts to obtain levy aid for this park
we felt that we were justified In doing the best
we could to obtain funds with which to place
the remaining % acres on u par with the beau
tful homes and yards that are now surrounding
the park.
while the Tulsa park department does not
own half as much land ns 1t should own, yet
when considering It's opportunity to care for
what II does own. this department il land poor.
Last July We asked FOR $4,000 from the cN-
cisc board with which to do some improving
In Kendall, South Main, West Tulsa. Wood
ward and Lincoln parks and to help cloau out
the underbrush and make usahle the 100 acres
surrounding the watcrworKs We did not get
cent from this rCquost-Nnd that * Just
what has happened year after year for the past
six years TO my certain knowledge. In addi-
ton to that. our estimates on funds needed to
maintain the parks was cut to the very quick.
II you have over tried to keep up small yard
on par with what you expect OF parks you will
Eoalze lust what this means with labor and
materials at the prices they are now. During
this six years have had to usc maintenance
money for any improvements we undertook
thereby rotardng maintenance ana only per
mitting half hearted improvements in any Of the
parks.
have many complaints about the pavement
i'm owen park II would cost more money "a
properly pave this road than the park depart
mcnt was given to MAINTAIN an the parks I'm
Tulsa this year This is but an example
do not find fault with the excise board or
any other body OF men for this condiuon--except
the fact that oklahoma has no park laws
devoted weeks Of my time before tho oklahoma
legislature at two different sessions presenting
ideas for park improvements which John Me
serve and John Woodward helped TO formulate
during the simmons administration, Although
were given every possible aid by our own
representatives In the legislature, yet these at
tempts failed,
this work--yct believe that my experience OF
six years I'm park service has taught me some
things which may he of aid TO those who are tc
take up this burden and n YOU VIII permit. Wi
present resume OF what must he done hefor,
Tulsa can ever hope to have any park svS,Cul
In the first place we must have "a state parl
law like the laws of Missouri, Illinois or am
other OF tho states wherein the cities built
parks. This law must not place the whole bur
| hut must also account the improvements tina
| como to adjoining property, Tho city should III
divided into park districts and the funds to i'm
] prove parks In "a district should como from tha
district This because the people who live Il
districts that have improved parks have alway
/ and viii always object to taxes to improve park
tn other districts Tho park department shout
/ bc ON am independent basis just the s,ho
/ board and should have park authority over
! district covering more territory than the est
! limits thereby permitting them to work 1hcgi
/ Of city improvements and set pace instead q
/ following " the park department could nav
/ bought property a milo or two out N'' w0ul
/ have had twice the present acreage we no,
! hold for the same amount of money There /
/ mo- need to hopo that park hoard % five mel
/ can accomplish these necessary legl /r hauEcs-
. such can come only from the active aid OF
| large body Of citizens who arc Wiling to dc
| vote time ana money to convincing other com
! munitlos of oklahoma that this state must hay
/ modern park laws. independent OF politics, be-
fore any city i'm oklahoma can really bull
| parks
/ always arises ohicctors who usually hold up IN
100000 TO improve parks and acquire Ian
/ along the river front. At that time most @
this land could have been obtained for nothing
| ThrouEh njuuctous and other DELAYS this Ian
was permitted 10 Increase in value until II COS
| the city I'm court awards ant expenses nea
$50 OOn Five years ago labor cost $3.50 a daN
/ II costs s375 per day now ana mat 'rIals hay
increased I'm like proportion.
oklahoma can't have park laws nor ca
| Tulsa have real park system until all m
people ana not Just the park board work TO N