New Britain herald., 1921-04-19
COMMUNICATED
The Status of the Park situation. 70 The New Britain Herald.


 Gentlemen:-Last week there ap- peared in your columns a letter signed "A Citizen." in which the mayor was attacked, for one thing because New Britain had such an inefficient park commission that it had no plans ready for the new parks and so could not come to the aid of the unemployed. While the writer has no wish to ap- pear as in sympathy with an attack upon the mayor, as a member of the park commission my sympathy cer- tainly is with this citizen.
 His statement of the circumstances is almost entirely true and if his i'm ferences are as stated these are prob ably the differences of such other cit1- attention.
 The commission, however. is hero done an injustice which we trust you will correct by the publication of th,s letter.
 The facts regarding the bonds for new parks in the previous communi- cation are correct except in one im- poftant particular, namely, that no part of this bond issue has ever been available by our commission. Here is tho rub.
 For some years our commission has had sketched plans from we'll known landscape architects for the develop ment of both these parks but before work can be started on any part of the scheme working drawings must be prepared by these experts of the grading. roads. drainage and other details from which contracts can DC let.
 These drawings cost money. Our annual appropriations are never largo enough to cover any extras such as work of this kind would be and these plans should properly be charged against the bond issue for new park work. Anticipating the condition of unemployment we now face and anxi- ous to be ready when the time comes, our commission urged the board of finance for the past two years to grant part of this bond issue for these plans. but without result. Parks can not grow like 'Topsy'' without top sy-turvy' final results.
 They must be carefully thought out by trained experts who naturally ex- pect to be paid. Hence while we have plans. hope plans, we have no work ing plans which is what the mayor refers to, nor can we have them un- til we have some money to buy them with.
 The commission is, of course, eager to go ahead, but it has no wish to go ahead faster than public opinion win support it.
 When these new parks are devel- oped. even partly, they will add to the maintenance cost and everyone must realize that the annual axe which cuts down our budgets takes particularly large chips out of the items for parks.
 The commission is not planning to push the complete development of these parks but thero are certain park features that we are sure will be used and appreciated. Now there are the ball diamonds and other ath- letic features of the South Park and the amusement features of the Stan ley Quarter Park.
 As soon thereafter as we can afford to do so we ought to complete the simple roads that go through the parks and later still can come tho planting and finishing.
 Fortunately these parks are so we'll wooded that the planting can come last. The general apathy of the pub lie to more and better parks is, it would seem, more to blame for our being behind the cities of the state than either mayor or commissioners.
 W. F. BROOKS.