THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



Section S. Senior or Junior mi'iiiljrrs. wlio may retire from 

 piililic service and talce up otlu-r professions, sluill eease to lie 

 sueli members one year after sueli retirement, luit may eontiiuu' 

 tlieir menibersliip as Associate members if tliev so elei't. and 

 sliould tliey retlun to jiulilie service, automatically resume tlieir 

 former classification upon proper notiticatiou. 



Article 8. to be amended by adding' a new section as follows: 



Sectio.x 3. Senior members only shall be eligible for election 

 to office in the Association, but .lunior or Assoi'iate memliers may 

 serve on committees. 



By law anu'ndments to read as follows: 



No. 1. Meetings. The annual meetings shall be held at such 

 time between August 1 and (October 1 of each year as may be 

 decided upon l)y the executive committee. The place of meeting 

 shall be determined liy vote of the annual meeting, following 

 recommendation liy tlie executive committee. 



No. 4. Election of Officers. Officers shall be elected at each 

 annual session as follows: A nominating committee of three shall 

 be appointed by the president at the opening session, which com- 

 mittee shall later in the session submit a list of names of at 

 least two ]iersons for each oHice. wliich list and the names of such 



iither persons as may be placed in nomination by the convention, 

 shall be voted upon. The vote sliall lie by ballot, and the persons 

 receiving a nuijority of the vote cast shall lie declared elected. 



Xo. 7. Dues anu Fee.s. (A) Ajiplicants for membership in 

 the Association shall pay a fee, with application, of ten dollars 

 (!flOi. which fee sliall also cover the first year's dues. 



Annual dues for Senior, Junior and Associate memliers shall 

 be $.'), payable in advance. 



Dues for Sustaining members shall be ten dollars (•$111 1 per 

 year. 



(t'l The fiscal year of the Association shall be from August 

 1 to August 1. 



Xo. 11. F.XI'ri.sioN. Etc. Any member of this Association 

 may lie suspended or expelled for unprofessional conduct or 

 conduct unbecoming a member of this Association by a two-thirds 

 Vote at any annual meeting, proi^idcd charges in writing against 

 such member have been filed with the secretary at least 30 days 

 prior to the annual nn-eting, the accused notified of such charges 

 and an opportunity alVorded the accused to appear or present a 

 defense at the time of hearing the charges. This shall also apply 

 to members who may violate any of the provisions of the consti- 

 tution or bvlaws. 



The Complicated Park Situation in Chicago 



By J. H. Prost,- Illinois 



Consolidation of the fourteen separate park districts 

 existing within tlic cor]iorate limits of the cit\' of Chi- 

 cago has been a paramount issue for a number of years. 

 A bill for this purpose has been passed by the state legis- 

 lature three different times. The first time the measure 

 was included in the new city charter, which was defeated 

 by a referendum vote of the ].)eople. 



The second time the bill was passed l)y the state legis- 

 lature as an independent bill, but was vetoed bv the 

 governor. 



.And now, the bill lias again been passed by the state 

 legislature, has been signed bv the governor, and will 

 come before the people in .\pril, I'tlfi, for their approval. 

 It is generally conceded that the p'eo]ile of Chicago will 

 unite and cast a majority vote in favor of this measure. 

 It will be necessary, however, that a majority vote be 

 cast in favor of the Ijill in each separate park district to 

 make the measure a complete success. Rut the bill is so 

 drafted that those districts voting in favor of the bill 

 will be consolidated, while those rejecting the measure 

 by casting a majority vote against the bill will continue 

 with their present system of government. 



The people of Chicago are justly proud of their splen- 

 did parks, boulevards, playgrounds, bathing beaches and 

 city forestry work, the growth of wdiich has kept pace 

 with the rapid development of the city. 



The existence of this multiplicity of park governments 

 is due largely to the antiquated city charter and equall}' 

 as much to the rapid growth of the city. 



The Chicago liureau of Public Efficiency prepared a 

 report in 1911 which gives an excellent account of what 

 can be accomplished by this consolidation of our park 

 governments. 



The accompanying plan \vill show the locations of 

 these various park district-, their relation to one another 

 and the city. 



According to this bill the governing power will he 

 vested in nine commissioners to be appointed liy His 

 Honor, tile Mayor, and approved by the city council. 

 Three of these commissioners to be appointed from the 

 north side, three from the west side, and three from the 

 south side. 



*Supei intendeiit of Parks and PuljHc Forester. Sjiecial Park Com- 

 mission. 



This consolidation will firing aljout a more equitable 

 distribution of the park revenues and berefits to be de- 

 rived therefrom. 



The South Park district is governed liy a commission 

 of five members a]i])ointed bv the Circuit judges to serve 

 five vears. This system is the largest of the family hav- 

 ing supervision over Jackson, Washington, !\larquette 

 and Crand park; about thirty-three miles of boulevards 

 and twenty park playgrounds such as Sherman, (Jgden, 

 McKinley, etc. The total park area of the South Park 

 district is 2,039 acres. The district covers about eighty 

 ■-quare miles of Chicago's area. The South Park com- 

 missioners have ])ublished several excellent reports. 

 Their 1906 report contains verv instructive plans of their 

 elaborate park pla\groun(ls. 



The administration nf tlie South Park system ha^ been 

 excellent, and lias set the iiace for the o:her park ad- 

 ministrations. 



.My stuilies and observations of park maintenarce and 

 improvements has led to the most convincing conclusion 

 that the administration of the South F'ark system has 

 been thorough in every respect. The plantations, lawns, 

 gardens and lagoons are always in excellent condition, 

 as are the walks, drives, buildings, bridges, fences, etc. 

 To accomplish this and maintain such a high standard 

 of efficiency requires a liberal expenditure of money, but 

 the people are enjoying the benefits of this liberal in- 

 vestment. 



If the healthful recreation, social pleasure, aesthetic 

 inspiration, civic beauty, education and physical relaxa- 

 tion could be measured in dollars and cents, the south 

 park investments and expenditures would show an earn- 

 ing of dividends that would fully justifv these e.xpend- 

 itures. The South Park administration believes in giving 

 a tree twenty cubic yards of fertile soil in which to grow. 

 That is why the trees and shrubs growing in the -outh 

 parks are beautiful and almost perfect. 



This illustrates the thoroughness seen in every activity 

 carried on throughout the entire system. 



It is true the South Park commissioners have the larg- 

 est income for park purposes, but thev also provide the 

 most extensive park service and maintain the largest 

 park area and the greatest numbei; of recreation features. 



The West Park district is governed bv «even comniis- 



