THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



31 



])uljlic work and all i)ublic wnrk liariiKniized into a 

 general unit. Upon this foundation an official plan 

 could be promulgated and criticised and revised and 

 otherwise controlled by a body of citizens qualified to 

 pass upon it. Thereafter, this same body should be 

 empowered to make reports and recommendations 

 upon specific parts of the plan, such reports to become 

 public records. This body would thus be unofficial 

 sponsors for the securing of the sympathetic working 

 out in all its related parts of an adopted plan. It 

 would not only approve current projects, but if i)ro- 

 posed plans were not acceptable, an explanation would 

 be made as to the reasons and suggesting how depar- 

 tures from essential features shall be rectified, or even 

 how the adopted plan may properly be altered Ui har- 

 monize with later developments. 



Current projects which are live issues seem to war- 

 rant that some better, more secure, continuing, and 

 approved form of control be put into existence, to the 

 end that public confidence and approval shall develop 

 to such an extent as to re(|uirc new public officers to 

 follow well understood and a])i)rove(l policies that 

 were advisedly settled ujjon. 



.\ ri.EA FOR J'ARKW.WS. 



During the last decade considerable public discus- 

 sion was elicited about various phases of a park sys- 

 tem and park work. The deduction that the public 

 was ever being better informed and educated upon 

 park affairs could be reasonably assumed. Let it be 

 understood that one of the most fertile means of pub- 

 lic extravagance in park expenditure comes about b}' 

 reason of vacillating policies, upsetting, alternating or 

 subverting policies that should be fixed. Perhaps 

 nothing in mtmicipal life is planned so far in advance 

 as parks. They require for their best and greatest re- 

 turn steadfast adherence to the original j^lan. Some 

 of the older cities provide glaring examples of unfor- 

 tunate, short-sighted and wrong conceptions of park 

 aiifairs. Nor is it alwaj-s due to political influences nor 

 a lack of good intention. Weakness, instability, inac- 

 tion or lack of comprehension is quite as dangerous as 

 willful perversion, wanton misuse, or bad administra- 

 tii)n. 



Recently a sentiment has arisen and fnund cham- 

 ])ions to the effect that parkways are only useful to 

 those owning automobiles and shuuld therefore be 

 paid f(ir exclusively by such ])ers<ins, or by the ])rop- 

 ertv directly benefited. Another objection is raised 

 against the policy of acquiring a greater width than 

 the minimum required for the construction of a drive. 

 These and similai' ideas are not always those promul- 

 gated b\' politicians or class panderers and it would 

 appear that a brief discussion of the subject is de- 

 sirable. 



Parkways are long and narrow parks, ordinarily in- 

 cluding a driveway, and distinct from mere boule- 

 vards, which are tree-lined streets. The narrowness 

 is primarily due to financial limitations. 



What constitutes the essence of park composition is 

 subject to great variation in different peo])le's minds 

 and parkways share this vague and confused conce])- 

 tion. We find, therefore, that to many minds, ]iarks 

 are merely land, any size, any location, any or no de- 

 velopment and with or without gardening, play fea- 

 tures, drives and walks. On the contrary, let it l)e 

 affirmed that park systems are justifiable to a com- 

 munity by serving in their natural aspect or by ar- 

 rangements of natural vegetation and earth surfaces, 

 as a safety valve to ofl:'set the artificialities of urban 

 life, (ir in other words, as a health measure in con- 

 serving and restoring health. 



A parkway system should give pleasant and con- 

 venient access to the landscape ofterings of the region. 

 The drives in it should possess graceful alignment, 

 easv grades, and display such fitness to its use as to 

 satisfy the intelligent thought of the users. Undue 

 narrowness weakens the effect and leaves no parkway 

 advantages. Parkways of that type exist in name only 

 and the absurdity of any action based on a counter 

 hypothesis is evident by stating that if a tree-lined 

 street is the type of parkway to be used as a standard, 

 it is cjuite unnecessary to expend money on an_\- of 

 them, since a new nomenclature for streets will be all 

 sufficient. To assume that tree-lined ways are park- 

 wa}'s is to accei)t a misnomer for a fact. 



PARK DEPARTMENT PERSONALS. 



{Continued from f^agc 27.) 



crablo sixtisfaction from tlic fiU't tliat. accurdiiij,' to iiow.s itciiia 

 of rweiit ilato. nearly all of the aclministrative ofllcials of Terro 

 Haute, from the Mayor down, have been indicted by the Federal 

 (Jrand Jnry. and have been Uiii^'nishinii in jail, lie who laii<;hs 

 la-t. lanijlis he>t. 



( . i[. Lprinj;, of Minneapolis and River.side. Cal.. celebrated Ill's 

 Slst birthday recently, and a Inncheon in his honor was served at 

 the ^lission Inn. aecordina to a pres.s report. !Mr. Loring spends 

 l)i~ Miiiters in California and de\otes most of his time and con- 

 siileralde of his means to the beautification of Hnntington Park 

 in Riverside, of which he is honorary snjierintendent. Minne- 

 apolis is !Mr. I.orini;'s home, however, and his name will always 

 be identified with llie park system of that city on acconnt of his 

 years of service on the Park Board and the beautiful [)ark which 

 bears his name. In spite of liis advanced years. Mr. Loriny ;s 

 in splendid health, and is probably our oldest member actually in 



ser\ii e. 



PARK INSTITUTE OF NEW ENGLAND. 



At the setond meetinji of the Park Institute of New Eiifihiiid 

 lu'ld in Worcester, ^Mass., Decenitier Id. twelve cities were repre- 

 sented with twenty-live present. 



Mr. (i. A. Parker, of Hartford, gave a talk on ''Park Aecomits 

 and Reporting" after which there were questions and discussions- 

 cm that subject. 



ilr. Thomas E. llnlhind. Supervisor of Playsrcumds, Worcester, 

 ^lass.. read a paper on "Worcester Recreations," Owing to in- 

 juries received in an automobile accident ilr. Shea, of Roston. was 

 unable to pieseiit hi^ ]iaper on "Park Administration and 

 I^egislation." 



Ml'. S. Wales Dixon. Supervisor of Recreations in Hartford., 

 Lave a very interesting illustrated talk on "Recreations in Hart- 

 foril." after wliich there were ipiestions and discussions. 



ilr. (lias. E. l.aild. Superintendent of Parks, Springlield, ilass,, 

 gave a rejiort on "Municipal Dancing ill the School Building," He 

 said, althoiiuli they liad just started dancing in the scliotd build 

 iiig. lie was lonli.leiit of its success, 



8eveial nicinlieis iiis]iected tlie "Toboggan Slides" in (jrceii Hill 

 Park, 



^rolll•:l of i-uoposfm dfsicx for ceorge h. Hermann p.ark. 



SCAFE. I INlII — too feet, EXIOBTTED AT TEXAS STATE 



FLOWER SFIOW, HOUSTON, TEXAS. BY C. F, BKOCK, 



SUPERINTENIIENT Ol" PARKS, 



