REPORT OF PARK COMMISSIONERS 11 



and is composed of very poor soil, and before the many improvements 

 can be carried out, it will be necessary to haul in many thousands of 

 cubic yards of soil. This soil can be acquired from the owners of 

 lands immediately adjoining Point Lobos road; another reason for 

 urging your Honorable Board to grant us this amount is that grad- 

 ing operations in that neighborhood have been carried on very exten- 

 sively and unless this soil, which may now be acquired for the haul- 

 ing, is secured within the next year, the grading of these roads and 

 blocks will be completed and it will be necessary in order to get suitable 

 soil for this park, to go at least ten miles to the right kind of soil. 



The $7,500, asked for the convenience station at Mission Park, is 

 something the people of that district have been asking for for many 

 years, and is very much needed. 



The $6,000, asked for the completion of the wall surrounding 

 Holly Park, is required in order to finish the building of this wall, 

 commenced a year ago. 



Convenience stations are much needed in the neighborhoods of 

 Duboce, Lafayette, Alamo, and other down-town squares, for which 

 the several sums listed in the estimate are requested. 



The $2,000, asked for the building of tennis courts in the squares 

 of San Francisco, is necessary owing to the great demand for tennis 

 courts in the down-town squares and small parks in all parts of the 

 city. 



Very truly yours, 



(signed) John McLaren, 



Superintendent of Parks and Squares. 



FUTURE ALLOWANCES 



It is the opinion of the Park Commissioners that allowances 

 of public money for park extension and adornment should 

 not be considered as an appropriation, but regarded rather 

 as an investment, because it can be shown clearly and con- 

 clusively that every dollar expended in this direction is quickly 

 returned by the increased value of taxable property, hence 

 the Commissioners contend that San Francisco could, if the 

 charter permitted, make no better investment than an allow- 

 ance of one million dollars annually for the next three years 

 to meet the adequate expense of park features worthy of the 

 city. 



