GENERAL PLANNING OF A PARK SYSTEM 65 



At a meeting of a city council, a few days later, the wishes of the people 

 were confirmed by the levying of a one-mill tax and the issuing of bonds to 

 the amount of seventy-five thousand dollars for the purpose of land and for 

 necessary construction. From this point the work of acquiring land and 

 developing sites has continued until today. Xville ranks at the very front 

 of all cities in its class in point of the number of properties of different types, 

 their development and the efficiency of their maintenance and control. 



The results secured in this city were so successful, it is worth while to 

 note the lesson the experience has for other communities. A few of the 

 significant points follow: 



1. The main reliance from the beginning was on public action and 

 support. The citizens were taken in on the ground floor and made to feel 

 their responsibility. 



2. The park commission has from the start applied the efficient meth- 

 ods of private business to the administration of the department. Each 

 dollar has been expected to bring a full dollar's worth of work and material, 

 and it has. 



3. Before a step was taken toward execution a complete general plan 

 was prepared for all the parks and playgrounds included in the system. 

 This inspired public confidence in every part of the city. This method not 

 only wins confidence but prevents mistakes and contributes to economy in 

 many directions. 



4. The cost of parks and playgrounds of this city has not been heavy. 

 Even under the necessity of issuing bonds for twenty-year periods only and 

 the extra expenses inevitable during a period of heavy construction work, 

 the annual cost has not exceeded fifty cents per capita. 



5. Another conclusion justified by the experience of this city is the 

 possibility of enlisting in the service of a community its most honorable 

 and able men. 



6. The final lesson of the efforts of this community is the effect upon 

 civic spirit. There has been a noticeable quickening of civic pride and 

 awakening of interest in civic affairs worth all that the improvements have 

 cost in money and personal work. 



The Campaign for a County Park Board System. Through the efforts 

 of a private group drawn largely from the boards of trade of two cities in 

 a particular county, a state law was enacted under the authority of which 

 a temporary park commission was appointed. A small appropriation was 

 secured from the county commission to cover the expenses of a preliminary 

 survey. 



As the next step the newly appointed commission invited suggestions 

 through circular letters from the governing bodies of the county and from 



