1184 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 
Brooklyn, where they have a large park, they spent $3,919,000 in the 
purchase of the land alone. In St. Louis, where they have a new park 
of about 788 acres, they paid $849,000. In addition to that they have 
a number of other parks in the city of St. Louis, and I do not under- 
stand, Mr. Speaker, why the people of this District and the people of 
the United States should not be willing to expend as much money for 
the benefit of the people residing in this capital city as is ordinarily 
spent by people who control their own expenses. 
Mr. Himary A. Herspert. Will the gentleman state how much is 
the annual expense of keeping any of these parks in order that he has 
mentioned? Can the gentleman give us any idea of the annual expense 
of keeping up one of these immense parks? 
Mr. Hemenity. No, sir; I have not any information upon that sub- 
ject. I will say, however, to my friend from Alabama that I presume 
the people of those cities are well satisfied with the expense that is 
found to be necessary to keep up these parks, because there is not a 
single instance where such a public park has ever been dedicated and 
the people have taken it back and put it to any other use, as they 
might do if they were dissatisfied, and not only have those cities which 
have parks kept them up and improved them, but nearly every other 
city of any importance in the country is now seeking to acquire such 
a park. 
Mr. W. P. TauBer. I will ask the gentleman from South Carolina 
whether it is not a fact, so far as he has observed with regard to this 
matter of public parks, that a large portion of the expense which is 
necessary in order to maintain them is derived from the leasing of 
proper privileges to citizens within the parks? 
Mr. Hemeuity. I think that might be made available to quite a 
large extent in maintaining a park. 
Mr. A. J. Horxins, of Illinois. I desire to ask the gentleman a 
question as to the propriety of this legislation on an appropriation 
bill. Is there anything in the proposed amendment that would limit 
or control the purchase of this property, or protect the interests of 
the people at large against the privileged few who would be benefited? 
Mr. Hemputtu. My resolution was presented simply to test the 
sense of the House upon this question, so that if the resolution is 
adopted and the report comes back from the conferees, the House, if 
it be satisfied that the amendment is a properly drawn one, can adopt 
it; if not, can give the conferees further instructions, or can reject the 
amendment. This leaves it to the conferees upon the part of the 
House, if this resolution is adopted, to prepare a suitable amendment 
by which the interests of the public will be properly guarded. 
Mr. Benton McMinn. Will the gentleman from South Carolina 
permit me to ask him a question? 
Mr. Hempuity. Yes, sir. 
