THE FIRST COMMISSION 31 
It was then agreed to employ a secretary; various com- 
mittees, on by-laws, rooms, printing, etc., were selected ; and 
the actual work of the board thus began. It was decided to 
have regular monthly meetings, and more frequently, as cir- 
cumstances required. The requirements soon called for 
meetings once a week, or even more often—a policy and 
condition that was followed to the close of the work of the 
commission. 
At the meeting of June 28, a series of resolutions were 
received from the “East Orange Park Avenue Protective 
Association” expressing “its approbation” of the prompt ap- 
pointment of the commission, favoring additional legisla- 
tion, and suggesting that the “care of certain streets and 
avenues leading to and through such park or parks” be 
placed in the hands of the new board. The resolutions also 
requested “the active co-operation of the said Park Com- 
mission in our efforts to preserve Park avenue for the pur- 
poses above described.” 
The petition was accompanied by a lengthy communica- 
tion favoring “a small park or parks within the limits of 
each of our large cities or elsewhere in the vicinity;” a 
“large park or a chain of parks on or over the Orange 
Mountain ;” and suitable approaches to the parks, “re- 
served as carriageways, free from trolley cars, overhead 
wires and anything that would detract from the character 
of these approaches as first-class residence streets.” No 
reference was made to Central avenue, which was ere long 
to become the storm center of one of the most stubbornly 
fought contests between corporate greed and the forces that 
make for civic betterment that have yet occurred in this 
country. 
As the commission had not at this time fairly completed 
its organization, and had not even taken up the subject of 
the proposed park locations, the communications were read 
and received without action. 
The work of the board now went rapidly forward. Com- 
missioner Meeker was elected treasurer. A large number of 
applications were received for the position of secretary. A 
