THE FIRST COMMISSION 33 
“The experience of other places demonstrates conclusively 
that parks are the most appreciated where most. liberally 
provided. The more the public realize their advantage to 
health, to property—to say nothing of enjoyment—the 
more eager all classes are for park extensions and new 
pleasure grounds, 
“With all the millions New York had previously ex- 
pended for park lands and improvements, only a few years 
ago large areas of additional park lands were secured at an 
expense of some $9,000,000 or $10,000,000, and that munic- 
ipality has again this year undertakings for additional 
parks at an authorized expenditure of several millions more. 
“Philadelphia, with her city squares and beautiful Fair- 
mount Park, is just undertaking at an estimated cost of 
$6,000,000, the construction of a boulevard from the new 
city hall direct to Fairmount Park, much of the way 
through a densely built up part of the city. These are only 
instances of the movement going on everywhere. Smaller 
communities like Paterson and Trenton have already parks 
and parkway approaches of commanding importance. 
“Not one of these communities, and but few in this coun- 
try or in Europe, have the natural advantages of topog- 
raphy, scenery, etc., that nature has already provided here 
in Essex County. 
“Hardly another community so important has so long 
neglected to utilize these advantages, or so persistently 
failed to realize the importance of this subject. 
“There are more than 300,000 people in this county, in 
the midst of these unusually favorable conditions, yet there 
are only a few acres of public park lands in the whole 
district. 
“The whole population appears to have developed with 
but little regard to matters of this nature that have long 
ago been deemed vital in isolated cities and towns of less 
population and fewer resources. We believe you will concur 
in the conviction that existing conditions call for immediate 
action. 
“With this view, we invite your co-operation, and would 
