110 FIRST COUNTY PARK SYSTEM 
ket price for labor, or they would not be able to get men to 
work for the figure named.” When it was farther brought 
out that the passage of such a resolution would be an open 
criticism of one county board upon the official action of 
another public body of the same county constituency, oil was 
poured on the troubled waters and the resolutions were 
defeated. 
OIL ON TROUBLED WATERS. 
When there came to be a better understanding on the part 
of the objecting officials, the labor leaders, and labor unions, 
the agitation ceased, and the work, under the contract, in- 
cluding the specifications that had occasioned the discus- 
sion, went smoothly on to completion. 
In the initial work at Branch Brook Park, there was a 
question in which another public board was directly con- 
cerned, that did not work out so readily. This was the 
authoritative closing of the streets; and later, the matter of 
transferring to the commission other land under control 
of the Newark Board of Street and Water Commissioners, 
besides the reservoir property within the park limits, which 
soon became a part of the same negotiations. Still later, in 
1897, the construction of the Millbrook sewer, directly 
through the southern portion of Branch Brook Park, was 
for many months a bone of friendly contention between the 
Newark board and the Park Commission. 
Incidentally, too, the question arose as to the payment of 
assessments due the city on land acquired by the commis- 
sion. On June 23, 1896, Mayor Seymour wrote the Park 
Board as follows: 
“During the last week a number of bills for assessments 
for city improvements, levied against property, have been 
returned to the city comptroller with the statement that the 
property benefited has been purchased by the Park Board. 
An investigation shows that, while the improvements were 
made prior to the date of purchase by your honorable body, 
the assessments were not confirmed until after title had been 
taken by the commission. 
