DEPARTMENT OF TARES. 33 



The Police Department is quartered in the lower pari "I 

 thf building. 



Some of the finest specimens of fresco paiuting and tiling, 

 dont 1 1>\ celebrated Italian artists at great expense, are t<> be 

 seen in this i»l»l building. 



The surroundings of this building have been materially 

 improved in many particulars, in the trimming of trees that 

 needed it, and the removal of nnsightrj or decaying ones, in 

 repairing the walks and also constructing new ones, in laying 

 out flower beds, &c. The view to the south has been greatly 

 beautified and extended by the improvements elsewhere de- 

 scribed as having been made in the new Litchfield Picnic 

 Grove. 



alks in r respect i^nli. 



The walks in this park are generally in about as bad a con- 

 dition as they well could be. At the time when the park was 

 laid out most of these walks were made of asphaltum. This 

 substance was not as well understood then as it is now, and 

 proved to be by no means durable. In many instances it has 

 rotted entirely away, leaving a black dust and a discoloration 

 on the gravel and pebbles that composed its contents. Many 

 of these walks have been relaid and resurfaced and are again 

 in nearly as bad condition as before. The proper tests that 

 should have been applied in the expenditure of the city's 

 money seem to have been wanting. 



During the past year the Commissioners have had short 

 sections of different kinds of walks laid by different contractors 

 at several points, so as to determine which one was the best 

 suited for the park, when the necessary appropriation should 

 be made for such construction. 



Properly to resurface and put in good order all the hard 

 surface walks of the park would require about $60,000. 



The sum of $12,500 has been appropriated this year for this 

 purpose, or less than one quarter of the required amount. 

 There is also an appropriation of $2,500 for new walks 



5 



