PEELIMIXAEY WORK COMPLETED 53 



seientioiisly, if not as earnestly, as tlioiigli tlie}^ were mem- 

 bers of it. 



^Tersonallr, I should have been glad to liave concnrred in 

 3'oiir views as to the number of commissioners, save for the 

 reasons stated. The board, in again considering the sub- 

 ject since the receipt of your letter, were all of the opinion 

 it would be better not to recommend that change in the bill. 



^^Senator Ketcham conferred with other of the members, 

 and, I think, also concurred in this view. We are indebted 

 to him for his good counsel and active interest, and he will 

 no doubt talk with you freely about the matter. 



^'His approval of the suggestion of the original plan, 

 briefly stated in the enclosed letter of April 16th last, had 

 much to do with bringing about the present law", which was 

 drawn in accordance with that plan by Mr. A. Q. Keasbey 

 and myself. 



"As the points mentioned in your letter of the 13th inst. 

 have an important bearing on the new bill, I have written 

 more at length than I otherwise should. 



"Respectfully and truly yours, 



"Fred. W. Kelsey/' 



There was apparently official anxiety in certain quarters, 

 at least in Xewark, on this question. The evening of March 

 4, 1895, a well-attended delegation of Xewark officials met 

 at Trenton, and agreed upon the form of a bill to amend the 

 park bill, so as to provide for eight commissioners. The 

 Mayors of Xewark and of Orange and a representative of 

 East Orange — all Republicans — were to be included. The 

 other five members, according to the proposed amendment, 

 were to be selected from Xewark. Alderman William! 

 Stainsby, Chandler W. Riker, who was then city counsel of 

 Newark, and others present at the conference favored the 

 change. On March 7, Mr. Riker appeared officially before 

 the commission and pleaded with much earnestness that the 

 board should consent to the change. That view did not pre- 

 vail. The schf^i'^ie, which at the outset would give the park 

 4x)ard a 4Daliti<-4il complexion, was not generally approved. 



