58 FIEST COUNTY PAEK SYSTEM 



the bill; declared that "the child is born who will see this 

 entire 150^000 square miles of Essex County a continuous 

 city gave a glowing account of what "nature has done for 

 this region^^ of "mountain ridges, fertile valleys and wooded 

 slopes f and added that "it is to be a county park system" 

 and, "so far as we know, little opposition to the project has 

 been developed." 



PRESS LAUDS ENTERPRISE. 



The attitude of the Xew Jersey press had continued in 

 kudation of the enterprise, and there appeared also a gen- 

 eral sentiment in favor of the reappointment of the same, 

 commission that had had charge of the preliminary work in 

 the undertaking. The Newark News of February 6, 1895, 

 editorially referring to the report of the first commission, 

 stated that "a good system of parks would supplement the 

 natural attractiveness of the city and county." 



And, on February 28, the same paper said: "This is a 

 rich and populous county, and one that has a future. Be- 

 fore many years it will be the theatre of a greater city. Its 

 situation destines it to a rapid and steady growth. What- 

 ever adds to its attractiveness as a place of residence means 

 advantage to every one of its industries, to every business 

 enterprise carried on within its boundaries." 



On February 6, The Daily Advertiser, in a lengthy edi- 

 torial on "The Proposed Park System," had this to say : 



"No one, of course, questions the need of a park or a sys- 

 tem of parks in Essex County. Out of 92,000 acres in 

 Essex County, only twenty-five acres are devoted to park 

 purposes and uses ; and as for Newark, with its population 

 of 200,000, it is a fact that it has a smaller park acreage 

 than any city in the United States or Europe of over 

 100,000 population ! This in itself is a rebuke and a humil- 

 iation. « * ❖ There is scarcely any question that the 

 bill presented by the commission which has completed its 

 task in one-fourth the time allotted to it, and with an ex- 

 penditure of less than half the money at its disposal, will 

 become a law; In that case^^ we sincerely hope that the pres- 



