QUESTIONS OF POLICY 



89 



parks, not for a park system as a whole. There was noth- 

 ing whatever in the way of carrying ont the other policy 

 while the different sites were nnder consideration or being 

 informally acted npon. The situation at this time may be 

 readily understood from the following letter to Commis- 

 sioner Peck of October 2, 1895 : 



"Dear Mr. Peck — On my return home last evening I 

 went carefully over the report of the first commission, with 

 the view of ascertaining whether I was not in error in my 

 impression that the present commission was imder a trust 

 obligation to carry out substantially the recommendation of 

 that report. Even a casual reading would have ma.de my 

 impression as to such obligation a conviction. 



"As the meetings of our first commision were held in 

 executive session, that report and the bill accompanying it 

 were the only direct and official statements to the public of 

 our conclusions and intentions. The confidence of the public 

 in the recommendations made was evidently strengthened 

 by the reiterated statements in the press as to the high 

 character and aims of the commission. 



"About 6,000 copies of the report were distributed 

 throughout the county and in the Legislature. From that 

 report, and upon the recommendations and statements there 

 made, the press. Legislature and public approved the report 

 and adopted the charter reconmiended. Every one of our 

 names was signed to that report (in duplicate), and to the 

 statements of fact and intentions there stated. 



"If, under these conditions, a trust obligation does not 

 rest upon- the present commission, how could one be cre- 

 ated? If the careful preparation of that report, with our 

 signatures attached, does not clearly specify such conditions, 

 how would it be possible to present a subject that would 

 involve trust obligations ? 



"If we were borrowing a large amount of money for our 

 personal account, would not the stipulations and statements 

 accompanying the loan become important factors in the use 

 of the money ? What distinction or difference can be made 

 in this instance, where the interests of 300,000 people are 



