THE FIEST $1,000,000 10? 



time my term of office as commissioner expired — it was two 

 or three times called up for action, but each time '"went 

 over^' by request. 



SECRET SESSIONS DISFAVORED. 



While the discussion on the bids during June and July, 

 1896, was going on, at least some of the commissioners ap- 

 peared to be impressed by the circumstances occasioning the 

 adverse comments on secret sessions. This is shown by a 

 statement made by myself after the board meeting July 22, 

 1896, in response to an inquiry from the News as to the 

 attitude of the commission regarding these executive ses- 

 sions, and published the day follovdng. This statement was 

 in part as follows : 



"We have about concluded all that part of our work 

 wherein we considered that the interests of the county 

 might suffer by premature publication, and I know of no 

 reason why our meetings should not be open to the public 

 hereafter. We are simply the agents of the taxpayers, who 

 have placed at our disposal the expenditure of $2,500,000. 

 While our selection may have been due to confidence reposed 

 in our judgment, it is natural that the public should express 

 anxiety as to the manner in which we are executing the 

 trust. By affording every facility in this direction, we will 

 remove all causes for criticism and make our relations with 

 the public more pleasant. 



"It is admitted that much of our work was of a character 

 that v/ould suffer by premature publicity. 



"We considered that the interests of the county would be 

 best served by conducting our negotiations for property 

 quietly and without publicity, which might tend to cause ex- 

 orbitant prices to be demanded in certain sections. Now 

 our labor in that direction is about complete. We have 

 nearly all the land necessary for the Branch Brook and the 

 East Side parks. The same mxay be said in reference to the 

 Eagle Rock, South Orange Mountain, and Waver ly parks, 

 and options have already been tendered on land for a West 

 Side Park. The balance of our v/ork; in my opinion, can be 



