MOEE BOXDS AXD "HIGH FIXAXCE'* 147 



West Xewar!-: (^^Vest Side) 75,000 



Total $2,058,000 



Approximate estimates of park improvements suggested 

 for early construction: 



Branch Brook improvements from 

 Sussex avenue to Old Bloomfield 



road $350,000 



East Side Park 40,000 



Weequahic Park 25,000 



Eagle Rock Reservation 25,000 



Triangle Park, Orange 25,000 



West Xewark Parks 25,000 



Total $490,000 



As will be seen from these figures, the}^ represented a 

 total actual and estimated expenditure of $2,548,000, from 

 an appropriation made but the year previous "for a system 

 of parks in its entirety" of $2,500,000. This, notwithstand- 

 ing the conservative estimates for the cost of the remaining 

 land yet unacquired in the different parks, and the ex- 

 tremely limited amounts noted for improvements in those 

 parks, other than in Branch Brook, where contracts were 

 made and improvement work was already well under way. 



THE FIXAXCIAL SITUATIO^^. 



Although the subject of the impending dificiency was not 

 referred to in the first official report of the commission for 

 1896, issued early in 1897, it became well understood in 

 the park board room that there would be no object in longer 

 "executive sessioning" the fact from the public. As Com- 

 missioner Franklin Murphy had been the most active and 

 outspoken exponent of the sectional policy adopted in ac- 

 quiring the various parks, he was delegated by his colleagues 

 to convey in his own way the financial situation in the 

 board's affairs to the public. This was done, and I think 

 the fir^t ln\'.]r:r:il n the people had of that maiter was ob- 



