148 



FIEST COUNTY PAEK SYSTEM 



tained througli a published interview given out by Mr. 

 Murphy January 5, 1897. It was there stated that ^'unless 

 additional appropriations be made for park purposes in the 

 future, the system of public pleasure grounds and county 

 boulevards outlined in a general way by the Essex County 

 Park Commission will not be com^pleted," and ^^that the 

 commissioners do not expect to turn all the property ^pur- 

 chased into finished parks with the $2,500,000 that was 

 placed at their disposal for the purpose." Mr. Murphy 

 further said : "The board has no right to suppose that addi- 

 tional money will be furnished. On the other hand, it has 

 no reason to think that additional appropriations won't be 

 made. * , * * The commission feels bound to give the 

 county certain completed parks for the money it has been 

 given, to satisfy the people, and this nO' doubt will be done." 



'^The conditions as to the Orange Park," he said, "are in 

 the air. Yes, we did agree to purchase the land, but there 

 were certain conditions that^ — oh, well, I can't tell you now. 

 * * * We cannot arrange for maintenance before we 

 have something to maintain. That question has not been 

 considered 3'et." 



As a part of the same interview, Counsel Munn, the same 

 morning, was reported as having said : "The plans of the 

 commission have not been laid out on the theory that there 

 will be additional legislation." 



APPOIJ^TIVE OR ELECTIVE PARK COMMISSIONS. 



These announcements were evidently something of a sur- 

 prise to the public. The time had run by so quickly since 

 the appointment of the connnission, only about twenty 

 months before, that many, even among the friends of the 

 park movement, hardly realized that the work of the com- 

 mission was by that time well begun. The public utter- 

 ances, for the most part, were not favorable. Mayor Sey- 

 mour made a severe arraignment of the commission, and of 

 the appointive system of legislation under which it was 

 created. This law, providing for an appointive board, he de- 

 clared, in a vrriHx-'n etareinent a few days prior to the e©* 



