260 



FIEST COUXTY PAEK SYSTEAI 



able action by the authorities. The ordinance, which was 

 a copy of the ^' Cuddy ordinance/' passed November 10. 

 1902, and pre^dously approved by the Park Commission, 

 was, without opiDosition, passed on first reading at the coun- 

 cil meeting October 5, and finally passed by a vote of 9 to 

 4 on November 9, 1903. 



About this time a sufficient number of votes in the City 

 Council were unequivocally pledged to pass the ordinance 

 over the Mayor's veto, should the usual tactics of the execu- 

 tive be adopted in his action on this measure. The ^Mayor, 

 presumably having a knowledge of what was going on, had 

 previously begun to hedge and fence for position, so to 

 speak. On May 15, 1903, he had written the Park Com- 

 mission again, asking, in the event of the transfer ordi- 

 nance becoming effective, did the board "intend to improve 

 Central avenue west from Centre street.''^ 



The commission's reply of May 20, 1903. was as follows: 



'^Dear Sir — Your letter with regard to Park and Central 

 avenues was laid before the commission at its meeting yes- 

 terday, and I was directed to say that the questions con- 

 cerning Central avenue were thoroughly discussed in the 

 last annual report of the commission, a copy of which I 

 transmit under separate cover. Since that time questions 

 relating to Central avenue have been and are now before 

 the courts awaiting adjudication. The commission, there- 

 fore, has given no further consideration to that subject." 



On November 10, the Mayor again wrote that he had 

 before him "for approval or disapproval an ordinance pro- 

 viding for the transfer of Park and Central avenues" ; that 

 he enclosed. a copy of the document, adding: 



"Before acting upon the ordinance I desire to obtain 

 the views of the Park Commission upon it, as to its ac- 

 ceptability^ in its present fonn, etc. I am also desirous of 

 learning whether, in the event of the ordinances going into 

 effect, the commission would improve Central avenue m 

 this city west of Centre street." 



The letter also asked for an early reply. 



The Park Board's reply of November 12, after referring 



