A LEGISLATIVE TRAVESTY 269 



new trouble," that "the board has been informed that it can- 

 not pass/' and again "positively declines, as it has repeat- 

 edly done before, to be drawn into a partisan quarrel be- 

 tween two factions of citizens, each of whom it represents, 

 and for the interests of all of whom it is earnestly working." 



As the two factions of citizens at "issue" on this par- 

 ticular question were, in reality, the general public, and 

 supposedly the Park Commission on the one side, and the 

 avaricious corporation octopus, with its widely extended 

 tentacles on the other; and as the two interests were in 

 this instance in direct and unavoidable opposition to each 

 other, this statement tended to make the matter of the Park 

 Board's previous uncertain attitude still more uncertain ; 

 and to enlarge, rather than curtail, the confusion that this 

 "new straddle" occasioned. 



The effect of the statement upon the Board of Freehold- 

 ers was also, to all appearances, unfavorable. When the 

 communication was read at the meeting of that board on 

 April 14, 1904, Freeholder W. Ougheltree, referring to the 

 condition of Park avenue, since its transfer, expressed his 

 "surprise at the '^cheek' of the Park Commission in suggest- 

 ing such a thing" as the transfer of another avenue. The 

 Park Board's communication was then "placed on file." 



The situation was also made interesting about this time 

 by an informal conference between one of the former Park 

 Commissioners and the Park Board over the avenue ques- 

 tion. Four of the commissioners were present. They were 

 appealed to to state definitely and conclusively: First, if 

 » they still believed that Central avenue should be secured as 

 a parkway; and, second, did they "consider it a necessity" 

 in properly carrying out their plans? Each of the four 

 commissioners gave an affirmative response to each of these 

 questions. On March 22 this ex-commissioner wrote the 

 commission at length on the subject, concluding the letter 

 as follows : 



PLAIN STATEMENT WANTED. 



"To offset the adverse influence now applied at Trenton, 

 in the councils of Orange and East Orange, and in the 



