A^s^OTHEE APPROPEIATIOIST 



287 



holders, in the coimty tax levy each year, of ^^not less than 

 one-half of one mill on the dollar, nor more than three- 

 fourths of a mill on the dollar, of the assessed valuation of 

 the taxable property and ratables of the said county/"' the 

 "amount to be paid over to and expended by the commis- 

 sion ;" unless the ^*Park Commission shall certify to the 

 Board of Chosen Freeholders that a less amount is needed 

 for the maintenance of the park system during that year," 

 etc. The measure met with active opposition. The Repub- 

 lican county organization was up in arms directly. Carl 

 Lentz, at the Lincoln Day dinner in East Orange, the 

 evening of February 12, 1902, took advantage of the oppor- 

 tunity accorded him of speaking by giving a tedious argu- 

 ment against the bill, interspersed with the usual specious 

 plea of home rule. Some of the newspapers lined up with 

 "the organization" in disfavoring the bill. 



The measure passed the Legislature, was approved, and 

 thus became the law, on March 28, 1902. The act con- 

 tained a referendum clause and was submitted to the voters 

 of the country at the fall election, November 2. Only 

 28,467 votes vrere cast— 16,379 for and 12,088 against the 

 bill, making the majority but 4,291 for the entire county. 

 In November, 1902, the Park Board made a requisition 

 for $100,000 for maintenance account, under the pro- 

 visions of this law. The amount provided for maintenance 

 for the current year (1905) is $118,586.25. 



AXOTHER MILLIOX DOLLAR APPEOPEIATIOK. 



Long before 1902 it was known to the commissioners 

 that additional funds would be asked, by another issue of 

 park bonds, notwithstanding the pledges made in 1898, 

 when the last $1,500,000 were called for, that that amount 

 would "be sufficient to leave the county in possession of a 

 park system, properly connected with parkways, second to 

 none in the country," as previously quoted. At the board 

 meeting of November 26, 1901, the commissioners had the 

 subject of, and estimates for, another appropriation for- 



