292 FIRST COUNTY PAEK SYSTEM 



The Metropolitan Park Commission of that State consists 

 of three members, appointed by the Governor, "by and 

 with the consent of the Council/^ In this combined State 

 and municipal great park enterprise the plan appears to 

 have worked out thus far very well. The Park Board of 

 Boston has also three members appointed by the Mayor, 

 "with the approval of the City Council/' As Boston has 

 usually had good mayors, the appointments and work of 

 the commission there have been generally acceptable to the 

 people. 



In New York the charter for the greater city provides 

 for a Park Commission of three members. The appoint- 

 ments are made by the Mayor. No confirmation by the 

 Aldermen is required. Each of the Commissioners have 

 administrative jurisdiction in the boroughs of Manhattan 

 and Richmond, the Bronx, and in Brooklj^n and Queens, 

 respectively. While the members meet weekly as-a board 

 for the whole city, in practical workings there is a single- 

 headed commission for each of the three boroughs men- 

 tioned. As New York has had a varied experience in the 

 kind of mayors chosen, and political influences not infre- 

 quently form an important factor in the selection of Park 

 Commissioners there, the personnel of that board has usu- 

 ally reflected the predominating qualities of the chief ex- 

 ecutive and the conditions determining the appointments. 

 Since the location of Central and Prospect parks and the 

 park system of the Bronx, many years ago, there have been 

 many excellent and public-spirited men who have served 

 as Commissioners there. 



The Fairmount Park Commission of Philadelphia is 

 composed of sixteen members : Five are appointed by the 

 District Court, five by the Court of Common Pleas, and 

 six members of the city government^ — the Mayor, presidents 

 of the Select and Common Councils, Commissioner of City 

 Property, the Chief Engineer and the Chief Water Works 

 Engineer — are members ex-officio. Wliile the appointees 

 have usually been prominent citizens, there has been ad- 

 Verse criticism from the partisan character of the board, 



