PARK AND CEMETERY. 
382 
PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL PARKS 
It seems strange that progressive real 
estate men who lay out subdivisions do 
not of tener make use of the services of 
a landscape architect in providing for 
beauty and park like effects in combining 
home grounds in some such manner as 
shown in the accompanying suggestive 
sketch by Theodore Wirth, superintend- 
ent of parks at Minneapolis. 
City blocks in suburban residence dis- 
tricts laid out on a plan like this, offer 
inducements to a better class of resi- 
dents and would bring larger financial 
returns to the real estate owners who 
are far sighted enough to take advan- 
tage of the widespread desire for better 
home surroundings. 
Mr. Wirth says in his latest annual 
report from which our illustration is 
obtained : 
“In some of our better residential dis- 
tricts I believe the progressive real es- 
tate men could do considerable them- 
selves to secure for their investments and 
patrons certain parlc improvements 
which would greatly raise the value of 
their property, anrl secure certain ex- 
clusive ri.ghts of possession and use 
which are not possible where public 
money is used for their improvement 
and maintenance. There are many 
blocks available yet within our city lim- 
its for small residential private parks 
like the plan which I herewith submit.’’ 
PLAYGROUND WORK 
Mayor McClellan, of New York, hon- 
orary president of the play congress of 
the Playground Association of America, 
which is to meet in New York Septem- 
ber 8 to 12, has sent letters to the may- 
ors and officers of the departments of 
parks, health, charities and education of 
all the cities of the United States, ex- 
plaining the purposes of the meeting and 
inviting them to attend. 
Massachusetts takes the lead of all 
states in legislation relating to public 
playgrounds. A bill recently passed by 
the legislature requires cities and towns 
of over 10,000 inhabitants, which do not 
already comply with the provisions of 
the act, to vote, at the next election, on 
the question of maintaining at least one 
public playground for the first 10,000 in- 
habitants, and at least one other play- 
ground for every additional 20,000 of 
population. Several states liave permis- 
sive laws relating to public playgrounds, 
just as Massachusetts has had since 1893, 
but this is the first instance of compell- 
ing municipalities to vote upon the ques- 
tion which is coming to be recognized as 
of vital importance in the making of the 
new American. 
The National Playground Association 
is planning to make an active campaign 
in urging mandatory legislation in all 
states. 
IMPROVEMENT NOTES 
The Massachusetts Civic League, 
through its committee on village im- 
provement, has established the Massa- 
chusetts Civic Conference. The object 
of this conference is to present in both 
concrete and theoretical forms the re- 
sults of the best examples and the latest 
thought on civic matters. It is expected 
that all organizations in any way con- 
cerned in developing community inter- 
ests will make the conference theirs for 
practical use ; improvement societies, 
women's clubs, granges, library clubs, 
the church and the school may all con- 
sider it as theirs. The first session will 
be held in Boston on November 13 and 
14. The morning of the 13th will be 
devoted to the work and methods of 
improvement associations. In the after- 
noon the value of industrial education 
as a social force will be considered. In 
the evening Professor Royce will dis- 
cuss provincialism, or local patriotism. 
The morning of the 14th will be given 
to methods of utilizing the gang spirit 
among boys and young men. Edward 
T. Hartman, 3 Joy street, Boston, is 
secretary. 
* * * 
The Bay City Civic League of Bay 
ify, Mich., is only fourteen months old, 
yet it has accomplished a great deal for 
that city. A children’s garden has been 
established in connection with each 
school and prizes are given for the best 
gardens, both flower and vegetable. 
Much attention is also given to the 
cleaning of the back yards. The city 
has recently issued bonds to the 
amount of $200,000 to purchase a park 
along the river front and a fine hotel 
ha« been con.strncted facing this park. 
Howard Evarts Weed, of Chicago, re- 
cently gave an improvement lecture 
which greatly stimulated the work of 
the Civic League. Mr. Weed also vis- 
ited the capital city of Michigan, Lan- 
{ConlhtHcd on p. X) 
Suggestive Plan 
A Residei^ial Park 
covei^itJc Two CITY B»_oc»»s 
