237 
PARK 
AND CEMETERY. 
simplest thing in the world to set 
aside, if we were so charitably mind- 
ed, some of this land and leave it as 
a perpetual open space for generations 
to play upon. At that time no other 
aspect of the case suggested itself to 
us — it did not seem possible that such 
an immediate sacrifice to our future 
expectations would work any impor- 
tant benefit to our treasury balance; 
in other words, that it was not a busi- 
ness proposition, although it did look 
like the most justifiable sentimental- 
ism. In this we were mistaken. 
There were infinite business possibil- 
ities in such an act of generosity, and 
could we have seen ahead as we can 
look back, we would immediately 
have begun the segregation of lands 
for park purposes in all our subdivi- 
sion, and would not only have served 
the community better, but would have 
received a return in dollars and cents 
sufficient to amply repay for every 
foot of ground so utilized. From a 
lack of courage we began reluctantly 
and niggardly to carry out this policy. 
Therefore, our education has been 
slow, but we are at last convinced 
that upon every consideration of pub- 
lic and private policy intelligent land 
segregation pays the cost. When a 
concern voluntarily gives the public 
a part of the ground for which it has 
paid its money, it secures a place in 
public confidence hard to reach in any 
other way. It indicates the ideals 
for which the business firm are striv- 
ing; the community is stamped with 
the impress of the generosity; it sets 
a standard to which the people can 
and will point in attempting to in- 
duce others to come to the location 
for a place of residence; it puts city 
government under an obligation 
which they cannot ignore, and it in- 
sures a fair hearing upon all one’s 
business affairs with the authorities. 
In many a bitter public controversy 
that little piece of ground will fight 
your battles for you in the sentimen- 
tal effect which it exerts on the pub- 
lic, and, finally, it will exert its quiet 
but constant influence in upbuilding 
your business and your reputation. 
Where these grounds are properly 
distributed and intelligently laid out, 
in almost every instance, it will be 
found that the land surrounding such 
spots can be marketed at a price suffi- 
ciently high to offset the cost of the 
contribution, which is the final test 
of the value of your' enterprising benefi- 
cence. 
Having watched the gradual growth 
of scattered suburbs into densely 
populated city blocks, one cannot but 
wonder at the short sighted policy of 
the average municipal engineering de- 
partment. There is no intelligent 
reason why there is not incorporated 
into the official city map of every 
city a certain percentage of the area 
to be set aside for small parks and 
play-grounds, as a matter of public 
well-being, exactly as streets and 
alleys are so treated. If 15 per cent 
of the area of the undeveloped land 
contiguous to large cities were prop- 
erly distributed in small park appro- 
priations, one problem of congestion 
would be solved without any injus- 
tice to any one. 
In many cities in this country the 
engineering departments plot the 
whole area of the suburban sections 
in anticipation of future developments, 
showing sewer and street elevations, 
strec*- widths, etc. Park appropriations 
could be made a part of this planning, 
and would be accepted by developers 
without question. If short sighted 
they would realize the value of such 
spaces in the sale of their land, but 
they could set their prices so as to 
treat these parks the same as they 
consider the areas set aside for street 
purposes. In this way, cities could 
get all the park lands necessary with- 
out any cost whatever. This plan 
would apply only where the operator 
undertook the opening up and con- 
struction of streets on his own ac- 
count. In case streets are opened and 
improved by the city, and lands con- 
tained therein condemned for street 
purposes, these parks could be includ- 
ed in the same condemnation proceed- 
ings, and the cost therefor assessed on 
the abutting property; so, that the city 
would be in exactly the same position 
with regard to the acquisition of parks 
as it now is with regard to the acqui- 
sition of streets. 
In the districts outside the city lim- 
its, which in course of time, will be- 
come a part of the city, or suburban 
cities in themselves, the appeal must 
be made to the business instincts of 
the real estate man, and I am con- 
fident that the sacrifice which he 
would make in setting aside a small 
percentage of his land for park pur- 
poses is only apparent and not real. 
Where the plan of land lends itself to 
such treatment, it is often advisable to 
set aside land for this purpose from 
the edges, or low spots of the subdivi- 
sion, rather than from the central or 
high priced portions. In this way there 
may be practically no sacrifice, as the 
land may be valueless for construction 
purposes. The need for parks only 
coming from a dense population, the 
dirt from cellars would fill up the low 
land long before it would be needed. 
These small parks should not ordi- 
narily contain over a few acres, and my 
general theory is that 5 per cent of the 
total land area is ample if properly dis- 
tributed ; a park of two acres to every 
forty acres of land, would give a piece 
of playground 200x400 feet, and go 
far toward supplying the neighborhood 
requirements for many years to come. 
In case these parks are deeded to the 
city in the dedication of streets, the 
conveyance might contain a provision 
that in case they were used for any 
other purpose than parks, or play- 
grounds, they would revert to the heirs 
and assigns of the grantor. This would 
offset a certain tendency to utilize such 
ground when once in the city possession 
for the purpose of public buildings. It 
may seem to one, cutting up a tract of 
land, more or less remote from a center 
of population, that a long time must 
elapse before such ground would be 
used. As far as the developer can look 
ahead, there will be ample vacant space 
for children to play upon, but if he is 
made to see that the problem is not 
what will happen in this generation, but 
in the many generations to come, he 
will understand the gravity of the sit- 
uation. 
If the obligation one owes society 
can be liquidated without serious in- 
roads on the prospective profits of the 
land owner, educative methods long 
pursued will accomplish satisfactory re- 
sults; if, however, it can be shown that 
money can be made by this policy, it will 
be adopted without resistance. The 
cost of land taking by condemnation 
proceedings is so expensive in built-up 
parts of the city, that great economic 
purposes can be served by intelligently 
anticipating such requirements, and it 
would be worth while to supplement 
this experience by actual investigation 
of successful suburban developments 
and of relative prices in the neighbor- 
hoods of small parks. 
The American Civic Association can 
do a great work in this direction, by 
collecting information on this subject and 
presenting it in succinct form to men 
engaged in the Suburban Real Estate 
business. 
It is a pleasure to present this short 
record of experience to the associa- 
tion, as a lesson learned by one actually 
engaged in the business of cutting up 
and developing property, and who has 
had to fit his generous instincts, in 
whatever degree he had them, to the 
cold obligation of showing a final bal- 
ance on the right side of the ledger. 
