333 
PARK AND CEMETERY . 
PROGRESS OF PARK WORK IN ST. PAUL 
'I'hat St. Paul is making .-teady 
progress toward a complete and uni- 
fied system of pa.rks, is evidenced bt 
the results shown in the 19th annual 
repc.irt of the Board of Park Commis- 
sioners of that city recently issued 
It is a beautifully illustrated book, 
far in advance of previous reports is- 
sued, and tells in detail of some im- 
portant betterments to the park sys- 
tem. The sentiment of the people 
in all parts of the city is in favor of 
more parks, as manifested by the ac- 
quisition of five tracts in different 
parts of the city during the past two 
years. All of this was paid for by 
the people interested, with no aid 
from the park fund. 
The contemplated immediate ac- 
quisition of property for Johnson 
Parkway, between Phalen and Indian 
Mounds Parks, for whicli a prelimin- 
ary condemnation order has been 
passed by the Hoard, and for the Re- 
serve Boulevard, from Fort Snelling 
bridge northeast to Otto Avenue, for 
which the preliminary condemnation 
order has also been passed by the 
Board, brings the financial question 
strongly before the Board. The in- 
adequate charter provision of levy- 
ing assessments on property espe- 
cially benefited by parks and parkways 
the commission considers a hardship 
upon the owners of real estate af- 
fected. The Board believes that park 
and parkway im])rovement should be 
classed as general in its character, 
and the city should be divided into, 
say, four park districts for the pur- 
pose of levjdng assessments both for 
acquiring and improving parkways. 
The Public Playgrounds of the city 
received a new imi.)etus to vigorous 
life when the Legislature passed an 
act em])owering the city to issue 
bonds to the amount of iflOO.OOO, di- 
vided into four installments of $25,000 
each for four years, the money to be 
used for acquiring and improving 
playgrounds. The Cliarter provision, 
prohibiting the city to create any new 
municipal office, compelled the Com- 
mon Council to place the Plaj^ground 
Committee under the supervision of 
the Park Board. The occasional dis- 
approval of the Committee's action 
causes friction embarrassing to both 
bodies, and the report recommends 
that the responsibilities be concentrat- 
ed in one or the other. 
Working under the most trying and 
disadvantageous conditions, the Board 
has ntaintained Lexington Avenue as 
a pleasure drive to Como Park. The 
hauling of heavy loads has not been 
restricted, chiefly on account of there 
being nO parallel street graded to 
which heavy hauling could be directed. 
rOZY LAKE. COMO PARK. ST. PAUL. 
