PARK AND CEMETERY 
238 
the late World’s Fair, is proceeding with dispatch under the 
direction of George E. Kessler, the landscape architect of the 
Fair, who is in charge of the task. Nearly all of the build- 
ings in the Plateau of States have been removed, and this 
tract is being graded. The tracks of the Intramural Railway 
are being removed, and it is expected that by the coming sum- 
mer the only part of the work left will be the demolition of 
the main buildings on the level ground. 
Difficulty is being experienced in selecting a site for a 
monument to President McKinley, which is nearly completed, 
at a cost of $10,000, and is to be erected in Reading, Pa. The 
McKinley memorial committee wants to place the monument 
in the city park. The park board has already voted the choice 
of one site, and a meeting of that body has been called, 
when the board is expected to turn down the application for 
another place in the park. Many citizens object to the placing 
of the monument in the park on the ground that the place 
will soon be overpopulated with statues. It already contains 
three monuments — to the volunteer firemen, to the first de- 
fenders and to Frederick Lauer, Reading’s pioneer brewer. 
* * * 
The Park Commissioners of Memphis, Tenn., are endeavor- 
ing to induce the Legislature of that state to pass a bill pro- 
viding that cities of 100,000 or more may levy an annual tax 
of 20 cents on the 100 dollars, for the period of two 
years, on all the taxable property, real and personal, including 
merchants’ capital, and that of all others who are assessed 
for taxes ad valorem on capital invested, bank stock, and all 
other stock subject to taxation. A separate account shall 
be kept in the offices of the County Trustees of the sums so 
collected for this purpose. The County Trustees shall, at the 
end of each month, pay over to the Park Commission of such 
taxing districts or cities all sums then in hand arising from 
the tax so collected, which shall be used exclusively for ac- 
quiring, constructing and maintaining parks and parkways. 
* * * 
A bill is now before the Legislature of Illinois providing 
for the consolidation of the three park boards that now 
administer the. park affairs of Chicago. At present the mem- 
bers of the South Park Board are appointed by judges of 
the courts, and those of the West and North Sides by the 
Governor. The bill provides that nine commissioners shall 
be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City 
Council, which body shall, out of the entire tax levy, appro- 
priate each year the amount that shall be devoted to park 
purposes, this amount to be used by the board for the mainte- 
nance and improvement of the consolidated park system. After 
the first appointment of the board it provides that one-third 
of the members shall be renewed yearly to serve for three 
years, thus insuring continuity in the management of the 
parks. Mr. Bryan Lathrop, one of the members of the Lincoln 
Park Board, says of the bill : “It seems to me to be clear, 
direct and sensible and to provide in the simplest and most 
natural way for the complicated conditions which have to be 
harmonized. The most serious danger to be apprehended 
from the consolidation of the present park systems and placing 
the parks under the control of the city government is the pos- 
sibility that the management may be influenced or controlled 
by politics. This would be perhaps the greatest misfortune 
which could overtake our parks. It has not, however, been 
entirely avoided in the past by the old methods of appoint- 
ing park commissioners, and the bill seeks to avoid this danger 
as far as possible by the further provision that all employes 
of the parks ‘shall be selected under and be subject to the 
provisions of the statfite in regard to civil service in the city 
of Chicago.’” 
FROM THE ANNUAL REPORTS. 
The annual report of the Board of Public Works of Little 
Falls, N. Y., reports the addition of Moreland Park, a thirty- 
acre tract, which was presented, together with a trust fund of 
$20,000, by the late Dudley Burwell. A concrete walk was 
constructed in Ward Square, and work on the improvement 
of Girvan Square, as a public playground, was begun. The 
expenditure for park purposes was $1,453.29. Little Falls has 
a park area of 43^ acres. 
* * * 
.A.t the recent annual meeting of the Boulevard and Park 
Association, of Quincy, 111 ., the report of President E. J. 
Parker told of the work of this active organization during 
the year, and recommends the purchase of a new twelve-acre 
tract for park purposes. There were over 64,000 trees, shrubs 
and plants set out in the parks and public squares during the 
year, chiefly specimens of the native flora. The wading pool 
in South Park has been trebled in size, and a new bridge built 
over the creek in that park. There are now about 146 acres 
of parks and 7I/2 miles of drives. The total expenditures for 
the year were $7,271.91. 
* * * 
The annual report of the Bureau of Parks, of Albany, N. 
Y., contains, in addition to the regular summary of the 
year’s work by months, complete statistics of all of the 
parks and boulevards under the charge of the Bureau, giving 
the area and the annual maintenance cost from Nov. i, 1903, 
to Nov. I, 1904. The total area of the parks is 306.6 acres, and 
the labor charge for the year $27,032.78, including the follow- 
ing for the four largest of the parks : Washington, 90 acres, 
$14,034; Beaver, 78 acres, $7,039; Dudley, 40 acres, $591; Ob- 
servatory, 24 acres, $908. The boulevards and avenues cover 
an area of 95.4 acres, and have a length of 44,450 feet. The 
total labor cost for them was $8,417. The expenditure for 
care of trees for the entire city was $1,195, ^^d the total ex- 
penditures for parks and avenues was $52,864.29. During the 
past year 115.7 acres were added to the care of the Bureau. A 
large map of the city, showing the location of the different 
park areas, accompanies the report. 
5|S * * 
The 14th annual report of the park commissioners of Provi- 
dence, R. I., calls attention to the erection of the Richard H. 
Deming memorial, consisting of a bronze seat of a circular 
form surmounted by a bust of the late commissioner. The 
commissioners are considering the advisability of disposing 
of the zoological collection, in response to a change in senti- 
ment regarding the advisability of keeping wild animals in 
captivity for public exhibition, unless their surroundings con- 
form in a measure to their wild state. To keep such animals 
in small cages, in poorly ventilated buildings, has been char- 
acterized as cruelty. The park museum has during the year 
received many valuable gifts of statuary, minerals, mounted 
animals, birds and insects. The Metropolitan Park Commis- 
sion, which has been considering the preliminary steps neces- 
sary for the establishment of a system for Providence and the 
neighboring towns, similar to that of Boston, has made its 
first report to the Legislature. The executive committee notes 
that too short a time has been permitted to properly consider 
the necessary studies in the field and, therefore, it is urged 
that the Commission be continued. As it is not possible to ac- 
quire much of the requisite land without the power to issue 
bonds, the Commission recommends that the General Asseinbly 
authorize the placing before the people of a proposition to 
issue bonds for an amount not exceeding $500,000. Such an 
act accompanies the report in which the executive committee 
dwells upon the general scheme in contemplation, which is to 
utilize all available natural advantages in the state. 
