PARK AND CEMETERY 
27 
The First County ParK System— III. 
{Continued') 
The last issue completed the record of the general 
provision of parks and park lands, and this present 
installment will briefly chronicle the main incidents 
connected with finance, the campaign for parkways or 
toulevards, and the politics which did so much to 
injure both the progress and the development of the 
system. 
In February, 1896, a requisition was made upon the 
Board of Freeholders for the remaining $1,500,000 of 
the authorized $2,500,000, and on June 16, bids were 
opened. Some of the offers were for 4 per cent bonds, 
while J. & W. Seligman offered a small premium for 
a similar bond to the first, viz. : a 3.65 bond. The 4 
per cent bond offered an opportunity for a little “high 
finance,” in the way of providing a sinking fund out of 
the premium, and it carried. It certainly did this, but 
the provision of this sinking fund in this way is to cost 
the tax-payers over $5,000 per year interest during 
the life of the bond. 
The estimated cost of lands at the various parks 
and the approximate estimates for the immediate im- 
provements, made by the experts late in 1896, amount- 
ed to $2,548,000, for which the appropriation of $2,- 
500,000 had been made for a “system of parks in its 
entirety.” The situation early in 1897' showed an im- 
pending deficiency of a considerable amount and the 
people were so informed in a report of the com- 
missioners. The public were naturally surprised and 
the commission was called to account from several 
sources. This again brought to the front the ques- 
tion of elective or appointive commissioners, which 
was warmly discussed ; but agitation soon ceased, and 
as a change in the law was not in immediate prospect, 
attention was turned to the financial situation. Con- 
siderable dissatisfaction was publicly expressed, but 
the completion of the system was desired and another 
bill, in which a referendum clause was inserted, and 
calling for $1,500,000, passed the legislature and was 
approved February 21, 1898. At the election of April 
12, the vote carried the question by a much smaller 
majority than before. The commission was losing 
public support. On January ii, 1898, the commission 
made a requisition for $1,500,000, but the bond issue 
was delayed several months on account of a legal 
question, but were finally sold as 4 per cents, netting 
a good premium ; this with the last installment of the 
principal was finally turned over to the commission 
August 3, 1900. The park system originally prom- 
ised the people of Essex County for $2,500,000 had 
now cost more than $4,000,000. 
The partisan and non-partisan composition of the 
board of course resulted in more or less friction, and 
a most persistent cause of much of it was the derelic- 
tion in duty of the politician counsel. This gentleman 
drew his salary but gave very poor service in return, 
much of the legal work being delayed altogether be- 
yond reason. Nevertheless, two members of the com- 
mission continually pleaded for his retention, with the 
result that after promises of better service he was still 
retained. To his inattention to business can be at- 
tributed considerable loss of money, in addition to the 
cost of employing extra legal help on many occasions. 
It is unnecessary to enter particularly into the ques- 
tion of politics which seriously and continuously in- 
terfered with the success of the county park scheme, 
by reason of the interests in the game which was part 
HEMLOCK FALLS IN WINTER, ESSEX COUNTY PARK 
SYSTEM. 
of the life of at least two members of the commission, 
and the retention of an altogether undesirable legal ad- 
viser was due to this cause. 
Powerful corporate as well as political influences 
had been at work for some time to prevent the reap- 
pointment of Mr. Kelsey, whose term of office expired 
in April, 1907. 
The proposed parkways had invited the attention of 
the Traction Companies, always keenly alive to valu- 
able franchises, and the contest over these thorough- 
fares had been in action for some time. These com- 
panies and the political bosses had already done some 
profitable work for themselves, and it was Mr. Kel- 
sey’s determined fight on all occasions for what had 
