Lynn Fells Parkway, now connecting only with one of the main highways of the district, is expected ultimately to connect with Lynn Woods and with the north shore at Lynn; Fellsway from the center of the reservation runs to within two miles of the state house, crossing Mystic Valley and Revere Beach Parkways. Electric car lines give approach on the east and west, and a new line of the elevated system from Boston runs in Fellsway to and through the center of the reservation, and to a connection with a line from Stoneham, Lowell and Lawrence. Several railroad stations are within easy walking distance of the reservation.

The metropolitan system also includes many miles of seashore reservation, chiefly sandy beach unsuited for commerce, but of greatest beauty and convenience as recreation grounds. Lynn Shore, with sea wall and driveway, borders Swampscott and Lynn and connects with Nahant beaches, which in turn border both sides of the road to Nahant, all with a total of 12.13 miles of beach and harbor frontage. Revere Beach, three miles long, forming a single crescent of hard beach bordered by a driveway, is the great beach resort of the metropolitan district, being within five miles of the state house, and accessible for a five-cent electric car fare to more than one-half of the metropolitan population. Winthrop Shore, one mile long, more local in its use, although nearer Boston than Revere Beach, is also within a five-cent car fare.

On the southeasterly side of the harbor lie Quincy Shore, one mile long, bordering the city of Quincy and a short distance from the Dorcester end of Boston; and Nantasket Beach, at the extreme southeast of the district, a most beautiful sand beach reached by steamboat from the harbor, which makes in to within 200 feet of it, and by electric cars and by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad from Boston and the southern and eastern parts of the district and state. There are over fifty miles of river bank included in the metropolitan park system, of which over thirty miles are along both sides of Charles River, ten miles along Mystic River, and the rest along Neponset River. Driveways have been built or planned for along these rivers wherever feasible.

The development of the reservations has been made conservatively, although more rapidly than was expected when the work was begun. In the woods reservations the woods roads have been

built to serve as fire guards and as a preliminary means of reaching them. Occasional shelters and sanitary and refectory buildings have been provided. At the beaches, border roads, walks and shelters, and three bathhouses of most modern type and equipment, and sanitary and emergency buildings, all of substantial permanent construction, have been provided.

The parkways of the metropolitan system have been built according to the most modern type with incidental provision for protection of their parkway features by the construction of central grass spaces for electric cars and of flanking roads for traffic. A speedway, with mile, half-mile and quarter-mile course, show ring, and a general driveway, has been provided in Boston, Brighton District, between Charles River and Soldiers Field, the Harvard athletic grounds. Bridges of various types of concrete, reinforced concrete and modern piling have been built incident to parkway construction. All construction work has been of very simple but permanent form, except in the case of the woods roads, where the effort has been to keep the general appearance of quiet country roads. Excellent results attained in all construction is due to the combined efforts of the commission and its engineers, landscape architect and architect working in harmony.

The reservations and parkways are grouped for supervision into six divisions, each with its superintendent and local forces and division headquarters, including generally police station, emergency, sanitary and work accommodations. These divisions report directly to the secretary of the board, who is also executive officer in consultation with the chairman and sub-committees of the commission. A police force of one hundred men, including foot, horse and river patrol and detective inspectors, are assigned by the general office to the division superintendents according to necessity. In winter, when strictly police duties are light, they have outdoor work and indoor military drill and emergency instruction. The general office includes bookkeeping, recording, purchasing, law and claims, and engineering departments under the direction of the commission, its sub-committees and the secretary. The commission has its subcommittee for each branch of the service and for each division, with the chairman a member of each, and all report to and consult with the entire board at its regular meetings as occasion may require.

Of the total expenditures thus far made about one-half, that is $7,000,000, has been for land, and one-half for development and construction. The annual cost of maintenance is about five hundred thousand dollars. All these figures are likely to vary from year to year as development increases and new reservations and parkways. are added. They will be materially increased next year by transfer to the board of the new Charles River dam, embankment and basin between Boston and Cambridge, built by a special commission. The appropriations are made in the first instance by the state. The annual appropriations for maintenance are included in the state tax for the year, and other appropriations are gradually repaid in annual payments also included in the state tax. The amount of the annual payment to be made by each city and town is determined by a table of percentages prepared once in five years by the superior court upon report of a special commission appointed by it for that purpose.

CITY PLANNING AND PHILADELPHIA PARKS

BY ANDREW WRIGHT CRAWFORD,

Assistant City Solicitor; Secretary The City Parks Association, Philadelphia.

There is pessimism in America concerning cities and the government thereof. The effect of this is unfortunate; it tends to induce inaction rather than action. Had the forces spent in criticism been spent in constructive effort, the work and the joy of it would have been sufficient reward for the pessimists themselves and the results would have benefited their fellowmen whose condition they impotently deplore.

Good results, however, have not been wholly wanting. The problem of municipal government is known to be a problem. The attention of the public is directed to it. It is remarkable that until late years such attention was largely academic. No other form of government governs us so intimately. We cannot leave our homes without experiencing what the municipal government is doing for us. We cannot be at home without feeling what the municipal government is doing for us. Is the sewage system adequate? Are the streets well paved and well cleaned? Is the street lighting and is the house lighting good and at reasonable rates? Is the water we drink pure? Is the air we breathe wholesome? Are the houses that we occupy at the cheapest rents safely constructed? Can we get from our homes to our places of work by direct means of communication, at short intervals, in quick time and at cheap rates? Are our children well taught in safe and sanitary buildings? Have they safe places in which to play? Are facilities for our own outdoor enjoyment near enough for us to make use of them? Are the housing facilities of our poorest neighbors sufficiently sanitary to prevent their own death and the death of ourselves and our dear ones because of contagion produced by unhealthy living conditions? Does business work smoothly and easily because of adequate facilities in transportation by street, rail and river? These are questions the solution of which depends wholly or in a great part upon the governments of our cities. The state and federal governments affect us each day in a far less intimate way.