"Sec. 15. At the end of every corporate year, the Mayor and Councilmen "shall cause to be made in a plain hand writing, a full and complete state"ment of all moneys received and expended during the preceding year, show"ing on what account received and expended; a copy of which statement shall "be published in said city, in such manner as shall be prescribed by ordi"nance.

"Sec. 16. The Mayor and Councilmen shall not expend more than one "thousand dollars annually for the payment of the salaries of the city offi"cers. No money shall be paid out of the Treasury unless in pursuance of "appropriations made by ordinance, nor shall the Mayor and Councilmen "have power to contract, or in any manner create a debt or liability of said "corporation, exceeding the sum of one thousand dollars over and above the "amount in the Treasury of said city, not otherwise appropriated.

"Sec. 17. Whenever the city of St. Joseph shall organize a workhouse "in said city, and any person who shall fail or neglect to pay any fine or "costs imposed on him by any ordinance of the city, for any misdemeanor "or breach of any ordinance, shall, instead of being committed to the jail "of the county, be committed to the workhouse, until such fine or costs shall "be fully paid; provided, however, that no such imprisonment shall exceed "ninety days. Every person so committed to the workhouse, shall be required "to work for the city at such labor as his health and strength will permit, "not exceeding ten hours in each day, and for such work and labor the person "so employed, shall be allowed, exclusive of his board, the sum of fifty cents "per day, which amount shall go to the payment of such fines or costs.

"Sec. 18. The Mayor shall decide and be governed by the laws of this "State, in all matters not provided by ordinance or the provisions of this act.

"Sec. 19. The Mayor and Councilmen shall have power to provide for "the appointment of all officers, servants and agents of the city not otherwise "provided for.

"Sec. 20. The Mayor and Councilmen shall have power to open new "streets in the new limits, without the consent of the owners.

"Sec. 21. This act is hereby declared to be a public act, and may be "read in evidence in all courts of law and equity in this State, without proof; "and all ordinances of the City Council may be proved by corporation seal, "when printed and published in book form, and purporting to have been "printed by the authority of the City Council, the same shall be received "in all courts and places without further proof.

"Sec. 22. The General Assembly may at any time, alter, amend or "repeal this charter or any part thereof.

"Sec. 23. All acts and parts of acts coming within the purview of this "act, and inconsistent therewith, are hereby repealed.

"Sec. 24. The Trustees of the town of St. Joseph, in office at the time "of the passage of this act, shall continue in office until the first Monday “in April next, until they shall be superseded under the provisions of this "act, and it shall be the duty of the Trustees now in office to lay the town. "off in convenient wards, and to order and provide for the holding of the first "election under this act. This act to take effect and be in force from and after "its passage. Approved February 22, 1851."

ARTICLE III.

Of elections.

Sec. 1. A general election for Mayor and Councilmen and Marshal of the City of Kansas, shall be held on the first Monday in April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, and on the first Monday in April in each and every year thereafter.

Sec. 2. All free white male inhabitants of said city, who are entitled to vote at State elections in the County of Jackson, and who shall have resided the last preceding months in said city, shall be entitled to vote any election. held under this charter.

ARTICLE IV.

Miscellaneous provisions.

Sec. 1. All money that may have been heretofore collected, and not expended under the laws and regulations of the town of Kansas, as heretofore incorporated by the County Court of Jackson County under the statutes of this State, shall be paid over by the former collector or Treasurer of said town, or by any person in whose possession said money may be the Treasurer of the city; as soon as one shall have been appointed under the provisions of this act, and the Mayor shall have power to bring suit in the name of the "City of Kansas," and compel the payment of the same.

Sec. 2. Upon the application of the owners of two-thirds of the real estate fronting on any street or part of a street in said city, it shall be lawful for the Mayor and Council to levy and collect a special tax on the owners thereof, according to the assessed value of said real estate, for the purposes of grading and paving of such street or part of a street, or for the purpose of erecting lamps thereon, and lighting the same; which tax when collected, shall not be applied to any other than the purposes herein specified.

Sec. 3. The City Council shall hold their stated meetings on the second Mondays in April, July, October and January in each and every year, and may adjourn from time to time as they may think proper, provided, however, that the Mayor and the Councilmen may change the time of their stated meetings so that no more than four stated meetings shall be held in one year.

Sec. 4. Lot Coffman, Benoist Troost and Thompson McDaniel, are hereby appointed commissioners and judges, whose duty it shall be to hold an election on the fourth Monday in March, in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-three, having first given ten days notice by at least six written or printed hand bills, put up at six of the most public places within the limits hereinbefore described, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the qualified voters within said limits will accept or reject this charter, and if a majority of said qualified voters, voting on that day, shall be in favor of accepting the provisions of this act, then and from that day, this act shall be in full force and effect, otherwise, it shall be void and of no effect.

Sec. 5. If this charter shall be accepted as specified in the last section, the aforesaid commissioners shall proceed to hold the first regular election for the City Officers, under the provisions of this act, provided; that, if any of said commissioners fail or refuse to act as such, then the remaining commissioner or commissioners shall appoint one or two good citizens of Kansas to fill the vacancies so created, and shall appoint their own clerks, and some suitable person to cry the votes, and as soon as possible, after the election is over, said commissioner shall proceed to count the votes, and shall make out and deliver to each person duly elected, a certificate of his election, signed by their names, and thereupon, the Mayor and Councilmen and Marshal, so elected, shall be duly qualified, and enter upon the discharge of their respective duties, provided, also, that if said commissioners fail to hold the above named elections at the time specified in this act, it shall be lawful to hold them at any time within six months after the passage of this act. Approved February 22, 1853.

* Missouri *

* State

* Seal. *

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Office of Secretary of State. I, John M. Richardson, Secretary of State, hereby certify the foregoing is a correct copy of the original roll on file, in my office, of an act passed by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, entitled, “An Act to Incorporate the City of Kansas.”

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of said office. Done at the office of Secretary of State, in the City of Jefferson, this 5th of March, 1853.

JOHN M. RICHARDSON, Secretary of State.

CHAPTER XXVI.

PARKS AND BOULEVARDS.

The redemption of a city's plague spots and unsightly and uninviting sections by the substitute of finely improved boulevards, well kept parks and public playgrounds is evidence of civic spirit that today is turning to municipal embellishment and improvement as a valuable asset in the business of making cities.

We are in the age of municipal adornment and improvement and the city that fails to locate broad and attractive boulevards, purchase and improve parks and adorn and equip plazas and playgrounds, will fail in the race for the greater city life and business. The spirit of money getting and industrial extension is today a partner of the landscape architect in his plans for civic beauty.

The condition of the public mind of today upon the park, and, naturally following, the playground proposition, is a radical departure from that of five years ago. There are many good people whose activities of life turn to the betterment of humanity, to the consideration of better sanitation, better housing, food, clothing and better mental conditions and aspirations for those who are the "hewers of wood and drawers of water" in the seemingly unequal race for life and existence. It is to this class that we must largely give credit for the marked change in public sentiment.

Executive officers of cities now vie with these good citizens in their efforts to provide municipal legislation favorable to this development in civic life.

Our own city is now thoroughly awake to this advancement in urban. life and as we add miles to our boulevard system, so we shall establish bath houses, swimming pools and playgrounds for both summer and winter. The present generation should so build the park system, and there is every indication that it is doing so, that future generations may amplify the same with a higher degree of finish in the established and improved portions and extensions that may become a harmonious part of the whole.

This growing, thriving municipality will as surely require vast additions to its public recreation grounds and beautiful boulevards as it will require new streets and extensions of all its public utilities.

It is now sixteen years since park work became a factor in Kansas City municipal life, although the charter of 1889 contained a special article relating to parks. The late Judge John K. Cravens was the author of this, the first evidence of an attempt to make provision for these public necessities. A legal technicality, however, was found that, when passed upon by