A petition has been referred to me by the Board from a large number of working boys, together with a memorial of a large number of citizens, urging that grounds for baseball playing, should be assigned the boys of the city in some of the parks, Tompkins Square and the Battery being more particularly suggested for the purpose.

[631]

Grounds for athletic exercises are very much needed in the city, the chief difficulty being that if every other advantage of the parks were to be abandoned in favor of this purpose, there would be nothing like room enough to meet the demand which would arise.

Officers commanding regiments, 1st Division, State National Guard have the legal right to take possession of Tompkins Square and hold the same as long as they choose for military exercises and your Department has no authority to grant privileges or make any use of the ground which will obstruct or lessen the values of their privileges in this respect.

I see no reason however why this should prevent the Board from allowing it to be used for ball playing when not wanted by the military.

I take this occasion to report that I have given some consideration to the proposition to establish a running ring and to erect Gymnastic apparatus for public use in the parks. I am of the opinion that both might be provided at Tompkins Square and the Battery and perhaps in some other of the small parks and that their value would justify whatever disadvantages would result from them.

I think that [providing] for any athletic sports for men in the Central Park except upon the ice would open the way to most serious difficulties and dangers and advise the Board adhere strictly to the policy thus far strictly followed.

It will hardly do to make the working boys a privileged class in this respect and require each who is to use the proposed ball ground to bring a certificate that he is a working boy.

It will be difficult to draw the line between boys and young men.

It will not do to allow one set of boys to occupy the ground to the exclusion of another for a long time in any day.

Assuming that difficulties of this kind can be managed I think that Tompkins Square could be used for the purpose with less injury than any other park and that a moderate space could be prepared at the Battery for the purpose.

When occupied by players the grounds cannot be used as a thoroughfare as it very largely is at present.

The general convenience in this respect may properly be sacrificed for a number of hours in certain days of the week, in favor of the boys; and, those not wishing to engage in the sport be required to pass around the ground.

I suggest that by way of experiment the Superintendent of parks should be directed to allow Tompkins Square to be used for ball playing on every Saturday afternoon by boys not over eighteen years of age under such regulations as he may think proper to adopt with reference to the allotment of space among different sets of players as shall prevent it from becoming dangerously crowded.