officials or individuals for the temporary use of school property for playgrounds, social, recreation, or other proper purposes (title 24, ch. 1). GENERAL Exemption from taxation.-All public parks are exempt from all county, city, borough, town, township, road, poor, and school taxes, when owned and held by trustees for the benefit of the public, and used for amusement, recreation, sport, and other public purposes without profit; also all playgrounds, with the equipment and grounds thereto annexed, necessary for the occupancy and enjoyment of the same, founded, endowed, or maintained by public or private charity, which applies its revenue to the support and repair of the playgrounds and to increase the efficiency and facilities thereof, either in grounds or buildings, or otherwise, and for no other purpose, and owned, leased, possessed, or controlled by public school boards or properly organized and duly constituted playground associations, and approved and accepted by the board of county commissioners or board of revision of taxes of the county in which such playgrounds are situated (title 72, ch. 4). Disorderly conduct in parks. If any person or persons shall willfully make or cause to be made any loud, boisterous, and unseemly noise or disturbance near any public park, square, or common, whereby the public peace is broken or disturbed, he, she, or they shall be guilty of disorderly conduct, and upon conviction thereof shall be sentenced to pay the costs of prosecution and to pay a fine not exceeding $10, and in default of the payment thereof shall be committed to and imprisoned in the county jail for a period not exceeding 30 days, subject to the right to appeal within 5 days after such conviction (title 18, ch. 3). Same. If any person or persons shall willfully make any loud, boisterous, and unseemly noise, or by using obscene or profane language disturb or annoy visitors to any public or private park or picnic grounds kept for the amusement of the public, whereby, through such conduct, the public peace is broken or disturbed, or the public is annoyed, he, she, or they shall be guilty of the offense of disorderly conduct, and be subject to the punishment prescribed in the preceding paragraph (ibid.). Civil rights. All persons within the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth shall be entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of any place of amusement, recreation, or park or gymnasium (ibid., ch. 5). Sale of carbonated beverages at parks. All carbonated beverages or still drinks manufactured, sold, or offered for sale at or tributary to fairgrounds, parks, resorts, and all other places within the State, must be made from pure cane or beet sugar and in compliance with the provisions of the nonalcoholic drink laws of the State. All coolers and other containers of any description whatsoever from which carbonated beverages or still drinks are sold at such places must have proper display cards printed or marked "artificially flavored and colored," "artificially flavored," or "artificially colored," as the case may be. Any imitations of cider, fruit juices, or fruitades must be marked "imitation" (title 31, ch. 14). Appropriations to State parks.-Counties of the fourth class and cities of the third class may appropriate annually such sums of money as may be deemed advisable to any State park or State park and harbor commission, to aid in the construction, improvement, or maintenance of roads within the limits of the park, and for the development of the park. No moneys may be appropriated for expenditure beyond the territorial limits of the county (title 53, ch. 19). Park commissioners; eligibility.-The commissioners for public parks, created under any general or special law, may be chosen from the residents of any county or counties in which they may be authorized to lay out or maintain a public park (title 53, ch. 15). Lease of toll bridge lands for park purposes.-Whenever the Commonwealth has acquired any toll bridge across any of the boundary waters of the Commonwealth, and therafter maintains the bridge, the board of commissioners of public grounds may enter into a contract with any borough or township wherein the approach to the bridge is located, leasing to the borough or township any lands acquired in connection with the acquisition of the bridge which are not required for highway purposes. The lands, when so leased, may be used for park purposes only (title 36, ch. 6). Aid to housing projects. For the purpose of aiding and cooperating in the planning, undertaking, construction, or operation of housing projects located within the area in which it is authorized to act, any State public body may, upon such terms, with or without consideration, as it may determine, cause parks, playgrounds, recreational or community facilities, or any other works which it is otherwise empowered to undertake, to be furnished adjacent to or in connection with housing projects (No. 323, Laws of 1937). Inspection of plant life. It is the duty of the Department of Agriculture to inspect any park or public place which may become infested or infected with harmful insects or plant diseases, to establish and enforce quarantines, to issue and enforce orders and regulations and make investigations for the control of such pests or diseases, and to perform such other duties relating to plants and plant products as may seem advisable and not contrary to law (title 71, ch. 2). NOTE. Title references are to Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes, 1936, Compact Edition. RHODE ISLAND CITIES AND TOWNS PARKS AND PARKWAYS Excessive acquisition. The general assembly may authorize the acquiring or taking in fee by cities or towns of more land and property than is needed for actual construction in the establishing, laying out, widening, extending, or relocating of public parks, parkways, highways, streets, or places, except that such additional land may be no more in extent than is sufficient to form suitable building sites abutting on such improvement. After so much of the land and property has been appropriated for such improvement as is needed therefor, the remainder may be held and improved for any public purpose or purposes, or may be sold or leased for value with or without suitable restrictions. In case of any such sale or lease the person or persons from whom such remainder was taken shall have the first right to purchase or lease the same upon such terms as the city or town is willing to sell or lease the same (art. XVII, sec. 1, Constitution). Regulation.-Town and city councils may pass such ordinances, bylaws, and regulations as they may think proper in relation to the care, management, and use of the public parks, squares, or grounds within their respective limits, and may prescribe punishment for the violation thereof by a fine not exceeding $20 or by imprisonment not exceeding 10 days for each offense. Any officer authorized to serve criminal process may arrest without a warrant any person who does any criminal act or willfully violates any such ordinance, bylaw, or regulation (ch. 333). Cooperation with State park agency.-Any city or town may transfer the care and control of any open space owned or controlled by it to the division of forests, parks, and parkways of the department of agriculture and conservation, upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreed upon, or enter into written agreement with that division for the joint care, control, or preservation of open spaces within or adjacent to such city or town. Said division may in like manner transfer the care, control, and preservation of any open space controlled by it to any city or town, with the consent of the city or town, upon such terms and for such period as may be mutually agreed upon (ch. 220). RECREATION SYSTEM; BOARD OF RECREATION Establishment.-Any city or town council may vote to establish a system of public recreation and vest in the school committee, or in the board in control of public parks, or in a board of recreation the authority to establish, construct, equip, control, and maintain public playgrounds, athletic fields, swimming pools, bathing places, and other community recreation centers, and to conduct and promote recreation, play, sport, and physical training for which admission or other fees may be charged (ch. 329). Board of recreation. If the council votes to establish a board of recreation, it must specify the number of members of such board, the manner of their appointment, and the term for which they are chosen; and may provide that a member of the school committee, a member of the council, and a member of the board in control of the public parks are to be ex officio members (ibid.). Powers and duties. Such board or committee may conduct its activities on land and in buildings adapted or adaptable for such purposes, owned by such city or town, with the consent of the committee or board in control of such property, or on lands or in buildings that may be acquired for such purposes by gift, purchase, or lease; and may also in its discretion take charge of and use any place or places, the use of which any person or persons may offer, for the purposes herein enumerated. The board or committee may employ a superintendent of recreation, teachers, and other officers; and may fix their compensation. The board or committee may authorize the use of such property as may be under its control for any other municipal purpose, or by any person, society, or other organization for such other public, recreational, social, or educational purposes as it may deem proper (ibid.). Joint enterprises. The respective boards or committees of two or more cities exercising the foregoing powers may vote to unite as a joint committee for the purpose of employing a superintendent of recreation, teachers, supervisors, and other officers; fix their compensation; and apportion the amount to be paid by each (ibid.). Appropriation.-Any city or town may appropriate money for the acquisition by lease or purchase, or for the equipment of lands or buildings for the purposes enumerated, for the operation of the playgrounds and recreation places, and for the carrying on of recreation activities (ibid.). TOWNS General powers.-Towns may take, purchase, and hold real and personal estate, and alienate and convey the same; may raise by a tax on real or personal estate, or on both, such sums of money as are necessary to defray the authorized charges and expenses of the town, provided the same be voted at a meeting of the town electors (ch. 329). FORESTS Acquisition of land.-Towns may appropriate money for the purpose of acquiring lands to be set apart as town forests, and may expend money for developing and planting the same. Lands for such purpose may also be acquired by gift or bequest (ch. 329). GENERAL Aid to housing authorities. Any public body, for the purpose of aiding and cooperating in the planning, undertaking, construction, or operation of housing projects located within the area in which it |