The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-05-19
the Central PAX Isuus.~,n,.,ts.

The Central PAX Improve meets.
wben the Emperor Of The French, few years
ago, Undertook to beauty Paris, the first place
he directed bis attention to was the Bots de
Roulogpe. 1t ~as then a mere wilderness of
Sood-a high plain, with but few natural fea-
lures inviting the hand of art; yet in less than
eighteen months he couvcrud 1t into one Of
,he most beautiful landscape parks in the world.
1t became q perfect paradise of hill and
pIade, lake and stream, shady forests,
picturesque rocks and woody islands BE set
vast number Of men to work upon it, and the
result was that in the short time above men
toned the people of Paris had delightful park
for healthy exercise and recreation.
It is evident that no such result is to come
from the management of our Central Park, al
though nature has done more for the locality
and left art lees to accomplish in transforming
the grourd into beautiful place of enjoyment
fer our citizens. Thus far little has been done
there. A thousand men or 20 have been nomi-
pany at work on the grounds; but there is little
to show for their labor Under the present sys
tenn it will be twenty years at least before the
grounds of the Central Park are of any use for
the purposes designed. And why is THE! Sim
ply because it has got into the hands Of faction
ists and partsaps, who, it seems, ore determined
to convert it to electioneerDg purposes. A
brief sketch of the mode In which the affairs of
the Central Park have been conducted will
suffice to show this.
When the ste for the park was decided on in
1856, the Mayor (Mr. Wood and the Street Com
missioner were appointed Commissioners of the
| Central Park; and the Common Council, in
order to aid them in their labors, invited a
number of gentlemen Of acknowledged capacity
| to assist them ss consulting committee. among
whom were Washington Irving and George Ban
croft A gentleman whose talents as an engi
neer had long been established, graduate of
| West Point, Mr. Veile, was selected as engineer
in.chief of the park, and his survey and plan
were accepted not only by the commissioners,
but by the Common Council, in January, 1871
| plan which then received the encomiums nearly
all the press of the city But when the black
republicans got majority in the Legislature
| they appointed a new commission, composed of
| the gentlemen who are now in Office; and as the
Of all the spoils and to provide for their friends,
| they appointed one of their own adherents
| superintendent" of the park gentleman who
is not an engiDeer-hut stillretained the engineer
in chief appointed by the former commissioners
Subsequently they advertised for plans for
laying out the park, without paying any regard
to the plan already adopted by the previous CON-
mission, composed of such men as Washington
Irving, Bancroft and others, and approved by
the Common Council. The result is familiar to
the public; the design Of their appointee, the
superintendent, was adopted, for which the COM
missioners paid prize Of $4,000. This plan
varies very little from the one previously fixed
it does vary 1t will have to be modified, either
on account Of impracticability or the immense
expense attending its construction. As further
evidence that party motives influenced the
action of the Central Park Commissioners, we
have the fact that the only democrat in the
board who voted for the adoption of the sue
cessful plan of their appointee has been
recently chosen Its president-an honor, we
may infer, bestowed upon him in return for
his vote. The latest act Of the commits
sioDers worthy Of notice, is the removal at their
last meeting of the engineer in chief. and
the appointment of the superintendent, who is
lot engineer at all. 70 the post Of architect
in-cbief." in whose hands the execution Of all
the work is TO be hereafter placed, and the crea-
ton Of other ofices-quite new in professional
lfe-such as agricultural engineer" and
superintendent Of the planting department"
These facts prove beyond doubt that the
laying out of the Central Park, which was
originally intended fer useful public work,
and for which the public at large will have to
pay heavily. has been turned into political en-
CINE for sheer partisan purposes Under this
system the people will have to wait long time
for a park adequate to their wants; but mean.
time the pockets Of batch Of hungry politicians
will be well filed. and the republican party will
be enabled to strengthen their hands against the
next State election.