The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-03


The Central Park M.nagsment-How
II the Money spents
The Commission which gave us the Central
Park has always borne such o good character
and its work has been of so much benefit to
the city that the taxpayers have been satisfied
to allow it broader license than has been
extended to other municipal commissions and
has not required at its hands any detailed
account Of its expenditures Very tew if any,
persons outside the Park Commissioners and
the Comptroller know to-day what salaries
are paid in the Park Department; what sums
are expended in experiments, designs, sur
veys, &C., or, in fact, any of the particulars Of
the inside management. The department has
been SO close corporation that every person
supposed the commission to have always been
unsalaried, until the disclosure was recently
made that Comptroller Green while filing the
Office Of Commissioner had drawn from it's
funds over ten thousand dollars year for ten
or eleven years, in salary. expenses and extra
allowances. No person questions the honesty
Of the present Park Commission but, in
view of the enormous taxation with which we
are now burdened and of the large increase Of
the public debt it is just as well that every
department should be held to strict accounta-
bility, and that its management should be
closely scrutinized with view to economy.
We are sure that colonel Henry G. Stebbins,
as one Of the Commissioners, will approve of
giving the widest publicity to the transactions
Of the department, of throwing open the
hitherto secret meetings OF the Board, and OF
fairly considering such suggestions as may be
offered for better and more economical man.
agement of the public parks.
There are some improvements which may
be made in Central Park with great advan-
tage and at very trifing cost, while there
are others in contemplation or in process Of
construction upon which large amount of
money is oil but thrown away. Central Park
is great boon to the people It has
pleasant walks and shady hooks in abundance
for those who enjoy them. It has fine
drives, equal to the best country roads, and
ample space for horse exercise. But it lacks
one attractive feature Of European parks-of
the Bots de Boulogne, Hyde Park and the
Prater-namely, the grouping together of
pedestrians, drivers and equestrians in one
locality, where all can see and be seen. In
short, it lacks 'sRotten row." where crowds
are gathered on tho footpath, lounging, walk
ing or sitting; where carriages form grand
parade, and where professions of equestrians,
male and female, give variety to the scene.
A "Rotten row" could easily be arranged for
a proper distance along the Fifth avenue en-
trance, with carriage drive and bridlepath,
and with an ample space set apart for
promenade where now the lounging police
earn their pay by driving foot pas
sengers away from the sacred grass. II
would require but trifing expendi-
ture to make this improvement, and
those persons who do not like the excitement
of q crowd would be at liberty to use the less
At the same time we may well be satisfied to
discontinue more elaborate and less popular
| improvements in Central Park until our tax
rate amounts to less than So 40 per cent
and until our dsbt ceases to increase at IN
average Of ten or twelve million dollars q
| year. The services of architects and others
who now spend their time planning altera-
tons and embellishments can be dispensed
with. If the Park as it is can be kept in good
condition it is pleasant and ornamental
enough for some years to come, and the
money squandered on museums, menageries
and other myths and fancies may be much
more probably expended on improving roads
outside the Park. An appropriation Of two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars has
been made by the Legislature for park i'm
provements and it may be we'll for the people
to inquire how it is to be spent, and to make
themselves better acquainted than they have
hitherto been with the business affairs of the
Park Department.
A LEGBLATTvE MUDDLE-The Consolida-
ton act, although drawn by Charles OConor,
was found after its passage to be imperfect
An explanatory act was required to make it
constitutional; for, as originally passed, the
law made no provision for the Assembly dis
trict apportionments and for the election or
appointment of constitutional county officers.
After this explanatory act had been passed it
was suddenly discovered that the patronage