The New York herald., 1876-11-18
IHE PERIL or THE PARKS.
Work Suspended on All the Peo-
ple's Pleasure Grounds.
WANT OF MONEY TIE CAUSE
Difficulty Between The Park Department
and Boa,d of Apportionment

lection the Central Park had been closed 10 tho pub
&c from wan, of funds 10 care for and carry il
Ma: TOR the same reason work generally had been
pendod on The parks oil the city, and lil but eight
poyes discharged The report was by some people
deemed exaggerated chiefly stimulated by the Depart
ment OF Parks to excite sympathy Tor Itself
and turn popular feeling against the Board Of
Estimate aud Apportionmcnt composed prin
,cirally of Mayor wickham and Comptroller Green
There is no exaggeraton however IN the statement
about the suspension OF work. Tor she fact IS that about
$50 employees belonging TO what Is called The main
tcnance force have been either discharged or sus-
pcndcl, and the ncnaser!e is closed, HERALD
ported discovered who visited the Park yesterday
The given for this action by tho Department
oi Parks have been already made public IN letter b.
the President Of the commission Mr. Martin. and may
be brehv summed up IN a few words-"want OF money
But Mr Martin has explanation 10 give OF how this
want of money Gomez about, ana that Is lust
what the public, whom tho Central Park
1s especially dear desire TO know They would like TO
be informed as TO who IS responsible lor permitting
Jtate OF AFFAIRS TO tha: work great injury
various directions, and these may be enumerated
First, in the direction of sending adt and losing tho
services Of men who have in one capacity another
been identified Tor years with the PARK; second, in
allowing immediate aud necessary provision Tor tho
protection and preservation OF plants anu shrubs for
Ing 10: indefinite period that necessary daily
which is indispensable for preventing tho grounds
from relapsng into their primitive and unlovely
widness.
RIsrLr THE SUSPENSION
OF work that the trees, like long time from
his barber, will begin look shaggy and unkempt:
the widespreadlng lawns, beautiful look upon
their soberod autunna garb Will be unrecognlza-
bic beneath the covering OF fallen and rottng leaves
seansed and beautiful park fast degenerate.
IL may be well to hear what Park Com Henry
g. Stebbips, gentleman who has devoted twenty
years OF as fond TO the growth aud development
Of tho Central Park as II 1t wcie his own prop
orty, has TO say upon the present painful sua-
ton Of affairs He SAID 10 the reporter his usual
scnsitiveness OF feeling that ho did wish TO bc
placed the light OF arraignng his colleagues OF tho
commission He was, of course. in minority
unit in the Board, and thcro things which
did with his approval but though might
be mortiiying 10 him his attachment to this
genial labor Of his hie-the perfec,ng OF project
nnocently designed for the pleasure ana OF
the masses OF New York-ovcrcamo whatever OF psi.
vate Inconvenience and discomfort hc experienced in
,hc one great uosrc see that work SO noby de-
signed should not fal.
WHAT COLONEL sTkBDISs SAYS.
Ne said candidly, that tho amount appropriated by
The Board OF Apportionment Tor maintenance has been
expended, and tha, IN order meet Tho difficulty
President Martin applied the Board Tor the transfer
OF certain balances from the Park police and bridges
appropriations over to the exhaus maintenance
fund; but Board. reasons Of own has thus
failed acccdc Ia his request AMI the
rs the laborers heretofore ,mpioyed nave had 10 DO
discharged. "By proper management continued
Colonel Sebbns II believe this deficiency could have
Lcen avoided The other departments OF the city gov
.srnment reduced the rate ot wages To the current
market rate, 81 10 day, while the Park Department
continued 70 pay s. day. and pay IN the same ratio
..f, ~..Il nta.. Shnp
have been reduced correspond with the necessities
OF the times and the general tall Of prices. The ma
ority OF the commission have differed from me on
tins point, and whi,c dispute their wisdom in doing
20 nevertheless think that the preservation of our
great Park should DC paramount considcratlon aud
that the Board OF Estimate and Aplortonlnent
should waive icchncalltcs, so far as II can do SO
posed TO think that II the relief needed
Is not given in timc the condition OF the
Park, in weeks from now, Will be lamcn,-
able. The Board Of Apportionmeut may have reached
the conclusion that there are other and more pressing
demands for their unexpcnded balances OF thcy may
feel that have not been wise or prudent in dis
position OF the resources already placed at our dis
posa; but nevertheless 1t IS inevitable that unless aid
is promptly rendered the Central Park Will suilcr,
"and = said the Colonel, IN conclusion, with some
degree OF feeling in the tone Of his voice, 'nowever
unnecessary objectionable may be the cause OF that
suffering do not believe the city Will contemplate
without emotion decline IN the glory OF It's iavoritc
place OF resort"
WHAT MAYOR wIcKnAM SAYS
Mayor Wickham, who thinks the Park Department
has been unwiseiy managed SAYS that Mr. Martin has
lowered the dignity OF the position he occupies
President OF the Park Commission in attributing to
hm Ohe Mayorl on account o. his refusing TO acceic
10 the desired OF balances the seek
ing to spite Commissioner Dononuc, with whom ho
had some difference of opnion III: Mayor has como
the chief share OF Mr.. Martins ccnsurc IN
nccton with the failure TO appropriate the necessary
funds Tor the maintenance OF The Park
POINTS OF TnR CONTROVERSY
Mr.. Martin says the appropriation Tor the year 1876
by the Board OF Estimate and Apporlioument was
smaller than has been IN previous years and that The
distribution OF the sums appropriated was made in op
position to the wishes OF ms department lie says,
further that they the maintenance and repair
Of the Harlem and Bronx River bridges TO the
police moro than the department asked Tor
and took that OF from the Appropriation
Tor the maintenance OF parks on the other hand,
members OF the Board insist that last they made
liberal appropriation Tor tue repairs OF the bridges In
question and thai none OF the money, with the excep
ton OF few dollars, was spent Tor the work dcsig-
hated, bot diverted to other that the Park
Department has become an asylum Tor worthless poit
sans and that salaries and wages ut
figures when everywhere else they have been reduced
that It solely the fault OF the department they
without money carry the necessary
work oi the parks. II also held in contradiction OF
the charge that tbs Board appropriated OF
the necessities Tor the Harlem bridges that tho appro-
priations fourth less than the estimates
made BY the department. 1t is iurtner avcrred that
the conduct OF the parks has never been so
poor and that the OF neglect
cyervwb,re 10 b., seen cousu,cuousy SO in Wash.
ington square. The members oi the Park Commission
are not charged with anything like dishonesty, but
simply with lack u nbiiity and tact 10 discharge tho
important trust committed to their care Next week
President Martin intends making fu.l statement of
HI. views on this painful controversy and II IS 20 DO
York that an amicabc understanding Will soon DO
reached between the conflicting parties.
A VISIT MhSAGERiE
The HERALD reporter visited the Central Park ycr-
crday TO see tue condition OF the menagcrc. ~ was
reported the mails thcrcin Ind been put half
lions account at the want OF money. The doors OF
NE chief places OF atraction-thc monkey house the
bon tiger micIic and the parrot ali
:osed hundred or OF centennial visitors wan.
lered d>consoatey about the grounds one oi thefn,
who had part OF his nose shot Oh In row down IN
Toxas. said 70 tho reportcr:l gHcss thar be i've
Animiics around yerc. All seed up thar
iponting to the museum In the old Arsenal bGilding
are dead a punkxin au these ycre tooxing IN at
tho half starved monkeys who werc perfectly morose
aud motionicssl ;cst about the same. The Texan
was pretty correct. The sooty Nangabery monkey
was cnrcd up IN n corner Win wrctchcd expression
on his countcnancc. The pigtaed monkey IN the op-
poslto corner threw him looks OF sympathy. The
Chacma baboon was utterly down IN the mouln ~ II
InL Ln.IL -. ,..t. IN hrr- mnnln.