The New York herald., 1878-01-15
PUBLIC PARK ECONOMY.

NECESSITY For SKILLED ARCHITECT TO
PREVENT THE BOARD MAKING MISTAKES.
To THE EDITOR HEKALD:-
The Central Park Commissioners seek to allay tho
widespread alarm about The uure the Park. caused
by their proposal TO abolish The olise OF Design ana
supern.endencc and dismiss Nr olmst.d, by saying
that it is only his official and permanent connection
with the Park which they mean to terminate, anu
that they will still consult him when they deem It
necessary. should be sorry TO discuss this
matter In Mr.. Olmstods personal interest simply
and you would hardly be willing TO let me take
up your space for that purpose. may
therefore be a the iranker Ia expressing the doubts
which. am sure. the public feel 10 whether the
Commissioners would DC competent even 10 decide
when Mr. y msied's advice was needed. Ii IL wclo
true that they know enough about the work OF main
tanning and completing the Park TO know when TO
call In Mr. Onisted's assistance 1t would show that
they were alreadv passabiy familiar with the cond,-
tons ana necessities o landscape gardening. This Is
the worry thing, however, that people deny There Is
reason to believe that any OF the three Com
miss,oners comprising the majority OF the
Board know anything whatever about tho man-
agement of parks and gardens. They have had
no experience OF anythin OF tho kind Their business
has not brought them into any sort OF connection With
It, They have not gwen 1t any study. During their
tenure Of Office thcy have not nvailed themselves OF
the opportunity thus offered TO mako themselves
quap ted with Mr. Olmsied's design or wih'thc ma
oil his services On the contrary they have rather
avoided Intercourse with hun Oh that subject In
their interviews with your reporter Two OF thom have
gwen very positive opinions that there was no mvrc
work tor him TO DO. Ono OF item, Mr.. Conover,
has gone further and ntmatcd that the money spent
on 'the ieilows Of the office oil Design and
Superintendence ought TO bo used enabling more
poor laborers ITO get their living out OF the Park
For ali these reasons, whicn VIII commend them-
rot Wiling TO trust these gentemon "vcn 10 decide
when they heed advice. II tears they would never
suppose they needed advice a. ali that they w0uld 90
DONG little things or permitting them 10 be done
III obedience TO inhnenccs III no way artistic which
would graduaiiy though perhaps iinperceptby, alter
the character ot the PARK mar ITS beauty und leave
IL condition, by The tmo the taxpayers
became aware OF the process oi degradatiVn IRON
which recovery would be tedious or mpossibic Those
who know anything oil the history oi The Park Know
tnat tnese Influences have been constantly ut work Tor
twenty years. aud have constituted the great difficulty
oi the undertaking. Various pcrsons classes organ
izatons are continually stryng " expou tho PARK,
may usc the eXpressontGaL Is, 10 have II changed
mouiled or interest oi their own,
to cumDer IL with buildings OF monuments to crafty
their pride convenience. steady obstacle to
all these schemes mas hitherto been iound
IN the presence aud authority vi the designer.
No such obstacle would exist II It wero thrown on
troy into tho hands oi gentlemen without tho
clear knowledge or convictions as TO what great
public PARK ought TO be- and without any clear per.
coplion what this particular park was intended
to be, aLd used to seeing uli other public works
maze subscrvient 10 Tho needs OF party politics. ln
saying all this mean nothing offensive 10 the Com
m,ssioners. simply assert that they arc not quail
fed Ior tho position which they propose (no doubt
consc'entioosy) 10 place themselves, aud what
is true OF them Is true OF myself, and ior
similar reasops l am sure l know as mnch
ABOUT landscapc gardening as they DO, but
would never think OF undertaking 10 manage the ocn-
tInI Park OF to share IN is management without con-
and proic assistanCc not OCCASIONAL but
constant Mr. Olnsted's work needs visits TO the Park
several times week aud almost daily ructons 10
gardeners ana loroIien; and thus city cannot keep
public pleasure ground oil that character without an
officer OF this KIND Tho cost oi him Is essential
cost; IT cannot be pensed with, and any body VINO
thinks the money can be better spent on aborers Is
inter to be Commissioner OF Charities and Correction
than OF Parks, II ht tor either place
/ beg to rcmtnd you also that the existence OF pro
cssionaI superin nicndcncc has been assumed In tho
whole history and organization OF the lesion. Tho
people have been content 10 sec respectable business
mon, ike the present members, appointed On u Ivr
political und other CONSIDERATIONS OF similar charac
acquaintance with or oxperience OF parks ana gar
dens, because II was well known that the Park
was actually managed by competent professional
upcrIItendcDt, ana that the Comm nssloncrs were
simply look after The general stration, as the
ciytnn Secretary OF War looks alter tho army IL
had been supposed that Messrs Ionover, Wenmau
nnd Welmora were 10 ,run the Park the and
only geL professional advice whom they thought
propog, their appointment would certaiuly have
dcrgonc worry ful pubic scrutiDy, aud they would DC
now generally known 10 tho taxpayers Than
they AS matters stand-that Is, II II DO really
intended on grounds OF economy 10 dispense with
profess onal superintendence--the present Board
ought resign, and the Mayor ought to make fresh
appointments keeping In view the cpange IN The
duties OF the Ollco.
In conclusion let me say that no carnestncss or
vcheence IN opposition 80 tho proposed change
be great In view OF tho act that, II II works
mIschel, the schiel VIII DO rrcparaDc aud will De
wrought gradually aud iinperccptb.y, and that tho
change ltscli Is utterly opposed to the policy whicn
lie works OF tbs State, and tho vaue oil winch in
making responsibility reality instead Of sham ~
now universally recognized. am s'r, your obedicnt
servant, PCBLlC SENTlMENE l.