New-York tribune., 1881-10-03
THE vtJyTEylyCE or THE PARK.

At their last meeting the Park Commission
crs succeeded in harmonizing long enough to
cut off $2j, 900 from the amount of their pre-
vious estimates for next years maintenance
fund" This will seem like mvopic economy
10 persons who have marked with painful in
tcrcst how swiftly the Park was falling into
decay. But after all $4,000 more or less
is a matter of small moment o far rs the wei
fare of the Park is concerned under the present
system of maintenance, or rather the systematic
refusal to maintain anything but "a corps of
inefficient hangcrs-on most of whom could do
no crcditablc work if they were allowed TO,
while the few who possess the needed intcil-
gcncc are thwartcd by restrictions from above
and cro.s-purposcs and collisions with every
one about and below them. There can be no
doubt that the f27j, 900 yet remaining in this
estimate, if expended under the control Of some
iutch gent and administrative head, with power
10 select his own subordinatcs and hold them
directly responsible, would accomplish more
than ilalf million after it had dribblcd through
the absorptivc channels of Department routine.
The meetings of the Brooklyn Park Board
lack the entertaining features Of the weekly
exhibition in Union Square, and the Commits
siohcrs have some od-fashiOncd notions. Their
superintendent is a competent officer, and he
has been retained in his position for that rca-
SON. If he is deficient in any of the details of
horticultural knowledge, this want is supple
Incnted by the experience and skill of u trained
head gardener, whose suggestions are listened
to because he has the confidence of his chief.
These men are supreme within their sphere
They know what should be done, and having
selected proper assistants they set about doing
it, As consequence transplanting and re
planting and pruning and thinniug-out are
going on among the borders of Prospect Park,
and these operations are performed with
purpose This explains why the belts
of shrubbery there have fresh and
growing look. More could be prOiitably ac-
cOmplshcd with greater appropriations. But
the visitor is impressed with feeling that the
work is developing, or at least that 1t Is not
detcTiorating. On the other hand, the mex
pericnccd Superintendent of Central Park prob
ably knows little of park work, and the Com
missioncrs certainly do not know enough to
find out whether he knows little or much.
There is a head gardener, whose accomplish
ments are quite adequate for his position, but
he is wise after his generation, and he holds
from his superiors the fact that he has any
IDEAS, and giving profuse approval to any
scheme which pIcases them. There are also
good gardeners in charge of the sub-sectOns
of the Park, but they are not allowed to do
what they know ought to be done, and they
have few skilled labOrers to help them do any
thing, There is 40 system of maintenance
worthy of the name Indeed, there seems to
be no o1e in authority capable of devils
ing any comprehensive scheme of or
dering and care; no force capable of
executing such plan even if it were devised,
and no way of securing such force until the
prevailing methods of the Board are revolu-
tionized. Unless some radical change in the
management is made, and made speedily, the
Park in some of its most attractive features is
doomed to ruin, swift and remediless.
AS an example of the manner in which the