New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-03
DISORGANIZED DEPARTMENT.

The city haslost the professional services of
Mr.. Vaux because the Park Board is an I'M
formed. chaotic body, Incompetent to organize
itself for the orderly transaction of business.
Nothing can be expected from such an unsys-
tematized body but slovenly, ose-ended.
happy go lucky ways, with endless conflict,
contradiction and collision. As to this skating
house which the Board had not the faculty to
construct without involving itself in a series of
qualifications. it will not answer to urge that it
was cheap and temporary structure, and that
where, how or by whom it was built was therefore
q matter Of no consequence. From an artistic
point of view peryasive design is prime ne
cessty. No point is unimportant. truly
artistic conception is entire, and every detail
should be defensibe from its point Of view. If
temporary structure is in question, ii she uld
have the special form and comelness suited to its
brief use.
From business point Of view, too, this
matter slgnally illustrates how such a de-
moralzed body is loaded with difficulties of ad-
justment. Other boards develop organs whose
functions are mutually helpful. A president
is selected, committees are formed, and sub
committees, if need be, for the preparation of
subjects to be discussed by the body as a whole
A Board meeting is not the place to consider
crudities. Business should come before 1t in an
advanced stage of preparation for final action
But here an architect is called upon 10 bring his
studies for design before the whole Board as
if tie matter were settled and complete. In
this case the Board rejects the design without
c6nsi dering it and orders something else built in
an impossible pOsitiOn-a result which could
never have occurred If there had been the
ordinary preparation in committee. The tangle
is apparently inextricable, for no mem Der has
any authority to act for the Board, and no sub
ordinate can go for counsel to an individual
commissioner without infringing upon the
rights of the Board, and frozen lake is already
inviting skaters. But finally Mr. Vaux dis
covers that an unknown architect is erecting
structure without any direction from him ana
in violation of the Boards distinct order.
AS was his plain duty, he writes to the Board
recting that he had been depOsed and that
sorpe power outside Of the Board had usurped
control Of the Park. To this communl Cation
the Board paid no attention, although its first
duty is to instruct its subordinates, and Mr..
Yaux formally resigns.
Now the people have right to demand of
their public servants that at least the ordinary
forms Of business should be- kept up. This
specific complaint is not that individual Park
Commissioners are incompetent, tut that the
Board is paralyze 10y its collective incapacity.
No man with any self-respect or professional
pride can long endure the indignity of serving
such body. No ordinarily fair results of
maintenance or management can be hoped
for under such an irresponsible COM
mission It should DO the first work of the
Legislature to compel this Board to organize so
that it has n head and members and unity of
purpose and action. Its ineficency is self-con-
fessed so long rs it fails in this, it first and
fundamental duty. In its present state OF dis
order and anarchy the Board is disgrace to
the city and to democratic institutions.