New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-20
CENTRAL PARK IN DANGER.

CENTRAL PARK IN DANGER.
A few days ago we should have thought the
statement Gbellous that the Committee of the
Worlds Fair On Site and Buildings had de-
termined upon location including part OIL
Central Park Unhappily there is now reason
TO believe that this statement is well founded
The full committee will meet to-day for the
purpose of formally making and announcing
IFS decision. and we fear that this decision Will
be a confirmation OF the rumOrs which nave
been circulating in the city for the last 1ofty-
eight hours. TIE TRIBUNE yesterday, IN us
report Of the committees tour OF obsefVauOh
allowed full expression of the arguments au-
ysnced anonymously in behalf OF lndIVluua
members. IL cannot he said that we dechneo
10 give that side of the case hearing, ana 1or
this reason we feel it a special duty to declare
our determined hostility to any such plan as
that proposed
Il is entirely unnecessary to crlclse the
motives of the gentlemen who have devoted
much time during the last month to examining
possibIe sites for the Exposition. We have no
Doubt that they were actuated by an unselllSh
wish TO reach wise conclusion. This view
Of their character and disposition, however
makes the result of their deliberations all the
more amazing. The people Of this city nave
.,sted easy in the conviction that wherever the
site might be ultimately chosen, Central Park
was safe This conviction was ]uStlhed not
only by the character of the committee but also
by what seemed to be, and universally was
taken to be- direct though informal anndunca
ment that Central Park had been excluded. 1t
Is an extraordinary result of all the wanderings
and deliberations Of the last month that the
committee should now make Its own advance
assurance an absurdity. We still think it pos
sble that the Central Park site was suggested
for the sake Of testing popular opinion, ana
that it will he voted down at to-day'S meeting
If that was the motive influencing the COM
mttee there is little doubt that il Will be voted
down. for vigorous condemnation Of the pro-
posal has been heard on every side.
The proposition 10 include the upper end OF
Central Park in The selected fair grounds IS
most unfortunate for several reasons. 1t IS
unfortunate for the people apart from the fair
project and il is unfortunate for the fair itself
The law of 1881 positively forbidS the use of
any part Of Central Park for any such purpose.
and this law must be repealed before that site
can be said to have been actually fixed upon
1t follows. therefore, that the committee, if it
makes this choice to-day, will practically make
no choice at all. The most important OF the
preliminaries remains unsettled. and must so
remain for months to come How palalyzing
the effect Of this must be upon the whole enter
prise is apparent the moment it is suggested.
How can it be expected that other branches of
the advance work will he vigorously and
promptly prosecuted when a legislative contest
must be undertaken i'll order TO confirm tb?
committees choice of site?
Those who advocate this selection speak Of
this northern section Of the Park as if it were
small and insignificant proportion Of the
whole. The fact is that il is about one-quaitcr
Of the whole, but when we turn from area to
adaptability its unGtncss for the purpose Sug-
gested is made evident by its coniiguTatiOn.
Though spacious beautiful and admirably
adapted for public enjoyment as park, it con-
tains only a small number OF acres in any way
suited to the purposes Of a fair. We observe
also that this spoliation is defended on the
ground that the upper part Of the Park is I'M
developed The truth *, not only that it hae
been most Skilfully. cautiously and inyelligently
developed for the precise purposes for which
il was originally intended bul al>o thdt "re'i
amount Of money has been expended in bring
ing it to the mdeveloped" condition in which
it now most fortunately is, Ii one-Quartcr Of
the park is now seized for foreign purposes
there is small reason 10 nope that it will ever
he restored to The people. The suggestion that
the fair will leave ii crowned with noble Struct-
ures does not help the case. What Is most
earnestly demanded by those who understand
the Park and its rightlul uses is that il should
be vigorously kept free from structures, noble
or ignoble. No one has thought the Park
100 large while the city has been growing
from half a million TO million and hal
inhabitants Why should any one As
sumo that three-QurtelS Of it will he enough
while the city is growing from million and a
half TO five millions?