New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-11
REPEAL THE SPEEDWAY LAW.
a STRONG LETTER FROM PAUL DANA.
THE PARK COMMISSIONER WRITES TO THE

missioner raul Dana 10 the Assembly committee on
Cities, in connection with the repeal Of the speedway
To the Hon. George p. Webster. Chairman and Members
Of the Assembly Committee Cities
Gentlemen On Wednesday last. with the desire that the
sentiment in tie Beard Of Park Commissioners upon the
speedway law might be any under stood in spite Of
sstent and deliberate attempt. misrepresentation
asked for hearing before your committee. Almost immc
diay aftrwaid learned that preparation had been made
TO report the repeal bill upon the next day, and since
through the courtesy Of committee. l have been
unwilling Of delaying the report beg leave to with
draw my request for a hearing
write. however. again the repeal Of the
In order that there may be possibility for misunde
sbanding the nature Of my request let that the
speedway first the subject Of consideration by the
after IL had been decreed by The resolution
asking the Board Of Estimate and Apporonmen for funds
TO map the projected road passed under the under
standing the mandatory but my vote
comanicd with the statement made with fun and clear
explanation OF my reasons. that road could BE-
built that unaersbly opposed IL and should have
10 remain and that public sentiment and public interest
would demand oia the law be repealed since the
OF that resolution which, II IL had been carried
effect would have produced the most convincing dcmonsta
ton possible the obstacles to the contemplated road the
majority Of the Park Board have aborcd always for repeal
nor after stating objections haze encountered here
any political opposition. ON the contrary thle has been
the most hearty direct. and enrg' tc cooperation In that
respect My objections will By in wise dscIcditcd
when say that myself an old ght harness driver In
the city Of NewYoTk aud familiar with the needs and
interested in the and breeding Of trottng horses
Many Of the gentlemen prominent in the movement for IN"
speedway among my oldest . ends. TO MI Bonner
am indebted for what is most valuable in knowledge
q horse Yet study OF subject In all its bearings
extending over period Of fifteen yas Lead TO oppose
the Introduction any such road in the Central PARK o.
was intended ly the Speedway act.
|; mas beer somewhat difficult to ascertain precisely
what was desired in the Of new road. Although
the prevailing opinion seemed to lc that It should be soft
N the horses feet semi.infOFns meeting before
BOARD OF Park one Of leading adyocat
remarked. aud disagreed with him that might
their satisfaction be- table hut 10 should
b. tn prsred feet in width and separate
the existing road the West Side fault found with
the present road Wa ts insufficient vdth
gcstion Of wd ming H. the Bride Pth la. brn wdncd
most pronaby during Mayor Gnnt's administration, wi,
pronounced al,oc 'ther cpl1c Saddle
declared nuisance yet The proposition to consider their
exclusion was rejected promptly. Bicycles ctsI
an Objectionable feature II carriagcway- such sustain
IA" demand ior seIari" rad vt a. bicycles have bv
law tho right In,- any Other vhlcles
they cannot lee seriously involved 100 DISCUSSION. An
offer Wa made by one speaker oSorng the -pedNsy
cse the new road should b. built att.rrp get
law a. % bicycles chanc,d and shut them out from L.
buj that n~d not b. considered. The degree Of speed
expected has varied from IN. lc,cd gait which alone
would admit q genuine brush between two horses such
has been allowable always Harlem Lane or Jerome
ave. down 10 the limited speed that prevail. reg
road wa to b. exclusively oryrhhnrnc-s horses and
to other. IL BE- open to a carriage, A.,er taxing
away all points Of uncertainty possible the pfoect ap
yeartd before The Park Commissioners IN two aspect.
one Tor road 10 Wo,de additional driving .race and the
other Tor road deyord n the special use 81
uoitng horses. Permit consider hoth o. these pio,o
sitions.
In the fret place. said tina, n the need Of
larger road accommodation were pi~~eftsi c,pert
trained 10 the hn-inoss 81 planning park. plsiciing
road ALREADY there by road would b. the asst
metIod iosoft'd o. tolerated under any c'rc IN
stances Whatsoever. Inc all great Of the
Park space Intervening between uc Wet Drive and t.
Ilphthayc. wall and IL exceptionally rocky picture. que
and ireruilr netur. make the or9ion Of uilrd road
there impossible within reason aiming Simply To pro,d.
mon pa fof driving. Hr-de- being cccrntric and
violent Intrusion upon the Park. boa1 hcur aud upon
The Sentn mint upon which u, plan Is bad. would De-
Incompatible with any known pa uoc u dealing with
park.
The other idea and my Judgment the only one fairy
dciucibc from the law ana from the h..t,fy
Of IT, promotion j. to genuine -e"dNay. differing
essentially from al other plfs ro,,l- In Icing pra~
ucay straight aud unnnucnccd by any rural
Ihi, would begin ia the Central Park revolution - the
mot 'eT!ou' and damaging sort aud beg gentlemen
advocating 70 reflect upon the Inevitable COM. qucncc,
Hcfor proceeding further desire u di,scat from the
feeling that the rot'ors have essentially Inferior
privilege, % tho-" pose I'D by saddle horses, or that
th, new fo,d Tor uot'"t> De- o.kcd Tor matter
u justice n order that the tror"r. nay De- put on a
par With saddle horses. Hor-". IN the Park ,rpl
rated by the broId distinction harness and saddle,
road being provided specially adapted To wheel, and
another 10 the Of cquc,fan-. IN. occa-onay
50 upon Tie carr"grway, Is tue but that custom
within the regulation Of the Park commissioners The
bdlepaths and the drives have boon established subject
70 the restrictions Of The landscape artist and Of the
spirit Of The rules governing speed
u 1, also urged uat there already Ia PARK
special fscc, FOR pcfsos desiring play basebah and
lawn tnn77 and football. In manner that u. speed
srch fscte- 1hcie inodcnta ,uJoyncnt Of the PARK
lawns IN various wavs but they devo, plimar,
cf supreme purpose Of being rural to the eye
When The green Is injured play has stop. hut once
construct this speedway for and special prfpo,.
wholly beyond The original conception OF the PARK and ln
violation Of L. IeNad hg sentiment and would i'm
possible b predict The cf for additional change, would
the Of Ju-Licr The riders would indeed
right 10 ask Tor street.-The, where they NIGH,
paloD free from their present restraints after making
speedway could there BE- valid gln,nt refusing
" another straight wlc road through Ia. Park.
Interruption Of any Kind By OF add tions bridge,
tunnels The attitude OF ball players would b, radically
altered They too, would not unreasonable az fOf grounds
mat should theirs before serving general public
And. with the admission Of the speedway. ucIe wold be
left principle upon which demand for special
privileges could rcoluty be opposed 1Ne Central Park
would be open 70 lnNa,ions totally In conflict with 10
ndcd Use, every day mprc,sVry JUSTIFIED, and the
Immense crowd that now hnhuily moves through II Ia
delight order aud quiet would BE- checked aud han"cd
by that would forever destroy Ito simple
broad and ali welcoming character.
There argument used In favor OF the speedway
which strike, fatally at tn essential principle " rarks 1t
support Of the new road uat II would be la d
la unused" portion. There Is ~ unsued PORTION
Of Central Paik-thcre be Take, for example,
one Of it, green fields. That Il fulfilling III very highest
use when no troads upon IT, IL II " form an
clement the landscape. 10 create the effect Of rural
charm An words. 10 look at before 1t Tor any other
purpose park pleasure ground into which WALKS arr
put In order people and ENJOY without hr
ing its scenery and cultivation IL, unrodd greens ana
ineutcrcd groves the foundation Of IT, beauty The
pcnetrablc the thchets surrounding IT, Tic more com
,l,o T. it, sccIusion from the city, and the perfect
Is H. As a park one might well say that the space
o,cuuied by flower bed unused because untouched or
int the pars Of the Of the Gods were they In tn
~, a,d lao unused because men could climb to