The evening world., 1894-03-31
.DAAEs SUCCESSOR UNNAMED.
Mayor Gilroy Won't Discuss the
Commissioners Resignation.
Mr.. Straus Defends the Action of
the Board Yesterday.

Mayor Gilroy said this morning that he
had not yet decided upon a successor to
Paul Dana, whose resignation as a Park
Commissioner he received and accepted
late yesterday afternoon.
IL do not see any necessity for my
making any on Mr.. Dana's
resignation" he added, land / have
nothing to say as to whether the Com
m%issioners did or did not violate the
law yesterday in accepting a bid for
the speedway construction"
In his letter TO Mayor Gilroy ex-Com-
missioner Dana states that his r~esigna-
ton is the effect Of violation of the law by
the Commissioners, despite his protest. He
concluded his communication as follows:
The persistence of the Park Board In
designing the driveway on their own re-
sponsibility without the usual profess
sional advice is bound to subject the
city to discredit and damage both, and
likewise to deprive the public on foot Of
the full benefits to which they are en-
titled. But at the meeting of the Board
this morning 1t appeared that the bids
for completing the second section of
the driveway were. based upon the plan
directly violating the law OF the Stale:
The law provides that the sidewalks
on either side for the accommodation
Of pedestrians should nowhere be less
than ten feet. BY the plan OF work
completed for the bidders this morning
the sidewalk is completely abandoned
at one point on the more important side
of the r~oadway-the river side-although
at that po.nt the law might have been
complied with and the roadway proper
still remain ten feet wide, under the
aw as originally approved and passed.
My private affairs make 1t impossible
bors OF a Park Commissioner, to per
form the duties devolving Upon a mem
Der of a Board thus ready to violate
the established laws of park manage
and as the most emphatic protest now
available against such practices l re-
specially resign my office"
Park Commiss.oner Stratus said to
Now that Mr.. Dana is an ex-Com.
missioner l would prefer not to discuss
his actions while a member Of the PARK
Board. However, as he has seen fit tc
accuse the Commissioners of violating
the law, l must deny the accusation
He is wrong. We have not violated thu
Very possibly Mr.. Dana vas only
looking for a peg on which to
hang his resignation and selected
speedway construction, because there
was none other available. As
Park Commissioners we are allowed to
use at least some common sense as to
what Is most for the benefit of the pub
lie. 1t is true that the law provides for
a. 1OO-foot width of driveway, and the
plans are made so. But when the drive
way passes under n bridge, where only
sixty feet of space is to be had from pill
lar to pillar. what can we do ? Remove
the bridge ? Or, what Is plainly the only
alternative. reduce. for the width of the
bridge. the width of the driveway?
THAT Is what the Commissioners de
cided to do, and in order to allow
some fair space for the vehicles undel
the bridge. the sidewalks. like the drive
way. had to be narrowed. From ten fee
the sidewalks under the bridge hav,
been narrowed to five feet each, thu!
leaving nifty feet for the carriages
feet of road width to drive under.
II believe, in thu expressing, myself
that / voice the sentiments of the Other
members Of the Board, Messrs. Taper
President A. B. Happen. of the Parl
Board. did not come down to his Office
to-day from his Fordham residence
Commissioner Clausen was not down
town to-day. either.