New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-03
MR.. DANAS PARTING SHOT.
HE WRITES TO THE PARK BOARD BE
FORE SAILING FOR EUROPE.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS CALL IT ~ "if1~TIMEp
AND FUTILE PROTEST. oIMsrEDS
LETTER TO MT. DANA.

AND FUTILE PRoTEST"-MR Oi.MSTEpS
LETTER TO MI. DANA.
Before starting for Europe on Thursday PARK
Commissioner Paul Dana sent the fo!!oWlhB 'e''V''
intended for his colleagues Of the PARK boir1' -
Charles De 7. Burns. the secretary;
Mr. Charles De F. Burns, Secretary Pafk hcai'' -,
Dear Sir: My enforced departure Tor kun ~ a.,
day prevents from attending me W'Tt.is O -
Park Board. The status of the bids submit'ef M a
TIE Harlem River Driveway is in the manu- iuS ~, ". ,he
cjty's legal adviser An act recently passed pp '.'V
LEGISLATURE requires that the driveway W 80
structed upon different lines than ,no,T CON-
s!derat!on. and ! desire again 70 proteSI WI" a.
possible earneS'ness against wo d. 81 ar 'f from
the professional influence which the CITY ""S '"
v?raby employed in r sHG9 f ake for the Harlem
River Driveway is generally understood. me pro-
tests against s treatment without the have
been widespread and emphatic reward the en-
OF December l receivel this communication from
II wish the engineer to get ready the specification
10. me GG 3 az and Washngton Brides This
section IS quite difficult about half mile I'hs, am
covers public parks Please BE- prepared 10 DISCUSS
The rst section covers pubic parks vel ia as iSe
passed by the board peiioning the Legislature not
to reject The bill then pending for Two ste" a
Board Of the duties of the construction OF ~" drive
way all on the plea Of excess OF WORK 'Aere &C
''The Harlem River Driveway presents enormous
difficulties In the laying ana construction there
make it mos. desirable that The work should be in
trusted to some other department or 10 speeia
have received also this letter from n, Mr. Mr. 0 0,T
sted whose right TO speak IN een En 0l s PARK
'Brooh!!ne, Mass. Jan. 81. 1884,.
.Tnless the people Of New-York consent to the
loss of rarely valuable typographical opportunity
let the problem Of the projected public promenade
the Harlem River be treated Simply as one OF
'.If the landscape architect Of your Park Depart
men Mr.. Vaux Is rightly treated no man can ,, o.
problem as IS RTs9e n hs G2se S
desire TO submit respectfully 20 the board that
the exclusion OF the landscape architect from the
preparation Of the plan FOR the Harlem Sas Drvs s
ij0cation in the traditions Of New-NOrk or OK
prnce elsewhere ard beg OF the board mat 'hs
pleasure grounds he respected and re-estabIishel
In the case of the Harlem River priysTTay Yours
' Commissioner Public Parks.
The remaining Commissioners. A. b. Happen
Nathan Straus and George c. Clausen. issued an
address 70 the public yesterday In reply 10 Com
missioner Dana They say that the speedway
has passed beyond the reach of further obstruction
II is difficult to understand the motives which
prompted Mr. Dana TO so ill-timed and futile
protest When thousands Of tailoring men and their
families are brought the verge Of starvation for
lack of employment they think Il would be in har-
neglect no proper opportunity TO minister to 20
pressing a want.
~he Commissioners say that they have borne with
great patience Ar Danas persistent assumption
that he was better qualified to judge OF the merits
OF the speedway question than his three colleagues
combined having tolerated his deliberate Austen
ton from meetings 10 prevent quorum for the pur'
pose OF defeating action 10 which he was opposed
ard furnishing basis for litigation by which he
hoped, other methods failing, 10 accomplish his
ends The Commlssi )ners defend at length their
attitude in the controversy, AMI quote lbelaMy
from sections of the original act authorizing the
driveway to show that Frederick Law Olmstec. OF
Rrooklne Mass. ought to famliarzc himself with
the law Of the State Of New-YorlS before attempt
Ing to expound it, They cite their action in the
beard to prove that they alive TO the pro-
priety of preserving the picturesque effects Of the
driveway, according 10 such plans may be pre-
pared therefor by the landscape architect. The
reply says in part:
As to the sidewalk question. whose Importance
has been very much magnihed anC Us merits
gro .sly distorted. il may BE- sufficient u recall the
f. that t. secluded site chosen for the driveway
se'a-'sd mainly because IL possessed an
advantage obtanabie nowhere else-t was crossed
at point by any public street The majority or
the Park Commission did not feel warranted In
neutraliznS this controlling advantage by making
the road subject TO crossing at every port OF lts
entire They therefore ordered plans to De
made with reference To- the immediate construction
of interior sidewalk for foot passengers leaving
the question of exterior construction TO be settled
the conditions OF the problem were pat to practical