New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-06
THE PARK BOARD AND THE SfhHD"N


THE PARK BOARD AND THE SPEED" A.
Tho resolution OF the Park Board last "euleS.
dav inviting applications for the posi''on u
lau,lscape gardener for the Speedway was sim
ply a fresh and aggravatlng example OF 'nc ~.
ycrscncss which has characterized us ch''i'
course in this matter. At the Outsct Tie No
missioners projected ii road to sht 'h'ii Wv"
narrow notions and ever since the p'opic INV
been demonstrating and insisting tha' "h'i'
TWO miles of the city waterfront are 10 pe pre-
pared for public Use some one shall DO Sc''''"
f. ,lon and supervise the work whose rcpu''-
,,on is security that it will be credltaby done
\ot one of the Commissioners has any traihihS
I'm This direction and they were not appoih'e"
for any such PURPOSE They have no more riGh'
,o nIon q new park or tinker with the design
If ono already made than the trustees OF Il nos
initial would have tc amputatc the leg OF pa
font or treat him for appendicitis. me Iuhc-
,iop of a board of hospital directors Is 10 lur-
,,sh , staff with enough medical and surScai
skill 70 guarantee the proper treatment of the
,, and wounded who are cOnfided to their
amp. In like manner il is the duty OF farK
pn,rd IN onnoint experts Of approved ability
in designing parks and then TO be guded d!
that = man with reputation at stake shall De
mi in charge Of its property: ana the I"'h
Koord ought to be glad to place the RESPONSE
blity for all technical details under us hu'''in
istra,ion upon men who have been trained and
tried.
Tbis last move Of the Board is ostcnsibly
made in Difference 10 a universal deiiianu i''
fine advice of a competent landscape arch''c''
but really It is fresh defiance or puolic oPno"'
No man of any professional STANDING VIII "p
near before the Park Board to present 'cS'i'
monials and submit to be caicchised 'hat III
may show how much he knows about ouiiuihS
spccdwavs 4 man picked out from 'h's' "p
nlicants will not be an artist or creative 'aieh''
confident in his plans and ready 10 S'ahe
rcputation On their value, but simply hirei
man 10 take his orders and carry out the dir'c
tions Of his employer. He will be- one more man
with a lob to be- paid for and all the whiie the
BOARD has n consulting landscape architect "1
It's own whose advice can be had 1or inc ash
inc There is no complaint that Mr.. Naux Is IN
comno,ont The Board trusts him in other mat
TORS and very properly. too. for his name Is
associated with some of the best park work IN
tho world The designs FOR the new park at
corlc,rs Hook were prepared 10y him. and they
have lust been adopted by the Board Without
question. In regard to the Speedway however,
the commissioners want no advice lhey hNc
set ont to make It in their own way, ana 'he!
propose 10 brass il out 10 the end
The appointmcnt of some journcyman garden
or who knows how To trim bushes ana plant
gcranums will deceive no one, VIII sa'lslF
no one The banks Of the Harlem are III
foundation for Il magnificent driveway. ana the
man who makes the most Of these naturai al
yautarcs aud adapts them Skilfully 10 the varied
wants Of the thronging population OF III" chi'i
city II the continent must nave CONSTRUCTIVE
ability ~ the highest quality An artlSt OF liiiS
rank is what the people demand ana what they
will have in the end