The evening world., 1894-03-31
DAhk'S SUCCESSOR UNNAMED.
Mayor Gilroy Won't Discuss the
Commissioners Resignation.
Mr.. Straus Defends tho 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 m on Mr.. Dana's
resignation" he added, land I have
nothing to say as to whether the Com
missioners 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 Of the violation OF the law by the
Commissioners. despite his protest. He
concluded his communication as follows:
The persistence o fthe Park Board in
designing the driveway on their own re-
sponsibility without the usual profes-'
sional advice is bound to subject the
city to dlscredit 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 hat the bids
for completing the second section Of
the driveway were based upon the plan
directly violating the law Of the State.
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 roadway-the river sid~e-although
at that qoint the law might have been
compiled with ind the roadway proper
still remain ten feet wider under the
law as originally approved and passed.
My private affairs make II impossible
for me. in addition to the ordinary la
bors of a Park Commissioner, to per-
form the duties devolving upon a menA
the established laws, of park manage.
ment. and even the laws Of the State;
and as the most emphatic protest now
awaiting, against 'such practices / re-
specially resign my office.
Park COMMISSIONS Strauss said to
an Evening World reporter this morn
ding; ow that Mr. Dana 10 m x-com.
missioner l would prefer not to discuss.
his actions while a member Of the ParS
Board. However, as he has seen mt TO
the law. l must deny the accusation.
He is wrong. We have not violated the
law; no..,r. u y. or,v
ton. and selected our acceptance OF bids
for the Speedway construction. because
there was none other available. As
Park Commissioners we are allowed 10
use at least some common sense as to
what Is most for the beneft of the pub
lie. 1t Is true that the law provides for
a ~l00-foot width of driveway, and the
plans are made 30. But when the drive
way passes under a bridge, where only
sixty feet of space Is to be had from Pill
lar to pillar, what can we dc ? Remove
the bridge 2 Or, what is plainly the oniy
alternative, reduce for the width of the
bridge. the width of the driveway
THAI is what the Commissioners DE-
cided to do, and in order to allow
some fair space for the vehicles under
the bridge. the sidewalks. like the drive.
way. had to be narrowed. From ten feet
the sidewalks under the bridge pave
been narrowed to FIVE feet each, th<1
leaving atty feet for the carriaSesH
Elsewhere the carriages have eighty
feet OF road width to drive under.
II believe, In thus expressing myselI,
that / voice the sentiments OF the other
members OF the Board. Messrs. Tappen
President a. b. Happen. Of the PsIs
Board. did not come down to his omos
to-day from his Fordham residenos
Commissioner Clausen was not dows
town to-day, either.