The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-17
NO BRONX MUSEUM YET.
BOTANICAL GARDEN s0oIBTT's
ssoO. o DEMAND HELD UP.

w..rd or Rsttrsate WONT rut " thteuhh 70
on,,re the Mayor-ssy That the Experts and
.,,s.. who Have Been Overruied by the
p.,L Hoard, Are Entttica TO Consideration.
TIL, scheme Of the Board OF Managers OF the
po,anieal Garden Society, tho Park Board and
.S.vor strong to ride rough.shod over expert
or,nIon in the matter Of laying out the Botani.
III Gardens in tho southern end Of Bronx
pail was efectually blocked yesterday in the
nosra OF Estimate by Corporation Counsel
eco,t and Comptroller Fitch. The request OF
,hs PARK Board for $500, 900 for the erection OF
the Botanical Museum building and other struo-
ture, necessary for the gardens was not
TAINTED. and Mayor Strong was visibly cha
rrined thereaL
when the Park Board determined to SGT aside
N. necessary land In Bronx Park for tho gar
son. a committee Of experts consisting Of
N.ssrs. Sargent, olmsted, and Hastings was
.ppointed to pass on the plans presented by
N. Board Of Managers Of the society. After
ward Samuel Parsons, the Superintendent OF
parks was added to the committee. and the
work Of examining the plans was begun.
subsequently, and while the plans were still In
Tho hands of the experts, Mayor Strong, act
inc under tho influence of certain members Of
the Botanical Society's Board Of Managers,
u,ote a letter to tho Park Commissioners
nrsins them TO adopt the society 3 plans for the
gardens. Then the committee of experts made
! report condemning the plans as q whole and
advising the Park Board to refuse to approve
them. Instead OF following the recommended
lions Of Its own experts, the Park Commits
,ioners. with the single exception Of Mr.. Stiles,
the only genuine authority on park making in
the board. voted to approve the plans after a
few slight alterations had been made In them.
They also decided, without the aid Of Mr.. stiles,
10 ask the Board OF Estimate to appropriate
$4,000 for the work, and it was this request
which was not granted by tho latter body
yesterday.
The resolution asking for tho money said 1t
was for the construction and equipment of a
suitable ~freproof building containing lecture
rooms and offices. and for various other build
sa' plants a s. lowers, and, the Ike. Arc6iteet R;
", Gibson, who was also appointed In spite of
the protest Of commissioner stiles. was pres,
emit with u beautifully colored drawing OF the
proposed museum building. Prof. y. l. Brit
Ton OF Columbia College. who is an active
Botanical society. was there to urge the board
10 act tavorably on the Park Commissioners
request. After the resolution was read Comp
perhaps, Mt. Mayor. you would, like to
have a public hearing on this matter before we
act There seems to be u difference of opinion
Il prefer NOT TO vote on this resolution now. .
said Corporation o Counsel o0n ;ea Scott, w nIf we re-, vote &c
Understand II. finish the work Of the society,
and the Park Board can come back at any time
this scheme that I wish to look into carefully
The city is not only called on to give up a large
portion Of Bronx Park but also TO pay eth, the
the most experienced man in the Park Board. Is
bitterly opposed to the. present scheme, and ]
What l object to- said Comptroller Fitch,
as the tone and manner OF the members OF the
Botanical Society. One OF Its professors came
intn Dy nfHre ono hay IN see mn Ahnnt these
plans and his manner was so lordly that was
almost led to believe that these people had &C,
Then Mayor strong sprang to the defence q
t 10 to the Board Of Msnaetrs viii lapse a,
the end of the year." he said. something ought
TO be done at once SO that it will not be lost
! Society expects to use in fitting up the build
ings in the garden and providing plants ant
right in rejecting the advice OF the experts
Sargent. Olmsted, and Hastings. l haven
the slightest, doubt that in the laying out o
landscapes they are experts, but not one o
them has ever had any experience in maxine
botanical gardens. They do not know near g
Is do some of the gentlemen connected witt
this society. The latter are all men who hay.
Mosss Of them are men who have been e Eupopt
as many times as l and the Comptroller hav'
hairs, on our heads, One Of them spent tw'
months in Kew Gardens in London: and whil'
there he made a thorough study OF the who'll
subject: therefore he Is In a position to spesi
more intelligently on the subject of making
botanical garden than Is Mr.. Olmsted, or Mr.
Sargent, or Mr.. Hastings. / am inclined to &C
cept the views of these men of large experience
who have studied the matter for four or hv,
years. rather than the ideas Of experts whit
began to study the subject on Jan: last, aIt
Just what ought TO be done"
understanding of the matter" said Mr.
scott, lis that the experts have been consider
ing what was best to be done to preserve TIT
natural beauty of the ground, and that they oh
1ected to some of the buildings as being likel!
70 injure Bronx Park. l do not think tn,
Mayors parallel with Kew Gardens will hold
The land there is perfectly fiat and the build
ings there might not do for Bronx Park.
think, therefore, that the views OF Mr.. Sargen
and his associates, coupled with the enlight
ened opinion Of Mr.. Stiles, are entitled to som,
sonsideration." The Mayor. again urged tn
from Boston. :" he said. They might be in
terested in holding up the plans"
Il move that We secure the services Of tn,
best architect in Plattsburg." said Comptrolle
Fitch sarcastically.
Finally, at the suggestion of President Jerol
oman of the Board Of Aldermen the whole mat
yer was referred to the Corporation Counse
tor q report as to the legality Of appropriatinl
ne money. The Mayor looked unhappy
President Barker of the Tax Department tool
10 part in the discussion, but he voted to refe
mo matter TO the Corporation Counsel.