The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-27
WILL VISIT THE SPHINxES.
PARK AND TREE COMMISSION TO
HOLD POST MORTEM TODAY.

HOLD POST MORTEM TODAY
VIII Decide Upon the Feasibility of
restoring the Figures-Mayor My
ers' Indulgence Requested Until
This Can BE Done-The Commits
sion Has Not Accepted of the
Mayors Construction of the Law.
Commissioner Ellis Gives His Rea-
son for Disagreeing with the
Mayor and for the Removal of the
sphinxes.
The Park and Tree Commission will go
out in body this afternoon to the hot
house, adjoining No. 4 engine house on
Barnard street, for the purpose of holding
a post mortem on the sphinxes which were
recently deposed from their posts of honor
in the park If, in the judgment of the
united commission, the sphinxes are capa-
BILE of restoration, this step will doubtless
be taken
The commission met yesterday afternoon
and remained in session in the tax asses
sor's office for two hours during which the
questions of restoring the sphinxes and
the possibility of restoring them, were dis
cussed at length. Incidentally, the May
ors right to order their restoration came
in for considerable discussion. The COM
mission is not prepared 10 deliver an opin-
ion on this feature Of the matter as yet,
however. The result of the two hours
dellberation was that Chairman Daffin
was instructed to address a letter 10 the
Mayor requesting his indulgence ia the
matter while the commission devotes fur
ther time to the investigation Of the ques-
tion.
Chairman Daffin, when seen after the
meeting, said that it was not necessary to
give out anything further concerning its
action. He minated, however that the
Mayors constructing of the law defining
the duties of the Park and Tree Commits
sion had not as yet been accepted by the
commission.
Capt. C. S. Ellis, who is in special
charge of Forsyth Park and the Bull
street squaresF differs with Mayor My
ers in his construction of the act and
defends the action of the commission in
removing the sphinxes. 81 do not think
the act warrants the Interpretation placed
upon it by the Mayor" said Capt. Ellis.
1.-The preamble of the act certainly gives
the commission full control of the parks
and squares and section three of the act
gives this control in terms. Section six,
upon which the Mayor relies, simply re-
quires that before making any altera-
ton or improvement of the parks and
squares other than required in the plant
ing of trees and flowers, that the com
mission shall submit plan of the pro-
posed work to Council with an estimate
of the cost of the same for the approval
of that body. The intention is evidently
hot pnuamfSSinO Chnl1ld
take any new work, involving the expen-
diture Of any amount of money, without
first securing the approval of Council.
1t was certainly not intended that we
should seek the approval of Council for
every minor change and Improvement. If
the commission only has the power to
plant and remove trees and to plant
grass and flowers the work might as well
be turned back to Council. The inten-
ton in establishing the Park and Tree
Commission, it was so stated at the time,
was to relieve Council of the necessity
of looking after this work. If we were
to seek the approval of Council for all
the many items of our work that body
would soon become very tired of hear
ing from us. Under a strict interpreta-
ton of the clause referred to by the May
or the commission would not have the
right to NOW the grass in the parks I'M
til it had secured the approval of Coun-
Gil"
"As to the removal of the sphinxes,"
said Cant Ellis. this was done simply
because they were in a dllapidated con-
dition, and were becoming unsightly. If
the Mayor, or any member of the board
of aldermen, or any fair-minded citizen,
will take the trouble to examine the fig
ures for themselves, they will quickly be
convinced that such is the case. One
of the figures was cracked entirely across
and fell in half whiles being removed.
The other had a large hole in one flank,
with paws broken off, and other evI-
dences of the wear of time. The iron
bases were also in bad condition. / doubt
very much if II is feasible to put them in
such condition, as to replace them at the
park entrance.
Chairman Daffin, who was present dur
ing the interview with Capt Ellis, ex-
pressed approval of the latters views.
THE agitation on the subject of the
sphinxes" said Chairman Daffin, sis in
the same line with the opposition with
which we met when the fence around For
syth Park was removed, and again when
the ratings around the Bull street
squares were taken away. There was "a
hue and cry on each occasion, and all
sorts of evil results were predicted. The
Improvement effected by these changes is
now generally recognized, and the public
wound oppose any movement to restore
the park fence or the ratings. L is the
same way with the sphinxes. Because
they were old institutions an cutlery has
been made against their removal. Now
that they have been removed and people
are beginning to take notice of the euect,
there is a growing sentiment in favor
of the change. If the sphinXes should be
replaced 1t would not be six months be-
fore there would be a demand for their
removal"