New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-15
RESENT ART SCHOOL PLAN |
BITTER FEELTNG- 4SHOWN. |
Transfer "Ra;roaded Through"
Sau Members of Academy.

Extraordinary bitterness OF feeling has deVel-
oped among a number of members Of the Ma
tional Academy of Design over the way in
which President Buffers plan for the transfer
Of the academy schools to Columbia University
was adopted at the general meeting Of the
academy on Wednesday last.
J. G. Brown, as reported in The Tribune de-
clared that the agreement with Columbia was
'traiIroaded through" and last evening ]. Alden
Weir. brother of Professor John F. Weir d-
rector of the art school at Yale, who was fore
most in the opposition to the scheme, in talk
with a Tribune reporter also maintained that
the agreement was "railroaded through. Mr.
Weir Furthermore says that If preliminary no.
tices to the effect that the plan would be acted
upon at Wednesdays meeting had been sent out
there would probably have been attendance
Of opposing members that would have defeated
the scheme. He said in part:
1nu Every ming !I"4 ~, AZ. Beck r'trs ~, apd p
subject and the minority resents the action
taken. My objection is that it was not dis
cussed before it was brought up before the gen
eral BODY Of the academy for final decision.
So far as l can see the agreement was adopted
so hastily that one had the time TO examine
it. 1t was 'railroaded through.
These projects the surface look entictnS,
hut I never knew Of an instance yet OF an In
stitutton coming under the grasp OF a college
that the college did not gradually apSorp IT, ms
scheme would rebound TO the benefit of the
university rather than to the academy.
We purchased a site for the academy at
1oo,I - aTJ Arsterdam-ave some years ago.
What Columbia offers is site Tor the school'
and assistance in raising the 100000. As we al
raadv have a Dermanent site, and cannot raise
nancy for the academy building, and the Co
lumbia site is simply offered TO US rent free for
twenty five years, do not see how we are I'M
proving matters by accepting the proposition.
Rv acCepting it the academy would lose its
IDENTITY as one of the oldest institutions of the
country and would gain nothing by the aLlance
I
100000.
Harry w. Watrous, secretary of the National
Academy. at the Century Club last evening
made the following statement to Tribune re-
porter in regard to, the controversy.
Mr.. Brown and Mr.. Guy. as reported by The
Tribune assume that at the end of twenty-five
Years 1he agreement is to be broken and the
33cadaroI- sent adrift But there is no intention
of breaking it at the end Of twenty-five years
We expect it will go on forever II II WORKS
smoothly for that time
+Iyentv-fve years the academy is TO receive half
of the value of the school building. 1t Would
not be lust 10 Columbia for the academy 10 get
the whole Of it. Some years go the academy
was able TO raise only $4,000 for its proposed
new home and I doubt If Columbia could Ialse
tba Sru0 O0O alone But I believe it could be
acconpIished by the combined efforts OF the
academy and the university.
Mr. PecLwith speaks in The Tribune OF tle
ra~d work he had in obtaining a copy OF the
aoree,1ent l want to say that this agreement.
presented 10 the INettIISS N<S oL4IS "a -
and In NV hands the day before, and 1t was
necessary for 10 prepare 1t BEFORE couIu
mn n in the hands Of the academy l only had
tPjroe 70 do This on the morning Of the meeting,
~ a conv which embodied all the essential
facts gave TO Mr.. Beckwith at least two weeks
befo-e the meeting, so that he was thoroughly
nrenared TO criticise any parts OF It.
vTIa+ we propose to do is to go ahead II pos
III 18th The plan to form school of fine arts
6aee4 on the broadest lines instead Of the little
aff2ir we are now conducting The agreement IS
aIi<.il al - bards OF counsel who may make some
i+eratinns before it is signed. This Wll he one
Of the greatest steps forward that Ihe art IN
tarssts Of this country have ever taken.
M Reckwith speaks Of Columbia breaking
M .I' - cadeuvs house and taking its child
namely. its schools. may say t4al ooluiii0 0i'
H+oia hat child to make a man Of hln-