New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-01
DIRECTORSHTP SHRINKS.
Mrs. P@sons,s Prospective Salary
Drops from So 800 to 1000.

II Mrs Henry Parsons accepts what is left OF inc
rewly created municipal Office OF director %
chlldren's school farms and Fairgrounds a. $50
a year when Controller Metz and the Board Oh
Estimate and Apportionment are through VIZ -
shs viii md herself director OF children al -
gardens only and al salary OF $1,000 per aii-i'.-
The position. which seemed TO promise 50 much
for the evolution OF system by wnlch TIE iAii
gardens and the Fairgrounds could De run u no
rnonv with one another and with The park system
as whole Is in jeopardy. and the whole root or
the trouble is SAID be Cue 10 the fact that Mrs
Parsons is a woman
Tomorrow or whenever the subject comes up
before The Board OF Estimate and 'Apportionment
Controller Metz viii recommend that the sac
,,e On, ro s. on The Board Of Aldermen mas az
ready recommended that all reference 10 Ll"!
grounds be eliminated from the posluoh- me
Tie Office which was created with the uhae's''i
ing that should be offered to MIS- aisois'
been so shorn OF us importance and authority mat
49, ie .ro,,rd for doubt whether Mrs Parsons
will accept II AT all
The original pIan." said Charles s Harvey
auditor in charge OF the division of Investigations
20 which Controller Metz reported the matter TOT
research was for Mrs Parsons 10 be placed IN
charge Of the childrer's farm gardens al salary
Of g. 500 Samuel J. Parsons, Acting commissioner
OF Parks at the time, then suggested that as lhaI
salary seemed excessive for the work she W"ui'
have to do the care Of the public Fairgrounds u
Manhattan and Richmond be added. II was be-
cause Mr.. Parsons himself thought the salary eA-
cessive for the amount OF work that the play
grounds were included ~ all
The difficulty, IS Mr.. Metz explained. is twofolc
First, there is objection a woman holding he
dual office OF director OF farm gardens and director
OF Fairgrounds. Second. there is the objection to
the salary Of s. 80 excessive. .
q It's question of taste as much as an! @
else" explained Mr.. Metz. The idea of a woman
supervising the buildings end grounds where young
fellows exercise and battle is repugnant to the sens
% fitness. Mrs. Parsons has done excellent WORK.
but the idea OF placing the public Fairgrounds UNI
der her SUPERVISION was not included in the original
scheme. Mrs Parsons herself did not include II IN
her idea originally
The fact is Reclaimed the Controller vehement
tackled onto city, especially with regard TO chill
oren. that the people are getting tired of H. why.
that little patch of ground that Mrs. Parsons has
been cultivating for farm gardens cost the city
s. 600 last year, The public money goes by cribs
and drsbs-S29n for fhis. $40 for that, $1,000 for
the other-till no one seems 10 know where we
Nh Metz also said that when the playground
people heard of the new dictatorship they denurreu
ent Office of superintendent or plaN2rounds II u
maintained. however. by those who favor the
notion Of one head for the two institutions that
there Is no such person a superintendent OF
public Fairgrounds in Manhattan. There Is SAID
10 be young VINO IS known as an attendant
ARD Is i'm nominal charge of them but he exercises
no authority and his increase I'm has not raised
his salary that Of ordinary foreman
Samuel J. Parsons, when seen in reference 10 the
tangle, did not seem 10 be surprised
4 id recommend. ne sald. mat MIs- tdT-
sons he given a salary Of $500 year for per
forming the combined duties Of director of farm
gardens ard Fairgrounds IN the Borough or Man
haitian I was supported in this view by number
leading influential authorities on the subject OF
education ! DO think that in the present stage OF
The DEVELOPMENT OF the institutions she could
perform those duties satisfactorily 10 the city
although think there is great deal OF work CON
uected with the farm garden ldea. both as - con
crete details ana also IN ne anNoctc{ ana WI
ing out OF the general idea for the public