New-York tribune., 1909-04-07
PARK PLAN PROTESTS
LETTERS TO COMMITTEE,
One HrTter, an artist. Criticiscs Sec
rCtary Storer's Circular.

charles r. stover. secretary of the citizens COM
nirtee. organized to oppose the plan of permitting
ne National Academy of Design to erect 4 gallery
on the site of the Arsenal. in Central PARK re-
ce5ved yesterday many letters Of protest against
the contemplated invasion of the park
Robert Olyphant. OF No. l. Broadway. wrote:
As fellow of the National Academy Of Design 7
-r!rk 81 IS much beneath their dignity for the sa
= getting this particular site. 10 have city de-
rartlnents under the same roof with them espe-
emy q Design. is Morningside Heights,
Rabbi Joseph silverman, Of Temple Emanu- Ell.
said q letter.
This great park is the redeeming feature of Man
j1e city's congested population. Il is our haven
gerop6s Instead g ncreasing @ @ the lf mnber G our or
buildings in the park would favor removing the
sous
Mrs Herbert l. satterlee. daughter OF ] Pier
pont Morgan, wrote:
fee1 very strongly the need Of protecting the few
open SPACES we have in this city. and preventing
the e1srnaenIIe!t OF organizations whose selfish
interest blinds them 10 the real necessity the
people
An artist and member of the academy whose
name vas not given out, wrote 10 Mr.. Stover, say
ing:
II he he c5gcai9r b which you sent to me YOU state
rue IN Central Park IS a beaUtffYI highly de-
veoped park space. Now 7 took tho trouble 10
e TIE statement Of 7 emeq .p Of fe scss[9s SsTee
ina = : slTnost en{lTeIy ,1Spha with steep
seemed both ugly and worthless as park space
one your letter has not much value. here IS no
doub- Wlat or eN-PresIeuJ woulI nave called
Among others who wrote yesterday TO Mr. stoyer.
protesting against the park invasion. were Pro
<sssor r R A Seligman. Of Columbia University:
James Byrne. Leon Sanders. Cornelia Z. Marshall
president ot the Girls Friendly Society. represent
irg twenty-five hundred working girls and children
who are opposed 10 the plan: EIbridge C. Snow,
president Of the Home Insurance Company: Robert
Van Idersrine OF the Citizens Union; Sadie Ameri-
can president or the Council Of Jewish Women:
Ernest - Bliss. president Of the Red =. Line
steamships: Robert ". Bruere. general agent Of
the New York Association for Improving the Con-
diton Of the Poor, William " Ellsworth and Robert
Underwood Johnson. of the Century Company; Mrs
Stanton Blatch. president of the League OF Self
Supporting Women: James Bronson Reynolds, John
u. Clark. secretary Of The National Indian Asso-
tiarlon: Robert r. Simon. director Of the Educa-
rional Alliance. Mrs. Louisa Lee Schuyler, Of the
State Charities Aid Association; Miss Serena Town
send secretary Of the Woman's Municipal League,
and Mrs Thomas r French.
Nj Slower said yesterday that the executive COM
ulrtee Mould be increased 10 twenty-five members.
TIE committee IS willing to receive representatives
from the academy, hut Er- Stover and Mr.. Philhin
agreed with Seth Low. president Of the Citizens
Committee, that no good could come from such a
meeting. the committee opposed 10 any in
nssian Of Central Park.
Harold A Caparn. the Landscape architect. and
treasurer u ne American Society OF Landscape
Architects said Yesterday that, Mr- Philbin had
remarked. every now and then some kind Of obses-
sion seemed 10 seize some Of New Yorks citizens
with regard 70 its parks, and particularly Central
Park
This state OF mind" said Mr.. Caparn. seems
REGULAR 10 New York, for although all other large
cities have more or less expensive parks. one does
rot hear II attempted raids on them. The people
seem 70 recognize the fact that they are as much
pz-t of city structures the streets and accept
them zlady IN spite Of the obvious fact that they
o,Fd rring vast sums Of money sold for building
lots When our civilization Is a little Older, We
too. shall no doubt settle down into full agreement
with the principle Of preserving every inch Of open
space
one Of the objections made by some people 20
ne r,reser- size and condition Of Central Park Is
rre design or layout They insist that il is not in
a stzIe in harmony with the plan of the city ana
he shape Of Manhattan Island Various schemes
have been proposed TO make grand bouie'dIu
through the middle. with perhaps great monuments
= each end and little park CT garden effects al
c1e sides
This would mean that the park would have 70
fe reveIIed, and should have a vast stretch OF
rnacadar1 arid and hot in summer, splendid and
,r-osi,r rerfaps after the -rees bordering il had
lad for or fftv years To grow. but Wearsome and
raroo.ous in this island Of painful and eVerlaSt-
1EE reCtangUlarity-
TO nv mind. nothing could be more spothlns
sr6 -estful after the eternal procession OF streets
turning sharp 10 the right or the left than me
curved lines and surfaces and the irregular foage
masses Of the park Central Park contains many
s-.-erh rocks which 10 make such scheme as that
n -ra Champs EIysees would have 10 be destroyed
Il lie buildings around the park were destroyed
zt good or much better could be put up
spsfr hUr II those rocks were once rent TO pieces
and removed. 10 power on earth could put theih
1agether again
.rr seems TO me that although the design OF
Central Park has certain obvious defects, In a
general way nothing could be better for the pleas
IRE of the citizens Of New York than its succession
a irregular scenes. even though there is no plan
clearly obvious that is commensurate with the scale
of the park
one Of the chief values pf Central Park TO the
1,eonle Is its extent II is most fortunate tilhg
-hsr hundreds Of thousands, without paying a
nickel and travelling an hour or more. can reach
: Mace not merely large enough for them TO walk
.-o,,-5 f-eely and actually lie the grass. but
"a ze+ = sense Of extent and freedom that nothing
hut 3 large park the country itself can give 10
,so-l. coored -lIp in crowded houses and narrow
streets.
Apart from the very dangerous precedent OF
e,croschrnent on park property for private or any
other r,Irposes il would seem Of the greatest
importance for the city 10 keep open every inch
or mark SPACE possible. and. has been said over
and over again. the project of the academy would
,roF,a bl1 he bur beginning of long series Of