New-York tribune., 1909-04-06
cHARGESIN PARK FIGHT
TAX OF HIDDEN NOTIFIES
Numbers of 4cademy DENY Inten-
tiOnal MisStdtements.

r
"a site. in Central Park. by the academy for
new building. The incorporation Of these
-..-Sss made by Charles b Stover in the res
e,r+ions adopted was prevented by ex-Mavor
u-ho presided. More than one hundred
1.rsons representing nearly as many associa-
,,o,s were present. including some defenders of
-. academy. The resolutions adopted. after
.,uine attention 10 the bills. said:
whereas. the area Of Central Park IS already
Gar toe small 20 meet the needs Of the ever
--,zing population that must resort to It: and
IIheTeas 4 half-century of attempted inya-
io7 OF central Park bid our citizens withstand
-. establishment of and precedent leading 10
the ultimate destruction Of Central Park; there
loTs Resolved. That this citizens committee con-
serons and opposes the attempted invasion OF
central Park by the National Academy OF De-
Ter Without regard 10 the size Of the proposed
h-1ildins and authorizes its officers TO appoint
an executive committee whose duty it shall be
=. nroceed by every legitimate and effective
method 10 prevent the proposed legislation.
The chairman was instructed by the resoIu-
-io,s 10 forward copies to Governor Hughes
SNEAKER Wadsworth. Assembymen Merritt and
Oliver. Chairman Hammond Of the Assembly
cities Committee. Mayor Mcclellan and Presi-
s.7t MCGOWAN OF the Board Of Aldermen.
NJ Low was late and Eugene A PhiIbin the
rresidert of the Park and Playground Associa-
,,on. opened the meeting The election of Off
c.-s resulted in Mr.. Low being chosen president.
" Philbin vice-president and Edward Haga-
-su Hall secretary. After the rGro3ution had
b..u adopted Mr.. PhiIbin was apFGntsd chair
mn Of the executive committee. AsDcld r. Mac
s.sr vioe-chairman and Charles 3. Slower sec
rstaU.
NJ Philbin was empowered to appoint ten
members After the meeting he added the fol-
lozing 10 the committee: Mrs. Julius H. Cohen.
Murphy, assistant postmaster: Richard
B.nrv Clarke and Louis Amin Arnes- 1t was
decided 10 call the committee the Central Park
Preservation Committee.
Mr. Hall read many letters in sympathy with
III. fight for the park one from John Frank
enheirer won liberal applause He wrote that
re vas member Of the committee that pre-
vented the use Of the park for speedway, and
that ever since he had been in favor OF the prin-
c.ple that no part Of Central Park should be
surrendered 10 any private enterprise or cor
porztion however neritorious but that II should
be preserved for the people. Another letter,
from William Speiden. made a strong impress
sion He wrote:
think I am entitled TO expression Of opin-
ion as fellow of the academy for nearly half
oepturv. Could all the fellows of the academy
have had vote ! am sure the measure would
have been overwhelmingly defeated still hope
10 see common sense IN lDls nldIltI
PRECEDENT MORE IMPORTANT.
Mr PhiIbin called attention 70 the position
taken by the academy when II asked for the
site. and said that the meeting called 10
formulate a protest. Those present. with few
exceptions. he said. were opposed TO the desc
Grafton Of the park because they loved the park.
There was no lack Of approval Of the National
Academy OF Design, he said. and II the merits
Of that body were put TO a vote he believed
there would not be dissenting ballot He was
ssre that the proposed free exhibitions would
no-, make UP for the precedent.
Just once SO often. Nj. Philbin said, certain
citizens seemed TO have an attack Of paranoia
which took the form Of an assault on Central
Park. The Speedway project was the result of
one Of these attacks he said. The large meet
Ing. he vas sure vas only a small indication
Of the Overwhelming opposition 10 the academy's
scheme.
Nj Stover. in introducing the resolution. said
the fact that the bills al Albany stated that
$1,000 square feet Of space was wanted by the
acsdernv. while the latter in its communication
said that only the site Of the Arsenal, little
more than 10000 square feet. was wanted,
would make one believe that there was more
back Of the plan than appeared on the surface.
He said that suspicion excited by the fact
that city officials were IN sympathy Win the
scheme
There was nc evidence. he said. that the
ACADEMY could give the city 100000, which the
building OF an adequate structure for the use
OF the city and the academy would cost The
money might come from the sale Of the acad-
.nv's present property, he said, but there was
no evidence forthcoming that the money would
be obtained in any other way
a
This made the members of the academy pres
ent indignant, among them J. Carroll Beckwith.
Mr- Low saw this and said that Interior mo
tives should not he attributed TO the artists.
The members Of the committee. far from dis
paraging the artists and their work for New
York City and the country at large he said
recognized them as great and powerful factors
for the good Of the people generally. He was
sure however. that those who voted TO take
part of the park for a building site did
realize the importance of their request.
I wish to say positively he added. that we
do appreciate the work Of the Academy of De
sign but we wish that its design were more
happy-'
Joseph b Glider, after the resolutions had
been adopted with the references to the area
differences stricken cut, said that those at the
meeting might be in sympathy with the acad-
emy in the project which was based upon what
made the whole word kin, the getting Of some
thing for nothing.
Howard Butler was the first to take up the
cudgels for the academy. He said that the city
took its first step out Of mediocrity when it
placed the Metropolitan Museum Of Art in Cen
irsl Park and then he cited the action Of other
cities in following the example of New York
Tne city. he said. should aid in bringing forward
contemporaneous art, which would make Man
haitian greater artistically. The academy, he