New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-13
WILL CLEAR PARKS
FRUIT STANDS TO GO.
.Stover Tells Republican Club
of His Plans.

Charles d. Slower, Commissioner of Parks
for Manhattan, said yesterday afternoon IN
the course OF the regular Saturday luncheon
discussion of the Republican Club that he
intended TO clear from the parks under his
jurisdiction all unsightly and unnecessary
buildings. He referred particularly in his
address to Battery Park and to the Fend-
ers' stands in the East Side parks He IL
timated also that he would not renew the
permit for the swimming hath at the Bat
terry wall.
Battery Park" said he. is INSTRUCTED
by many unnecessary and unsightly srruct-
Ures, which disgrace 1t. YOU may not know
it. but there Is even coal bin in that
park. Then there is a rusty rooted milk
booth in the centre OF the park all the
year round. There is also a rusty VEN
tilator covering for a reservoir of salt
water, taking UP valuable park space.
When a man asked me for renewal of
permit for a swimming bath off the Bat
terry wall told him I did not know that
] would ever grant renewal OF the permit.
I'm told that the salt water around the
Battery is SO polluted that fish cannot swim
or live in 1t. We have to go down below
Sandy Hook and bring up salt water in
tank vessels for the fish in the Aquarium
Il the water isn't fit for fish to swim in
it certainly isn't fit for human beings TO
swim in
Mr.. Stove went on to say that he would
refuse to grant permits for fruit stands in
the parks, no matter how poor or how
persistent the applicants might be. But he
meant, he said, TO increase the number of
public comfort stations in the parks and
public places. His plan was, however, to
keep these out of sight by building them
under ground. He also intended 10 add d
wing to the Aquarium 4 the Board of fs-
innate would grant him the $4,000 which
he had asked for the purpose.
I'm told" he said, that there are sew
enteen hundred kinds Of bugs in Central
Park. but there are none in the Arsenal
and there are no flies on the officials there
now, either We know what we're about"
Then Mr.. Slower was asked to say a word
on the question of a site for the proposed
new county courthouse. subject which
engaged the attention of most of the other
speakers and one which he had refused at
first TO discuss.
THE courthouse question in City Hall
Park is a mighty risky subject" lie re-
marked, with a smile. Il have said that
tanks for aquarium could be successful
ly arranged on the tenth floor of a building
pensed on the tenth floor as we'll as the
first, particularly if there would be less
noise up high. But don't hesitate to say
that ought to preserve City Hall Park"
There was clash between J. Stewart
Barney. an architect, and colleagues of his
profession who represent the BeauX Arts
School in this city. Arnold w. Drummer
president Of the New York Chapter OF the
American Architects q
member of the Municipal Art Commission;
Grosvenor Atterbury and Don Barber, pres
ident of the Beaux Arts Society. We're his
opponents in an argument involving pri-
marily the question of q City Hall site for
the new courthouse. The controversy, how
ever. turned largely the question of
solving American architectural problems by
recourse to European models
Mr. Drummer and Mr.. Atterbury had al
ready spoken when MI Barney was intro
duced.
whenever I hear MI Drummer or Mr..
Atterbury speak" said he, II want to say
TO them, For Gods sake, sing! We are
suffering here from what l like to call the
French invasion 1t is epidemic, but
the trouble with il is that it doesn't kill
It only leaves US suffering in the wake OF
its unsightly progress
The movement had its inception in Mr.
Barney's opinion. in the dream pictures
evolved by famous French architect. who