New-York tribune., 1910-05-23
TO SAVE PROPOSED PARK
Senate Must Act on Hartman
Measures This Week.
THE PROJECT IN DANGER
Bills Have Already Passed As
sembfy Without Opposition
Hope Not Lost.

Aibanr, NAV 22.-Althoagh Governor
Hughes announced 10 the Legislature on
the day IL convened early IN January that
Mrs. Edward II Hartman. in accordance
with the wishes of her late husband, had
offered 20 give The state ten-thousand
acre tract Of land lying about her home at
Arden fcr. a state park and s1.ooa,eee with
which ~ acquire and improve adjacent land
50 that the park might have e river 'front.'
age five months have passed and the final
week Of the session finds the legislators ar'-
uare7Itl- still undecided TO the acceptance
~ the gift.
Coincident With she announcement of the
Hartman gift. the Governor made pubic
offers Of other gifts, designed TO enable the
state TO establish a park along the Hudson
River readily accessible TO those living in
the consesfed quarters of New York City.
These offers from John u. Rockefeller. ].
Pierpont Morgan, Mrs. Russell Sage. Miss
Helen NJ Gould, William X Vanderbilt,
r. II. Gary and others. totali;ng s., GO. .ooa.
were secured through the activities of the
Palisades Interstate Park Commission. and
were contingent on the state appropriatinS
$500. GEO 10 the use of the commission for
the acquiring Of lands and the building "a
roads. and the abandoning Of the Bear
Mountain site for the new state prison.
Governor Hughes recommended the ac-
ceptance Of the Hartman gift, declaring
that il would afford a basis mot only for
necessary conservation. but for the devel-
olJIneni OF p public recreation ground in
region of natciliess beauty. rich in h:stor-
ical associations and close to The abodes
Of more than half tile people of the state"
He also recommended bond issue Of 81
590,00o and the abandonment of the Bear
Mountain prison site,
The Palisades Park Commission has
planned. IN the event of the carrying out o.
the Governors recommendations to build
roadway along the base of the Palisades
from Fort Lee TO Piermont. 10 extend the
present Highlands park northward as far
as Newbure. and TO include within its
boundaries thc land TO be conveyed by Mrs
Hartman and the state reservation at
Stony Point In addition. the state has ac-
quired nearly two thousand acres near
Thiells adjacent TO the proposed park for
the Eastern New York Stale Custodial Asy-
lunl 10 he known Betchwcrtil Village.
To carry out the proposed park plan and
provide for the acceptance Of the Hartman
and other gifts five bills were introduced
hv Senator Bayne. of Staten Island. and
Assemblvman Odell. of Rockland County.
These bills provide for extending the powers
sf tire Palisades Interstate Park Commits
sion so that Il may take for park purposes
lands 10 be included in the proposed new
park: for a bond issue by the state Of g.,
50o.oeo the states share of the expense OF
acquiring additional lands and TO build
roads and make other improvements: for
the acceptance OF the gift of land and
money from Mrs. Hartman and others; for
the abandonment of the Bear Mountain
stale prison site; for the repeal of the act
of 1909 creating a state forest reservation
i'm the highland of the Hudson.
The five bills PASSED the Assembly with
out opposition or debate and were repcfted
fsVorablv in the Senate. When they were
reached on the Senate calendar on Thurs
day the first bin, extending the comEnis-
sions powers. was passed without cpposi-
ton but. much TO the surprise of Senator
Bayne the bin providing for the s2.500.e0o
l,ond issue was defeated by vote of IS to
- The Senator moved TO reconsider the
vote by which the bill was defeated, that
motion 20 lie on the table. which is the
usual procedure where bills have been de-
feated and a subsequent vote is desired
The other three bills were laid aside. There
was no debate but ii developed later that
several of the Senators were opposed to
going on record for q big bond issue. on
With extravacance. although the proposition
must first he submitted to the people for
their approval Some OF the Senators have
since indicated that when the bill comes
up again they viii vote for IT. and, as there
were several absentees when the bill was
defeated. Senator Bayne is confident that
The measures = IentuaIiy viii pass.
New York City's millions VINO cannot
afford 20 20 10 She ttatskilis or the Adj
rondacks wculd find the proposed park an
ideal place FOR an outing, place where
they could 90 With tleir skiliets and pots
and enjoy = breath Of fresh air and the
pleasures of camp life" said Senator Bayne
to-day Portions Of The proposed park
ere available for development as recreation
grounds and the parks and Fairgrounds
committee of the Municipal Arts Society
has recently been making an investigation
Of the tract with that end in view.
The district covered ny the proposed
park has for many years been the site of
camps run By settlements, churches and
ether plliiantFropic agencies in New York,