New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-11
REPORT AGAINST PARSONS.
FosdiCk Urges Dismissal OF me
Landscape Architect.
MIX ON RESOLVING PARK
Accused Official Defends HimSe''
and Asks for a Hearing oy
the Park Board .

yesterday recommended tn@' - park
scrs landscape architect Of ~. re-
BOARD he dismissed As stated ~ ros-
rort the questions that Comi''s
dick took up were ,.,.
I'D The relations Of the rHsoN central
Company 10 the proposs' ,r5inacv Of Mr.
Park and the alleged lh.i""''
., Wr parsonss alleged ineoH'p
o. landscape architect
Commissioner Fosdick went on 10 - -,
that prior 10 ieos the specifications
which soil was purchased for me &c
made no mention OF chemical con
BEGINNING that year series OF -,
items drawn in Mr.. Parsons once ~
,ne proportions Of the various inE'
required shortly before-the cndns' !"
specifications. the report said Nj. al SUI
r,ade the ACQUAINTANCE OF Jonh y ilo'i,
selling agent tor company that cohuoieu
large deoosits of hurnus Nh Hon so' oeSh
.oorr in the Office Of the New Jersey OoIl-
,s,v which controlled deposits OF clay
loan. z required constituent OF the son. \
.,,rss was then inserted IN the speclnca-
.o,s - the effect that "the organic mould
sr~pishsd must be well disintesrated ana
.yn drv humus from land UNDER cul'lNa'
vaLon s.
.Tbis clause exactly described the oondl-
,,ors under which the hunus controHed ~
~ Eof and his associates and supphsu
>, the New jersey Company l. 10
<oun5" said the report Under the ne"
sneoi6cstions the New eJrsey COMPANY
c,,red all OF the contracts, six IN nuhoe''
,,i,b we're le. m 1910 BY the Park Depart
rns7t for the delivery Of humus ana cay
lam In 1911 the New Jersey CofnPa'S
.sass5 ~ hid. and one + n Yale secured
,bs three contracts let by ihe FarK De-
,sr-r,ent Mr. Yale arranged TO secure MS
materials Iron the same concerns as hao
,be New JERSEY Company namely MINUS
.ro-r ne Alamo Company. through Jonn
\ HoT. and clay loan from the Ne" Jer-
ser COMPANY.
Parsons Influenced by Hof.
.,-a- going INTO the matter al greater
rs--rh commissioner Fosdick said. There
!. - a,,aanos before rs suficient 10 war
-ar- a belief that Nj Parsons is financially
Interested IN the contracts Of the New Jer-
s.v COMPANY or these Of 7. 4. Yale II Is
,-,restionsble. however. that IL is due 10
ire influence Of Mr Hof upon him that he
4-st suggested the use Of mixed ciay loaIh
s7d bur1us for the Park Department pur-
roses
calling attention to the fact that in 1910
,lr Parsons submitted an estimate on the
cost Of resoiling and rehabihtating Central
Park. amounting 70 s. 10000. Of which 800
30 was 10 q for the purchase of humus
and clay loan. Commissioner Fosdick told
of ne publication Of a book by Mr. Par
sons entitled Landscape Gardening
Studies Mr. Hon testified that he had
Induced Mr. Parsons TO publish the book
and mad acted as his amanuensis. There
are two dominant themes in the book the
Commissioner said. the needs OF Central
Park and the use Of humus and clay loan.
Poval C. Pes nodv Of the New Jersey Com
pany. guaranteed the publication 20 the ex-
tent Of s50o He testified that this was
purely an investment He was 10 receive 10
- cent on all copies sold over 2 thousand.
So far only four hundred have been sold
M Parsons can hardly have failed 20
appreciate" said the report that NJ.
HoHs interest in the preparation and pub
lcauon Of his book arose from the fact
that he expected as a result OF It 10 sell
'arge quantities OF soil humus 10 the citv
We believe that Mr. Parsons's connection
with Mr. Hoffs plan 10 accelerate the re-
s0ling OF Central Park was dscreditable,
and raises a serious question as 10 the
value Of his services 20 the city as land
s-apA architect
Parsons Under Fire Of Critics.
As 70 the competency OF Mr.. Parsons the
re1ort said that Commissioner Kennedy. Of
3roozlyn. expressed himself as entirely sat
!sfed with his services Commissioner Hig-
ems. Of The Bronx. said obout the same.
bat thought a Younger man would give
more efficient and helpful suggestions.
Former Park Commissioner Smith tes;i-
fed. i formed the opinion that he Par
sonsl was a man Of very slight ability and
HAT ne had no creative ability" Madison
Grant. chairman Of the executive commit
tse of the Geological Society. said that Mr..
Parsons had been an obstruction rather
than q help I'm the working out Of the plans
Of me Geological Park Thomas Hastings,
OF CarrAre & Hastings. the architects said
he Considered Mr.. Parsons d planter
rather than panner'
lt was o one-sided affair
This was the conclusion yesterday of
Samuel Parsons jr. and his attorney. An
drew d Parker. regarding Mr.. Fosdick's
report Parsons lad said 20 a Tribune re-
porter the night before that the report
would lndouDtedly be- against" him. So it
vas ua surprise
Nolcirs the opinion OF hs client. Mr.
Parker said. 1T was an one-sided.'
But 7 think Mr Fosdick IS a very nice
nan. said The lawyer Tor Mr. Parsons
Commissioner stover blame- me for the
conc.tion OF central Park" said Mr.. Par
sors. and yet for the last ten years have
rle.raG with fIa different parx ..oyvrots-
Fioner- 20 DO something ] could only adj
use could not set Tire wheels in motion.
|, for did not have the power. And Sill the
oeporat'e condition OF the park now IL laid
az my door
There is Thomas HASTINGS. tie architect.
Terrifying that ] am a planter and not a
Iianner What does Mr. Hastings know
about landscape architecture n Mr.
Hastings had his way be would place the
Academy Of Design in BRYANT Park lie
las been running 20 the Arsenal with diff
lfient plans for long time and suppose
mI objections to- his ideas and 10 those of
some others have determined their beliefs
20 my ineficency as q landscape archi-
ieetr
Locks for a Square Deal.
D, ordng 70 Mr.. Parsons counsel. 10 will
D. seen e. the Park Board meeting to-day
whether the landscape architect gets
square deal before that BODY Commits
soher Slower ar the time he introduced the
resolution for the dismissal II Mr. Parsons
publicly told Gutzon Borglum that the
architect would have fair chance 10 state
DIS side OF The case.
We nope TO- public hearing" said Mr
Farker. "aud all Ve can do H. ~ 81 e,~