New-York tribune., 1911-04-06
MAY NOT GUST PARSONS
Two Park Commissioners Will
Probably Fight Plan.
BORGLUM ATTACKS SLOWER
Reha bilitation Committees Head
in Letter to Mayor Critl-
cises His Work.

ClSCS I1lo w VA n
When Park Commissioner Stover intro
duces resolution at the Park Board meet
ing to-day 10 relieve Samuel Parsons. jr
of his duties as landscape architect. 1t Is
believed that he will find Commissioner
Higgins. Of The Bronx. and Commissioner
Kennedy, OF Brooklyn the other two men,
bers of the board. not in sympathy with his
action.
The fact that Mr Parsons has been as
sured by the two commissioners that they
have always valued his services highly
was taken yesterday by number or or
fcials Of the Park Department as an indi-
cation that unless other Influences were
brought 10 bear the resolution would be
lost
Just what course Commissioner Stover
would follow in filling the place should MI
Parsons be deposed is a matter of specula-
ton If Commissioner Stover has any man
In view for the place he has given no IN
dication Of his choice. and only ruinor has
II that he has been considering landscape
architect in Boston and one in New Jersey.
The probable outcome. II is thought, in
case Mr. Parsons is deposed. is that Com
missioner Slower will recommend that the
veto privilege be taken away from the du-
ties OF landscape architect and that ne
be directly responsible for his time 10 the
Park Board.
Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who is
chairman of the Central Park Rehabilitation
Committee, sent a long letter 70 the Mayor
yesterday, In which he says, in part:
Mr.. Stovcr saws: Il held up this payroll
as the outward and visible sign of my DIS
satisfaction with Mr.. Parsons's services IN
the boroughs OF Manhattan and Richmond.
This is true Slovenian method OF procedure
and an unfortunate index.
He then complains Of Mr.. Parsonss help
lessness and inachon, and makes the re-
markable charge. submitted 10 him by the
Board of'Municipal Research, that Mr.. Par
sons has been excused for % per cent OF
the timo when other employees OF the de-
nartlnent are expected 10 be on duty. II
Is a pity that with the splendid service the
Bureau Of Municipal Research can render
such a city as New York In It's present
period Of uplifr ar irem so paltTy in its
sienihcance. Should form the bulk of serious
criticism of a high officials service. and be
used TO measure his service by the time
the other eTgloyes Of the department.
Mr.. Stover continues: In my judgment
Nr Parsons has not demonstrated his fit
ness 10 discharge the important duties Of
his position. He has made no constructive
suggestions; on the contrary, he has served
only to obstruct those that have made.
and which under the law I am required 10
submit for his approval" ! would like TO
say that in my four years Of intimate ac-
Quaintarcc with Central Park ! never
heard Of one single hit OF constructive work
projected for Central Park. Riverside Park
the extension of the Drive-not heartily
supported by, II not actually Initiated by,
am very glad that Mr. Slower has used
the words Constructive s; sugges;tio,ns li,. =
OF Parks he has extended our great park
system into rhe Hudson. at the cost OF
millions. He has rooted over the New York
Central tracks throughout The entire Riv-
erside parkway fOl the sole purpose OF
relieving the congo ilicn IN. Central Park!
He mas blilt swimming aga wading pools,
he has WOfed the lower reservoir Tor 4
playground. he has practically turned over
seven huIsired acres OF heretofore unused
lano as such 70 the East Side, and has
given New York City Il great open air the
aiTC with ES Natural amphitheatre and
seating CAPACITY for hundred thousand
people. free of charge, He has delighted
lie ropulace with bubbles and pipe dreams
for nearly year and a half. yet he has
not roticd cncseh manure 10 fertilize ten
'.f ~Dr mustered :iICicnt courage u
contract for a. new and needed manure pit
fOr which the money was long ago appro-
The large gilI Of rhododendrons in the
park to-day boame, the properly OF the
city through tine direct influence Of Sam
ucl Parsons. de, more than any other
man, mas ulStQ III ION the city aulnOrltleS
in the last ten years that the park was
deteriorating. that the park land Itself
was below grade. that il was without
water and that II @ trees required proper
surgery. and that the shrubs were suffer-
ing from old age land needed replant!ng.
The condition bf the park last year.
after Mr. Stover had been i'm charge for
one year was So-I4d that no other depart
ment OF tfe city was So generally criti-
cised. and that criticism, supported by the
reports of Commit ssiOner Wilcox and in
formation in In. possession OF the Parks
and Fairgrounds ASsOCia ton, created the
Central Park IL Rehabilitation Committee
and caused the investigations that we
made
did not wish at this time TO criticise
your commissions r When you asked me
10 recommend commissioner I declined
70 do 80 ! declined 20 recommend Ny.
StoVer. although he had strongly urged me
10 speak for him | declined To do 50 be-
cause | dSl not believe he possessed par
ticle of executive ability.
There is not efficiency enough in the
mana cement OF the parks of Manhattan
20 keep a 5000 business out Of a bank
ruptcy court for three months. and IL
should have become patent to the city
officials long ago that fifteen or twenty
busy private icitiZens would not spend time
and money month in and month out,
watching closely the city's property, un-
less they had a. very definite and salts
factory reason for continuing their IN
terest.
No government exists in the Park De
partment There is no MANAGEMENT or re-
fponsibility. The head Of the department
wholly lacks the confidence of his subordi
mates