New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-12
CITY Of New York.
OAca Of the MaNor.

STT- I1TTONF
ton Of the Park Board the report OF me me
t'ornn1issioner Of Accounts reCommenuns
that Mr. Parsons be dismissed from We
Department Of Parks as landscape sa.GdI atGiI
iect I approve OF his recommendduoIl'
His report is made after q full lnNesusd-
ron. Mr. Parsons was present at tne nelni m
Nestigation. was representeu 9E o'ai'Se,, ,,E,er
was examined as a witness. ana was gwen
opportunity 10 submit any evidence ne
saw fl. He did submit evidence IN ms oe
half The case is now therefore Coihplele
and ready for the Boards vote II is very
inportant that this Office be nlled ny
man Of suitable technical education. OF
good executive ability, and or Suool u'h-
ate disposition.
CSignedJ W. }. GAYNoR.
Mayor.
Charles p stover. Esq.
President of the Park Board
Following the reading of the Mayors
letter Commissioner Stover brought mp
his resolution of April 10 discharge Mr..
Parsons. II was the signal for counsel
for Mr.. Parsons. ex-Polce Commissioner
Andrew d. Parker, TO plead for a stay
cf Judgment on the part OF the board.
Mr.. Parker wanted a week to prepare
defence before the board. But Commis-
cioner stover told him he had had hve
weeks in which to do that, as well as
unlimited opportunity.
Saws Meeting Was Secret.
This statement of Commissioner Stover
WAS denied by counsel for Mr.. Parsons.
who said the. hearing before 'ommls-
s,oner Fosdick was onesided. ana that
the meeting was so secret neither he nor
Mr.. Parsons knew the testimony
A. least half a dozen times during the
afternoon and evening session MI
Parker dilated on what he termed the
..inouisition" to which his client hao pee"
subjected. He asked again ana as"'"
for STAY on the pert Of the boaro'
"Thore should be no delay said COM
,,,iesioner Stover. Mr. Parsons ought
- have had ell his evidence ready.
Mr. Parker then proceeded to take UP
mart of the evidence. He said professor
Milton Whitney. head of the Bureau oi
Soils in Washington: Professor Higarde
and others had agreed with Mr.. Parsons
on his humus recommendations.
can YOU prove it?" shouted Mr..
Stover.
Yes, said MT. ran hei'
Put on further questioning counsel for
Mr.. Parsons admitted that the landscape
architect had only verbal assent from
Professor Whitney.
commissioner Stover then produced
letter from Professor Whitney, written
on April II. in contradiction Of the state
ment Of Mr. Parsons. He also produced
a letter from Professor Hilgarde. which
said that the samples submitted to the
latter by Mr. Parsons had been looked
ON favorably by the professor because
ne had thought they were Of natural soil
and not mixed by the hand of man.
Commissioner Stover, at the notice
Of Mr.. Parker that all had been said
Tor his client. placed the matter before
the board. but action was adjourned 10
: o'clock at night
Parker Gets Copy Of Evidence.
Mr.. Parker during the recess, visited
the Commissioner Of Accounts and Sc
cured a copy of the evidence. which
took Up more than four hundred type
written pages and included the testi-
mony of thirty witnesses, many of
whom Mr.. Parsons said were unknown
10 him.
AS in the afternoon session. Mr.. Park
or pleaded for more time.
1t is in the power Of this board to
discharge Mr.. Parsons" he said. VIII
that discharge be made on the basis of
the evidence submitted, on the recon-
mendation OF the Mayor or because Of
the unlimited power of the board? 1t
has been said that recommendation Of
Mayor Ga NOR is tantamount to com
mand. Shall we believe that in this
case? I do not doubt the Mayors sin
cerity, but has he read all the evidence
himself. or have the members OF the
Park Board done so?"
In summing up Mr.. Parker SAID MT
Parsons wanted 10 make denial thdt
ne had been guilty of any misconduct
in Office That IN all the investigation
not a dishonest or corrupt act was
pointed out.
Commissioner Stovcr then called Tor
the resolution and the vote was taken
with the results stated.