New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-03
NEED SUBORDINATE MIND
Slower and Mayor Seek Such a
Landscape Architect.
LAY SEEMED ABOVE BOSS
However, His Resignation Is
Accepted with Great Re-
gret" by City.

Park Commissioner Slower believes. as
does Mayor Gaynor that the landscape
architect Of the Park Board should be OF
Subordinate frame OF mind He said
so yesterday on his return from Albany
IN commenting on the resignation Thurs
day OF Charles Downing Lay. the land
scape architect. The park head said ne
was totally surprised at Mr.. Lays decision
10 resign. During the Commissioners alb
sence the Park Board accepted. with
great regret" the resignation rendered by
Mr.. Lay
Mr. Lay said 10 had not secured the CO.
operation he should from Mr. Slower.
THE contention that the landscape
architect should have a power above that
OF the five Park Commissioners" declared
Mr. Slower seeks TO place a nominal en-
ploye above his superiors In no other
park department in any city Of the coun-
try can such a state OF affairs be found.
! am not. mind YOU. criticising Mr.. Lay
or his predecessor. Mr.. Parsons. but de-
spite tho significance given 10 the place
IN tho charter I believe. as does the Mayor.
that the landscape architect should be OF
subordinate frame OF mind
when the provision was inserted in the
charter making It necessary for the Park
Commissioners 10 have the assent Of the
architect 1t was done 10 make ii impossi-
bic for some Of the Office seekers. poll
ticians and hgureheads who have at times
been at the head Of the park system TO
pass on things which should he passed on
by a trained person ! remember at one
time seeing In print that some Of the
Park Commissioners did not have the I'M
aginatiCn Of COW.
mir. Lay" the Commissioner contend
ed. should have stuck It out and made the
best Of bad Job. That's what / am do
Ing. Besides, all the criticism falls on my
head and none fell on his II Mr. Lay did
not nave enough help It was not the fault
u the Park Board. We tried TO have an
assistant landscape architect appointed
and also made application for force Of
craftsmen We could rot help IL II the
city did not create the places"
The Commissioner said he had TO at
tend to many little matters which he
really ought not to have to bother about
He admitted that with all the things under
mis- supervision there was bound TO be
some small differences. but that they had
amounted to nothing.
"What consider OF most importance"
he declared SIS the appointment OF a land
scape gardener. There is no such person
I'm Manhattan to-day. and attempts to Gre
ate the place have been unsuccessful"
Mr. Lay left behind him many important
projects to be taken up. They include the
Pulitzer fountain for the seth street plaza
the Straus memorial and the completion Of
plans for numerous parks. lie had done
h large amount OF work on a new plan
for city Hall Park. had tentatively laid
out new plans for Union Square Park. for
Madison Square and had made prolim-
mary sketches for marked changes I'm Bry-
ant Park Besides these things he was
taking an active part In the carrying out
OF plans for the rcjuyenation OF Central
Park along lines mapped out by the fed
eral soil expert. Gustavus r. Maynadier.