The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-22
STACK RESIGNATION
AROUSES THE IRE OF
THE COMMISSIONERS
Park Commissioners Impu-
tation of NASTY Business"
Calls for Explanation
STACK is AGAINST
EMPLOYING MILLER
Chairman Kaul Declines to Comment
on Situation-Exum and Wealth
erly Both Want Stack
to Appear

James Weatherly, which contained the
resignation OF n. B. Stack OF Wylam as a
member of the park board.
That he would uncover the nasty
business" was the concluding line of his
letter of resignation which made Mr..
Exum and Mr.. Weatherly more resentful
than anything that has occurred at the
city hall since April 10, 1911, when they
assumed charge of the city.
The statement was made by both Mr..
Exum and Mr.. Weatherly that Mr.. Stack
will be invited to come before the COM
mission and detail to them whatever
nasty business has taken place and to
explain to what he refers in connection
with his resignation. His resentment of
the employment of George Fl. Miller to
craft the city plans and the refusal of
the chairman and vice chairman of the
park commission to agree to another
landscape architect caused the resigna-
tion OF Mr.. Stack.
Commissioners Surprised
Mr.. Exum said upon reading the letter
of resignation: II am inexpressibly sur
prised. I am certainly in favor of de-.
manding OF Mr.. Stack that he appear
before us and tell what he refers to In
such sinister words. cannot under
stand the imputation."
Mr.. Weatherly said: THE resignation
of Mr.. Stack is accepted. / would have
preferred that he had rendered his resig-
nation under a more pleasant condition.
However, his reflection upon the park
commission and the city commission as
noted in his concluding words shall cause
an investigation. 1 intend to write Mr..
Stack letter to this effect
The dissatisfaction of Mr. Stack and
the cause of his resignation was the en-
ployment of Mr.. Miller in the face of an
original majority recommendation of the
park board that Mr. Kestler of Kansas
City be employed. The majority report
was signed by Frank w. Smith, Mr.. Stack
and Hugh Martin in favor of Mr.. Kest-
Ter. A minority report was signed by
Mr. Kaul chairman, and Robert Jemison.
Jr, vice chairman. The two reports
were held by Mr.. Weatherly for consid-
cradle length of time for many reasons.
Gave It Careful Consideration
Mr.. Weatherly gave the approaching diff
ferences between the commission, which
he created grave consideration The re-
port of Mr.. Kaul and Mr.. Jemison was
the crucial question that had faced the
commission. Mr.. Kaul had spent weeks
in New England studying a civic plan
and had opinions as to such a scheme
with which Mr.. Weatherly was unusually
we'll acquainted. Mr.. Weatherly privately
assumed the position that if he recon-
mended to the city commission to employ
Mr.. Kestler he would by that action dis
courage Mr.. Kaul whose services he had
striven hard to acquire as did President
Culpepper Exum and other public citi-
zens. Eventually for reasons of policy
and to make friends all round he made
a personal appeal to Frank W. Smith and
Hugh Martin to withdraw their report
with Mr.. Stack and accept the employ
ment of Mr.. Miller.
AT that time Mr. Stack was in Florida
and could not be reached by Mr.. Wealth
erly, although efforts were made to do So
Mr. Weatherly all the while wished to
ask Mr.. Stacks as a personal considera-
ton and for the purposes of harmony
TO withdraw his objections to Mr.. Miller
as Mr.. Smith and Mr. Martin did upon
Mr. Weatherly's request.
Mr.. Stack being unavailable the city
commission was informed by Mr.. Wealth
erly that the majority of the park COM
mission favored Mr.. Miller for the work
He qualified this by saying that he had
personally secured that agreement, bu.
had been unable to talk to Mr.. Stack.
He informed his associates of the whole
differences and his associates unani-
mously employed Mr.. Miller of Boston
Stacks Letter to Weatherly
Upon his return to the city Mr.. Stack
communicated to few that he intended
to resign and followed that up by this
letter:
"Wylam, Ala, March 49,
",ro Hon. James Weatherly, City Com
missioner:
..Dear Sir: I herewith tender my resig-
nation as a member of the park commits
sion of the city of birmingham. effective
Immediately. In taking this action, ] owe
It to myself and to the public to state
briefly my reasons, and in order to make
the matter clear and to freshenA your
memory 1 must necessarily go back some
six or eight months. About tina. time
the city commissioners appropriated a
sum not exceeding $4,000 of public money
for the specific purpose of paying, the
cost of comprehensive park plan for the
city. Immediately thereafter the city
officials, through you, directed the park
commission to proceed and engage a COM
petent man to do the work with the
result that after painstaking inquiry and
Investigation three of the park commits
sioners. viz, Mr. Hugh Martin, Mr.. Frank
w. Smith and myself decided that Mr.
George E. I<essler of Kansas City. man
of nation wide reputation both as a land
scape architect and civil engineer, was
the proper man to intrust with this costly
and gigantic undertaking and SO voted.
Mr.. Kaul and Mr.. Jemison voted No
You recall that the selection of Mr.. Kess-
Ter was reported to you shortly thereafter
and the action of the three park conf
missioners met your approval and not
until my return to the city few days
ago did believe you could have any valid
reason for changing your mind. But you
did reverse your opinion when recently
YOU employed Mr.. George II. Miller, Il
man whom the majority of your park
commission disqualified as being mex
rerienced and incompetent, and you will
note that one of that majority (Mr. Mar
tin, is a very capable and successful arch
itect himself. and I am Informed TINT
vcur change of front is due to the fact
that Mr.. Kaul threatened to resign Il
MIR. Miller was not employed. According
to my view, the action of yourself and
associate commissioners in employing Mr..
Miller is not only unfortunate for the
people who will have to pay the freight,
but in effect declaration that the SER
ri, es of fhe majority of the park commits