Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-03-03
TAYLOR REGRETS THE
MANNING CHALLENGE

tContinued from First Page
unfortunate that the opinion OF the
city's landscape .arcnitect who mapped
out Harrisburg's park development and
oeautification scheme. should have diff
terred with that of the Patriot owners.
II appears that February 12 one OF
the officers OF the Patriot wrote the
architect for his views on the subject
and the latter answered February %,
Copies of this letter were sent Mr.
Taylor and f. 5. Herman. president of
the Planning Commission. according
10 Mr.. Taylor. The park expert sug-
gested that the letter be not released
Tor publication until the park commits
sioner obtained consent OF MIR. Herman
and III r. Mccormick. who wrote for
the opinion. Mr.. Herman is in Flor
ida, but the commissioner of parks
said he obtained assurance that he
might make public Mr.. Manning's
Views. The commissioner of parks of
course. asked Mr.. Mccormick whether
or not the people of the city might not
be given the benefit of the expert opin-
ION on the coal wharf problem. This
was last Saturday. The Patriot this
morning printed the Manning letter
together with the challenge" of
Vance c. Mccormick. president of the
Patriot. In the challenge" Mr.. Nc
Cormick took decided exception to Mr.
Manning's opinion.
Mfr. Taylor's Statement
Commissioner Taylor this morning
said:
That the views of the city's land
scape architectural expert did not
coincide with the opinions of two of
our private citizens. Mr.. Mccormick.
secretary-treasurer of the Patriot, and
ms brother, Vance g. Mccormick, is
unfortunate, but alas true. However
am more than delighted. at the Pat
riots thoughtfulness in eventually de-
Gliding to make public the views of
Mr. Manning on matter of interest
to the public.
MIR. H. B. Mccormick wrote the
park expert under date of February
Il on the coal wharf question, and the
latter answered under date of Febru-
airy 20. Incidentally Mr.. Manning
mailed Mr.. Z. s. Herman, president of
the City Planning Commission and my
self copies of the letter. Mr.. Her
man, however. is in Florida.
Puzzled at Delay
Naturally I rather expected TO see
something about this opinion in the
Patriot. When time passed and moth
ing appeared. l called up the secre-
tary- treasurer of the Patriot and ask
ed when the public might expect to OBJ
tain some idea of Mr.. Mannings opin-
ion through the columns of his paper
Mr.. Mccormick declared he wasn't
a bit pleased with the park experts
views, but asked me to refrain from
acquaintfng the people of Harrisburg
on the subject until he had consulted
with his brother. Vance.
To-day l saw in the Patriot the
opinion of Mr.. Manning in full. to-
gether with that of Mr.. Vance C. Nc
Cormick, president of the Patriot
n ft1 H.
may readily see that the Messrs. Nc
Cormick were quite evidently sur
prised. even hurt, at Mr.. Manning's
attitude in presuming to differ with
them.
Patriot Meant TO BE Fair
Just what motive actuated the Pat
riot in Withholding the Manning let
ter until l called attention to its ap-
parent oversight, shall we say? 1
can't understand. Possibly it remem-
bered the caption at the top of its
editorial page, which, / believe. is
generally understood to indicate the
newspapers policy. This states among
other things: 1t will be Just and fair
to all men
Doubtless" observed Commission
er Taylor in conclusion, 'it thought to
be just to Mr.. Manning by withhold
ing from the people his views on the
problem because his opinion did not
agree with that of the Patriots own
ers.
ITS really too bad. isn't it?"
Park Expert Manningis opinion fol-
lows:
Mr.. Manning's Letter
Boston, Mass, Feb. 25, 1915.
Mr. Henry B. Mccormick,
Bergner Building,
Harrisburg. Pa:
Dear Mr.. McCormick-I have
rnHt 81 e.
the South after my Harrisburg
visit, during which | received
your note of February 12
l called at the Patriot office as
YOU requested and talked with
one of the reporters. but was not
able TO see the managing editor.
who was out at the time I have
written him stating that 1 shall
make ii a point to see him the
next time / am there, because I
am anxious. as l know you all are
to do everything that can be done
TO advance the interests of the
city, and want the cooperation of
the Patriot
Interests of Greater Number
l did not feel justified when I
was in Harrisburg in giving an
opinion for or against either site.
l gave your reporter my reasons
Tor and agaist both sites. I must
duHit. however. tnat aIter think
ing the whole matter over it does
seem to me. after having gone
into the matter thoroughly with
all parties interested. that the in
terests of the greater number OF
people would be conserved if all
handling of coal could be provided
for on the island (where the filtra-
tion plant isl in an inoffensive
manner. because so many more
people use and are likely to use
Front street shore and bluff ton
walks, and because there are so
many people living on Front street
than ever will live on the island
who are likely to be ANNOYED by
the clatter. the dust and the in
evitable unudiness of the coal
wharf.
Unattractive Alternative
One of the principal objections
to the proposition is that only a
part of the coal handling by this
arrangement will be transferred
to the island, about one-third as
near as | can make out, and that
some of the wharyes along Front
street will still be maintained for
this purpose. If the plant is put on
the island. however. 1t may be-
come so obviously advantageous
to the city that action may later
be taken TO transfer all such work
TO that point.
An alternative to this island
coal handling proposition that
was presented by the company
seemed to me a very unattractive
Their alf