The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-25
'HYLAN ASKSGRELL,
PARK HEAD, TO QUIT
Commissioner Leased Central
Park Casino without Con-
sulting Mayor, Is Charge.
CITY CLUB MADE PROTEST
Demand for Resignation Fol-
lows Squabbles Over Off
cial Authority.

City Hall opinion, based on the facti
In the case, locates William f. Greli
Park Commissioner, on the stairway
which leads from the Hylan administers
ton back to private life. Within twenty
four hours It was assumed from a man.
ifesto issued by the Mayor himself
yesterday. Commissioner Grell will b
walking in the footsteps OF former Health
Commissioner Amster and former Police
Commissioner Bugher.
The trouble between the Mayor and
the Park Commissioner covers the lat
ter's course in leasing Tho Casino In
Central Park to its present tenant WITH
out asking for public bidding and with
out submitting the lease to Mayor Hy-
Ian. The Mayor finds that the Park
Commissioner has done Just this and
the Mayor is vexed He rather more
than intimates that he will call for
Grells resignation. HIS statement yes
terday follows:
Several days ago I directed the Com
missioner of Accounts TO make an inves-
tigation Of the report that the Park
Commissioner OF Manhattan had ex-
ecuted the lease OF the Central Park
Casino to the present tenant without
first submitting same to me, as was the
Claremont Inn lease.
Call for Resignation.
THE Commissioner OF Accounts re-
ported to me verbally yesterday that
such a lease had been executed. I for
warded n letter to the Commissioner OF
Parks calling attention to instructions
from this office dated April 4 and Oc-
tober 81. bearing on this subject and
advised hir, that II he had executed the
lease IN question in disregard Of my
orders desired him forthwith to hand
in his resignation
This Of course was in itself tanta-
mount TO n demand for Commissioner
Grelrs valedictory. and speculation In
the City Hall turned yesterday TO the
length Of time 1t would take the Com
missioner to reply to the Mayor. Mr..
Grell disappeared from his Office in the
Municipal Building early in the day and
could not be found subsequently. His
secretary said he could not be reached
until this morning.
Although the City Club. through its
president. Nelson S. Spencer. sent let
ter to the Mayor protesting against Com
missioner Grell's course as regards the
Central Park Casino. and pointing out
that private letting OF restaurants was
against public policy, II Is not supposed
that this actuated the Mayor 30 much
as the belief that he and Grell couldn't
get along. For weeks there has been
friction between the Mayor and the
Commissioner.
The Mayor has complained that the
Park Commissioner was not consulting
him about important matters. The Com
missioner complained that the Mayor
was trying to run his office. Points in
the situation strongly resembled the
Amster and Bugher cases.
Protest by City Club.
The City Clubs letter. stating that
Grell had a plan to lesc- the Casino
without public bidding, added:
III this Is the case, we earnestly pro-
lest against the reversal of a policy
which was inaugurated by the depart
ment with the leasing OF the Claremont
restaurant. The greatly increased rev.
enue resulting in that case from COM
petitIve bidding (s2O500 per year for five
years. instead of $4,000 a year,. an ex-
perlence whlch was supplemented and
reinforced by the recent sale OF the leave
of Pier 60. North River, shows, We
think. conclusively the advantage OF the
competitive method of leasing What
ever may be said In argument against
the leasing Of pier property through pub
lie letting, there can be no such argu-
ment against the auctioning OF a res
taurant privilege such as is involved in
the present case
Mr., Grell has been Commissioner OF
Parks for Manhattan since January /,
1918. He was born In Holstein, near
kiel. Germany, in 1852, and came to this
country when he was eighteen. He be-
came active in the wholesale grocery
business subsequently. was prominent in
German American affairs and got into
politics. He was a Republican for years
and was elected Sheriff In 1900.
Mr.. Grelrs administration OF the Park
Department has been sharply criticised
on the score that he neglected Contra
Park. that he displaced a veteran land
scane architect to make place for a
naturalized Austrian and that he had
ended competitive bidding for such
small affairs" MS the Central Park
Casino. In 1917 the Casino paid a rental
Of $4,000 under the management Of Gus
taYe Doryal.