The New York herald., 1922-07-20
$6OO,OOO PROVIDED
| FOR WAR MEMORIAL
Civic Bodies Wait Vainly
Six Hours for Hearing
by City Officials.
OPPOSE PARK PLAN
Meeting Makes Pledge Also
to Provide Site for Art
and Music Center.
ONLY A POLICY, 1T rs SAID
Mayor Asserts Everybody Will
Be Heard Before a Cent of
Money Is Spent.
ONLY A POLICY, 1T rs SAID

The Board of Estimate yesterday
appropriated 100000 for permanent
war memorial. At the same time i.
pledged itself s"irrevocably" to provide
a site for the proposed art and music
center as soon as private enterprise
shall have arranged for proper build
ings.
Both resolutions were adopted with
out public hearing. Representatives
of ten civic and other organizations
had waited all day to be heard. Mayor
Hylan declared that neither resolution
had anything to do with sites. To
these citizens, who wished to protest
against the suggestions previously
made that either one or the other, or
both, be placed in Central Park, he
declared the Board of Estimate had
simply laid aside the money in the
case of the first project and deter
mined on a policy in the case of the
second. He promised that public hear
made on any definite plans.
Stewart Br, Ene Of the United Real
Estate Owners Association, who was
sharply called to order by the Mavor
when he tried to speak. declared last
night the action of the board in keeping
the citizens waiting all day and then
refusing a hearing to them was "the
most discourteous and boorish attitude
ever taken by Board of Estimate"
He said he would write the Mayor
and tell him SO. Mr.. Browne said it
would have been easy to have informed
him and the others early In the day
that no hearing was to be held. instead
of keeping them waiting from 10 80
o'clock In the morning until o'clock
at night in a hot room while dull
calendar was being disposed of.
Among other organizations that had
representatives present were the Citi-
zens Union. City Club, Municipal Art
Society, Parks and Fairgrounds Asso-
citation, Broadway Association, Arneri-
can Historic and Scenic Preservation
Society, Fifth Avenue Association and
Harlem Chamber of Commerce.
posed to taking any part of Central
Park for either the war memorial or
the art center, as proposed.
The first proposition for the appro-
priat,on of 100000 was that 100000
should be used for the memorial arch
and the other half for taking down the
lower reservoir In Central Park and
preparing the site for the arch AS
passed yesterday the resolution pro-
vided that the second half of the money
should not be available until plans had
been made and approved by the board.
Craig Opposes Resolution.
Comptroller Craig was the only one
to vote against the resolution. He did
so specifically because there was no
plan as yet
representative Of civic organiza-
ton tried to talk and was interrupted
by the Mayor, who said
This is just an appropriation for a
purpose to be approved later. BY ap-
propriating this money we save il. set
It aside for future use.''
Again and again the Mayor explained
1t was not public hearing, when
various citizens started to speak. Mr..
Browne, more intrepid than the others.
persisted.
That will be about enough from
you," shouted the Mayor. IF you don't
keep quiet you will be invited to take
your seat"
But the city should not appropriate
$4,000 without giving citizens a chance
to be heard" continued Mr.. Browne.
Mayor Says He Ignores Browne.
We never pay any attention to
Browne anyway" remarked the Mayor
as he called for the next item on the
calendar.
When the board started to consider
the resolution pledging site for a
music. art and drama center. repre-
sentatives of the Broadway Association
and the Harlem Chamber of Commerce
started to protest. 1t was no use.
We're only setting policy by this
resolution said the Mayor Before
one dollar of city money is spent every
body will have chance to be heard.
The selection Of a site Is not involved"
Nevertheless the organization repre-
sentatives. or many of them, went away
with feeling that plan that later
would involve taking Central Park for
other than park purposes was being
slowly nut over.
The altitude of Murray Hubert. pres
ident of the Board of Aldermen, was
revealed when one man began to argue
that Central Park was just the place
for the music center
whats the difference between plac-
ing an auditorium in Central Park aid
having the Metropolitan Museum OF
Art there?" inquired Mr.. Hubert.
Were far away from a site yet"
hurriedly put In the Mayor evidently
not wanting any of the members of
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