Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Mary LaskerMary Lasker
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Part:         Session:         Page of 999

Q:

Mary, who takes care of the weeding?

Lasker:

Well, we had a marvelous Dutchman called Peter vander Wetering, and he has long done odd jobs that the Park Service should have done; and he's being paid to maintain it, and he plants it. But he's got other Dutchmen or at least people who are willing to do things neatly doing this. But he's paid to do it. You see, the Park Service -- they have no money -- and they never had any good workers anyway.

Q:

And they never had any great interest.

Lasker:

And never any interest. So I thought just to hell with them. After I asked them if they would please weed the begonias that I had planted for 20 blocks, they said oh, yes, they would be glad to do that, and they came about four years ago, picked up the begonias and left the weeds. (laughs)

Q:

And you paid for it.

Lasker:

No, I didn't pay the Parks Department. I gave the begonias. I gave all the material, but I thought it was the city's business to maintain it, as indeed it is. However, Mr. Spencer and I have dispensed with the . But there are people who have said, “Mrs. Lasker should announce that she is no longer doing this publicly.” You can't imagine the reactions that there are





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help