The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-18

The recent exposure OF the reckless ana
ahameful manner in which the Staten Island
ferry privilege is abused by the men who
happen to hold it, has drawn public atten.
| ton to the subject Of ferry boats and ferry
| rights in general. In ordinary, persons re-
siding in New York think and care little about
the ferries They use them at rare intervals,
to visit friend in Brooklyn or Jersey City, or
to take an airing in the bay. II they are kept
waiting on these occasions--if the ferry house
resembles pig sty-if the boat is slow or ap-
parently unsafe-they grumble, but forget it
next day, in resolving to stay as much as pos
sble in the city. The general idea has seemed
| to be that the ferries concern the people of
Brooklyn. and the people of Jersey, and the
people of Staten Island, but not the people of
| New York.
A greater mistake itwere impossible to point
out. We shall have little difficulty in showing
that to obtain good ferry accommodation be-
| tween New York and the suburbs from which
| it is separated by water, is matter of the
very highest Importance to its citizens; aud
that proper regulation of ferry trips is actu-
ally essential to the commercial interest of the
port.
Time being money, the period required to
travel from mans residence to the seat of
trade is part of his expenditure. The longer
that period, the more extensively he lives.
He who spends two hours per day in travel
! ling from his house to his Office, requires a
larger income than he who only consumes one
in the same necessary journey. A resident of
Fory-second street, New York, lives more
wastefully, in respect of time, and, therefore,
money, than q resident of any portion Of
Brooklyn, except the outskirts, or Jersey City
or Williamsburg. But to avail himself of the
privilege o. living in either Of these suburbs
to effect this economy-he must have safe, re.
gular, commodious and rapid ferry accommo
dation. Every person doing business in Wall
street or the vicinity is therefore interested in
securing such ferry accommodation. in proper
ton to the value of say one hour of his time
per day.
London, Paris, and the other chief cities Of
the world, are built on both sides Of rivers,
which are traversed by several excellent
bridges. These cities expand equally, or
nearly so, in all directions. There is no
limit to their capacity Of expansion. Hence
a superabundance Of supply Of houses
which more than keeps pace with the demand;
and hence, cheap rents There are parts of
London, Vienna and Paris, where houses are
dear; namely, the particular localities where
the rich and fashionable choose to congregate;
but in general it is safe to say that, under
equal advantages, house rent in those cities il
one-third of what it is in New York, for New
York cannot expand beyond its natural limits,
1t swells on one side only--northward. Hence
the impossibility Of providing houses for all
who are ready to become tenants; hence the
exorbitant rents hence the disgusting, demo
ralizing boarding house system. 1t is fact
within the knowledge of all who have made
inquiry, that it is impossible to obtain small
dwelling house in q suitable situation in this
city for less than $500 year; and by far the
greater portion of the houses that are built
rent for over 81, 900 and S1,200-the rent of a
first class mansion in Hyde park square or Bel
gravia. What refuge is there for men Of mode
rate means but the suburbs in Jersey, Staten
Island and Long Island? And what is the
value of this refuge if the means of crossing
the water be unsafe, irregular or limited?
Some people console themselves with the
hope that real estate will fall, and houses grow
cheaper in the city. 1t is impossible. The
shape of the island forbids it. There is no room
for houses enough to feed the demand. All
the building in the world viii not supply it.
We may fill up the blocks to 125th
street, and find rents then higher than they
are now; whereas, in Jersey, Staten Island
I Tcla ie rh hn
to ensure an excess of supply of houses and
consequently it is safe to estimate that rents
will never there be much higher than they are
now-except in some favored localties-and
that Christian may lodge himself in these
suburbs, for the next fifty years, for $500
year. But five hundred dollars will be dearer
than thousand in the city if the ferries are
insecure, or incommodious, or irregular.
This SUBJECT Of rent is, after all, the largest Of
our material concerns. Mans happiness de-
ponds more ON the place where he lives than
on any other objective influence. By far the
greater part of the existing matrimonial dis
comfort and female frailty springs from the
habit Of living in boarding houses. Women
learn idleness there, mother Of mischief; men
Squire distate for home, fondness for the
theatre, the political meeting room, the grog-
4 op, and worse places or, in happier instan-
n g, learn to engross themselves in their
y lsiness, and degenerate into tho dry,
1,ritless, sapless, sallow, hard "a "a au-
I mata which we meet Of an uyening
returning home, with downcast eyes, and
absorbed expression. Round ones "home," on
the contrary, cluster the kindiiest feelings, the
best of all Influences. Family affection Is
creature Of home; flial respect grows at home;
religion and morality are planted at home;
genial tastes for the true and the beautiful are
nursed at home; patriotism is but love for