The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-26
Sanitary ObJecta0ns 20 the Park az . Post
Once Site-Lcssons Borrowed from the Ex-
perSence or Older Times

monstratng against the vandalism of sac
riticing the Park to the wants of the Post
Office Department. Could no other or more
suitable site be obtained, there might be some
show Of necessity for appropriating portion
of it to this purpose, though even then the
sanitary considerations in favor Of its being
left in it's present state would outweigh, with
US, the Inconvenience of badly situated Post
Office. The public health should at all times
be the paramount consideration in city legisla-
ton, and it is precisely in this regard that our
city Boards have always shown themselves most
indifferent. We sacrifice too much to fancied
business necessities as it is, and now, not con-
tent with overworking both body and mind, we
are about to give up the few natural advantages
which our. city possesses in the way of open
spaces-its lungs as they are properly consi-
dered-to the ever craving demands of the Mo-
Loeb which is consuming the physical healta of
our community.
In no other city of the world is such
infatuation to be witnessed. The older
communities of Europe, taught by their expe-
rience, are everywhere seeking to burst the
limitations imposed upon them by old corporate
restrictions and barriers-the growth of sani-
| tary ignorance-and to create in their midst the
| very spots that we are eager to destroy. Look
| at what has been done in London within the
| last quarter of century. Not only have whole
streets, the centres of moral and epidenical in
| fiction, been cleared away, but parks and
squares have been opened in the more populous
| districts to serve as breathing places for the
masses of human beings crowded into their con-
fined streets and alleys St. Giles, which was
| for ages famous as the haunt of the beggars
and thieves of the metropolis and the fruitful
source of pestilentiai visitatons, has within the
| last few years been transformed into quite an
| open and healthy locality. Bethnal Green,
which had also bad suburban reputation, has
undergone "a similar publication, and the new
Victoria Park, in its vicinage now serves as a
sort of ventilator to its atmosphere, as well as
place of exercise and recreation to its artizan
population. Everywhere, in fact where
the lessons of sanitary experience could be
brought to bear on the public health, the cor
poration of London, with the aid of its able
Inspector, DR.. Simon, has not hesitated to APP
ply them, even to the arbitrary sacrifice of eco.
venience in other respects. In Paris under the
personal direction of Louis Napoleon, we find
works of similar character everywhere in
| progress. Ii is charged against the Emperor
that II is his ambition and not his philanthropy
which suggests the improvements that are now
ventilating and identifying bis capital; but
whatever may be the motive. it is quite certain
that the public works that have been carried
into effect in Paris during his reign have con-
ferred immense sanitary benefits upon its popu.
lation. The clearances that have been made
of confined and crowded neghborhoods. the
broad channels of ventilation which have been
opened by the continuation Of the Rue de- Ri
wolf and the construction Of other wide streets.
and the compulsion which all these improve
ments have exercised upon the thousands dis
| placed by them from their hive-like and un-
wholesome tencments to seek the more open
space and purer atmosphere Of the suburbs.
have had a sensible effect upon the bills of NOR
tally.
We are pursuing course directly the oppo-
site to this. We are yielding up, one by one,
the green spots and breathing places which our
torefathers wisely appropriated to the necessi-
ties of the public health, and the more essential
in our case because of the arbitrarily limited
site Of New York And We are doing this. be il
| observed, without shadow of reason. either as
regards the public convenience or the prospective
Improvement Of our city. Instead Of seeking,
like the municipalities of London and Paris to
remove from our midst the moral and physical
| plague spots which are continual source of
| anxiety and trouble TO us, and to devote the
| space thus obtained to useful and healthy pur.
| poses we hug our sores and make up our minds
| to bequeath them to our children az an nhe.
ritance. Thus the Five Points which is OBJ
| viously the cheapest and most central site for
/ the new Post Office and the clearance of
which Of its present denizens would be
| a great public benefit. has been wholly
overlooked in the consideration Of
fitting location for Il. It. present character
ard surroundings would in any other city be
motive for It's selection, inasmuch as the erection
of public building like the Post Office in its
centre must have the effect Of redeeming the
whole neighborhood and raising the value Of
| property there. We prefer, however. to per-
| petuate an existing nuisance: aud not satisfied
with this. we are now about to create another
| by sacrificing TO the wants Of the Post Office
one Of the few remaining lungs Of the city.
The folly. the infatuation.of such proceeding,
is only to be accounted fof by the corrupt in
fuences that are always at work amongst us.
Any job is likely to find favor with our city
Boards which will enrich the public treasury to
their individual advantage. The citizens at
large will, they may rest assured, never derive
q shilling's benefit from the sum that is to be
received from government for tue Post Office
lite. II wiz all pass into the pockets Of the
hungry cormorants who live upon the public
spoils; and thus present and future generations