The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-22

Crumb Of Reform ct Fulton
characterization cf
Catharine Market
Reform made q moderate march yesterday. In,
accordan with the order OF Colonel Devoe Su
pertntendent Of Markets, issued on the 18th inst,
Captain Kettleman, Clerk Of washington Market,
Yesterday afternoon commenced the work OF teal
ing away nve feet from the west end OF the stands
along West street connected with that market.
To-day the work will be continued by o contract
ing carpenter In accordance with the plans OF the
Bureau architect. BY these the roofs will remain
projecting as at present Five feet will be added
to the carriageway, to the height of ten feet-high
enough to allow an ordinary market wagon to
pass under the projection. Above this the stand
holders will continue to occupy the projection over
the street for office and storage purposes as here
toiore. SO far as the stands are concerned they
will merely lose, for displaying their meats, the
nve feet In depth by ten feet high, the roof
and the upstairs oflces being allowed to remain
for their use unmolested. This win very much re-
lieve the pressure Of trac on West street, one OF
the busiest thoroughfares In the city. Now there
ID but barely room for truck to stand at the rear
Of the booths, while railroad cars pass upon the
eastern or up track. After the curtailment this
difnculty viii be essentially reduced.
Some Of the Shareholders look upon this action Of
the Bureau Of Markets as arbitrary and an in
fringement upon their rights, but the majority
inclined to willingly spare the outside ve feet to
retain the inside ten People who nave long been
familiar with the market say that the stalls as
originally licensed ana as held at the date Of Judge
Barnard's injunction restraining the old Board Of
Health from tearing them down extended only six
feet beyond the curbstone, and that all beyond that
line Is Pa. -tli4 9A5 .n
PURE ASSUMPTION. asses
entirely unsanctioned by any grant from the city
and altogether beyond any protection the old In
junction might afford. even should 1t be held still
operative and mandatory az against the present
Health Board, its ofncers and agents. 1t is evil
IDENTITY in the interest Of tho shareholders to make
the concession TO the public Of adding i've feet to
the narrow roadway OF West street. Should they
not make this change before the receipt Of the Cor
poration Counsel's reply to the inquiries Of the
Commissioner OF Public Works. published in Sun
days HERALD, the result might be the determine
ton OF the Board Of Health to clear the street
wholly, to the curbstone, leaving the SHAREHOLDERS
to seek business elsewhere
WATCHING THE WORK.
Any decided labor demonstration In thorough
fare is sure to draw o crowd. So the crowbar
operations which tore away the siding Of the mar
ket booths next to the railway track along West
street attracted an interested group OF spectators
who eagerly discussed the situation. Among the
crowd few seemed to side with the occupants Of
the stands. Many were marketmen, or interested
In the business OF the neignborhood, and depre.
Gated the intention Of the Board of Health to make
clean job Of 1t and strip the market Of all its side
walk excrescences SO as to allow light and air to
penetrate the ancient pile In behalf Of public
health. Some declared that the only proper thing
in the premises is for the city either to build
allow room Tor ali the business and secure proper
drainage, ventilation and light as well as provide
better facilities for keeping stalls and passages
and pay the city fair rental y or st the properly
interested motives intended to drive the market
business IRON the locality, for the benefit Of enter
prlses and speculations in other quarters OF the
GOVERNOR DIX
came in for decidedly liberal amount OF blame
because Of his veto upon the bill of last Winter
which proposed to lease the market property to
marke s S stands
cutters: They last year paid the city over two
hundred and eighty thousand dollars in market
dues. Such an annual rental capitalized would
certainly authorize outlay sufficient to rebuild
the market in style which would be worthy the
a market structure not to be surpassed in the
world But marketmen fear that the interruption
Of their trade, necessary TO allow the rebuilding 81
would in the end take the trade away, never to
return Convenient as the locality is to the major
portion or our city population as well as to Brook
yn, Staten Island, Jersey City and Hoboken, it is
feared that during the time Of rearing an elegant
business trade would SHIFT into other sections and
30 wear its ruts that no coaxing OF magnificent
SGs SoCa induce ths 70 E
York. the great source OF food supply for this and
the neghboring cities would have forever departed
REFORM FOR vEsEY AND FULTON STREETS.
=, Besides the changes along West street. the
the CUTTERS Of Fulton and vesey streets to the
broom IT proposes to saw of the rear walls Of the
stands three feet rom above the pavement, the
doors to slant thence down to the top OF the curb
stone, and be supported by braces from the inner
edge OF the gutter top to the outer edge OF the
pend therefrom. No posts or other supports be.
meath the floors are TO Interfere with free access to
cieahsed This viii leave to the stalls ali the space
they now nave TO display wares Tor sale, but VIII
s g ana
other hand, 1t will give no more room in the
roadway for the legitimate business of the streets
and 1t only applies to the stands the sides next
the market. Over the stands above the opposite
cutters, or along the street detached from the
are within the jurisdiction OF the Board or Health
and of the Department OF Public Works. l6-
.. rt- WILL 1T ANSwERf
These changes, ordered by Colonel Devoe, are
intended to so mend matters IN the affair OF fifth
deposits and foul smells as to induce the Board OF
Health to rescind Its action ordering the total
clearing away OF all the stands In the neighborhood
which cover and obstruct the cutters and cause
dangerous exhalatiOns, threatening the public
with disease and death. Suppose these re-
forms Of the Market Bureau fully carried
out, WIZ that satisfy and stop the Board
OF Health from more radical measures
Apparently both the Health Board and the Com
missioner OF Public Works are now waiting for the
report OF MI. Delaneld Smith, Counsel to the Cor
poration. That ofncial stated to HERALD re.
porter yesterday that he had not yet answered the
inquiries OF Commissioner Van Mort. In answer to
question he seemed to believe that the Board OF
Health, IN the exercise OF its duty to protect the
public from pestilence could proceed without
waiting tor slow legal Investigation and judicial
decisions. He did not give that as an answer to
the ofhcfal request for an opinion; but as lawyer
and citizen, seemed to hold the conviction that
the Board Of Health has large and summary powers,
which the public and the Courts would justify 1t In
exerttng to avert threatened danger to the city.
No doubt the Board has similar CONVICTIONS and it
may yet be found that the partial measures OF the
nuisances, which deprive the market OF needed
light ana air. M 0rI-'t1'l D .0F6lg
FULTON MARKET, -..
n of