The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-30

N eOucWuat pdulCky week III rear esIdtc Closcu
yesterday, having been remarkable only for dull
ness In the public market, while at private sales
some very good transactions were had, contrary
to general expectations. II is scarcely necessary
to repeat here the 0t told tale" why the business
Of purchase and disposal Of property has been
more active during the past six days. as this sub
ject formed the theme OF this column almost daily.
The chance for general improvement during the
ensuing week. according to the representation OF
the Quidnuncs, has almost arrived, this being no
less than the anticipated grand
SALE OF THE POST ESTATE,
which occurs on Tuesday, the LIST OF April, and
which has anxiously been waited for by large
number OF active operators This estate consists
Of 1856 choice lots, located on and fronting River
side Park, also Claremont avenue. Messrs. Muller,
wilkins h Co. have charge OF this sale; and, con-
sidering the great success these gentlemen met
with in disposing OF the Oarman estate, q similar
result may be anticipated for the ensuing auction.
Besides the last mentioned, there will be held at
the Real Estate Exchange number Of other highly
important sales. the particulars thereof will be pub
lished in to-mOrrOws (MOnday's HERALD.
Annexation to the city Of the towns OF Norris
| ania, West Farms and Kingsbridge meets with
| favor wherever fairly considered, from whatever
| point 1t is viewed These
| SCATTERED MUNICIPALITIES
are part, as it WERE Of the great metropolis ex.
tendipg into another county, and they are excluded
| from the city's Jurisdiction not by any natural
governmental boundary, but by an artificial one.
The Harlem River, which once satisfactorily indi-
Gated the governmental limit in that direction as
dividing stream, has now become the most inter-
esting subject OF development in our metropolitan
system. Our parks and bOulevards and palaces
are the pride and delight of the city, but they are
not sefsupporting. Their cost and maintenance
must be betrayed from its trade and commerce.
When we cast our eyes towards the shore Of sis
ter State and there behold
A FOREST OF BLENDED MAsTs AND SPIRES
standing as monuments of the improvldence and
nertness with which the public affairs OF the city
have OF late been conducted we are sensbly ad
monished that a revival of the wise and liberal
system OF municipal enterprise which established
the prosperity now enjoyed Is our interest well
as our duty With this conviction thoroughly
necessity OF experimenting their present business
| facilities by the present Improvement OF both
channel through to the Hudson. But 1t is evident
! that
UNDER SINGLE MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY
only can this improvement be successfully accom-
plished. Already have the members OF the West
! chester County Board of Supervisors. represent.
ing the agricultural towns beyond the anne ation
district succeeded in passing resolutions in Oppo-
sitiOn to the views and interests OF our nearer
neighbors ''over the bridge" nstructng the Sena-
|
county In the Legislature OF the State to vote Tor
the repeal of all laws providing for bridges or tun
| nes to be constructed over or under Harlem River.
This action Of the Supervisors of
| THE AGRICULTURAL TOWNS OF wEsTCHEsTER
COUNTY
reveals the situation as it actually exists They
| do not sympathise with the improvement of the
| Harlem River so long as their pockets are to con-
tribute towards II to the extent Of dollar, WHILE
on the other hand, the town to be annexed, pos
sessing, as it does the water front OF It's further
shore. bears with the city common interest in the
matter and it is evident that it share with the
city common destiny respecting It.
-. Moreover, cur citizens July appreciate the fact
mostly their former neighbors and fellow citizens
and that many OF them are yet doing
the citys present boundaries. Without other
aid and by means OF local taxation and
tories municipal organizations, with streets, ave.
nues and b0dlevards well lighted and regulated,
presenting, In the aggregate, the attributes OF mo
THE RISE OF VALUES,
as already exempllned in the city's progress, the
annexation and consequent improvement OF those
| sections will, no doubt enhance the value OF Har
lem real estate as rapidly as Harlem and Yorkville
wnen emerging rom taelr village c0nditions en-
the confident assurance that the towns to be an
| nexed will, through their own enhancement and
| in business reciprocity make ample compensation
In RETURN the city cheerfuly gives its approval to
| the measure.
The relative merits or dement's, as the case may
| be, of the
Two SYSTEMS OF MAKING AWARDS AND ASSESSMENTS
in street openings and improvements, as ex-
| emplifed in the two reports lately filed in the
Department OF Public Works by the Commits
sOners for opening the new drive from 155th
street to Inwood street on the one hand and
the Commissioners for widening the Kingsbrldge
road from 155th street to Spuyten Duyvil creek on
the other. forms topic OF lively interest and con-
versatiOn among the property-owners interested
| in general and the real estate operators in Pine
| street in particular. We find that
| THE KTNGsBRIDGE ROAD COMMISSIONERS
| are accused Of partiaity and favOritism in their
awards; but this may arise from each individual
property.holder thinking tas they always dol that
neighbors. The strong point made against them
| Is In the mode OF laying the assessments, which,
apart from its Injustice, is by many considered to
be illegal.
In laying the assessments for this Improvement
the Commissioners have first assessed each lot on
the line at definite fixed $3.50, we believe),
so that party owning a lot at the lower end,
worth q ooo only pays seven per cent OF It's value
worth 81 1000, pays twenty-eight per cent OF its
value. This is so manfestly unjust and unequltable
most strenuous opposition. Then, again, they
have extended their area OF assessment, as Is COIN
DONE too large ana
avenue, which can hardly be said to be
benefited by the Improvement, inasmuch
city. resident on this avenue would have no
more idea OF driving over to the Kingsbridge road
to come to the city than a citizen on the last
named thoroughfare would think OF coming to the
| Tenth avenue for similar PURPOSE. The assess
ment is also extended to 145th street, half mile
south OF the
| COMMENCEMENT OF THE IMPROVEMENT,
and the residents within that area cannot possibly
be benefited thereby, except In general way as the
whole city is enhanced, and as they have to bear
their general proportion Of what Is laid tOne-hal)
upon the city at large, they feel that they have
right to complain. The whole system OF overlap
| ping and interacing assessments OF this kind IS
improper and unjust.
The Commissioners for the
NEW DRIVE, OR NORTHERN BOULEVARD,
divided the whole line OF Improvement under
their charge into sections Of $4,000 square feet
| 500 linear feet; then fixing maximum value at
the lower end and minimum rate for the upper
end they obtained regular ratio OF decrease
| for each section, OF which there we're twenty
eight thirty; then calculating the area falling
within each section as 1t belonged to every owner,
they multiplied the number OF square eet be-
I longing to him by the rates of value per square
| foot belonging to that section and the amount
made up the award, even to the fractional part
| cent In
LEvYING THE ASSESSMENTS
one half as In the other case, was laid