New-York tribune., 1875-03-06
Uptown IMPROVEMENTS DEFENDED.

UPTOWN IMBEONEMENlO DDf LNDED.
MEETING OF THE PARK CoMMIssIoNEEs-EtPoRro OF
COMMISSIONER MARTIN on UPTOWN WORKS
TIE ApvIs ,BIMTY OF THE EXPENDITURE OF
MONEY IN THE PROSECUTION OF IMPROVEMENTS
SOUGHT TO BE UPHELD BY sTATIsrICs-AIiis OF
THE DEPARTMENT.
At the meeting of the Commissioners of
Public Parks yesterday morning the Board directed that
te skating in tho Park should be discontinued for the
Winter as the ohangeabe weather rendered the expense
of cleaning great The captain o the PARK
Police vas SUSPENDED from March until the further
orders OF the Board ana the lieutenant placed in com
mand The causes OF the suspension do not In any way
compromise tie personal Integrity character Of the
captain report of red by Comm Ssioner ". L..
Mariiu ali outline OF which Is as follows:
tabular statement OF the yearly expenditures OF the
department. 1851 was first given The cost OF the
construction of Central Park Is charged ay s9Jl133y
and maintenance at sjI3S9O'. Tue tola! txpendi'
lures the Board 70 the present year are s2 S 900
a general history Of the Board It's membership, work
and rCguEitIOns was gwen. FROM winch were drawn
these conclusions: o. TAat, compared with the years
G972 the expenditures Of the department have been
greatly reduced; ) The expenditures on me consruc-
tOn OF the Museums OF Art and or Natural History are
not TO be counted IN inc PcneIal expendurss OF te o.
partment as they are erected under special provisions
OF law 81 fhe work OF tue department extends over
as many subjects ut time heretofore except the
working Of roads and avenues; a. No new WORK has
been authorized by law since 1874 except that wch
suits from the annexation Of the Twenty hiri and
Twenty-fourth Wards. ami the depa Is not
initiating work. but carrying out previous ua
The report then showed the proportion Of cost borne
by the city and private property as well as the relative
benefit The cost OF improvements above FHty-nnth-
St. was stated at S2iSS Geo. Of which the city paid
sj077s priyao property s3l s324 table
n Increased taxation s2i99 73i Of TIE i3O77o63s ex
pended. leaving not outlay Dy the city OF only s51s
o05 The total TO was therefore s56,10
ass The estimated cOst of projected work at Central
PARK, Manhattan Square, Riverside and Mornng-ide
Parks Harlem River Bridge, titles 10 avenues, and
the completion OF museums OF art and natural history
was S. 900 On the basis at which openings and im
movements have been made between Fifty ninth and
yrthsts these projected improve
ments will cost sl20OOOo 1t being assumed that tue
nense of improvement work Will De assessed
Tbe civ viii receive for taxes on excess OF valuation
ON the Nineteenth, Twenty and Twelfth Wards,
beyond average increase OF value IN the rest Of the
cy the next i've years II computed at sisn27s in
1874 the sum OF S4 all but II the values as
during five years past the added receipts will be
ss6oO0OOO. Without this last allowance the account
would stand the expiration or the next five years
Net gain city over all outlay so9S695, and net
cost to prOperty-owners. .s29l64i5. The city Will
Of the Central and the Riverside and Morning
side Parks when WI and S %Ta tner yepT the the
sides tine great value to it OF these parks in other
the Increase Of taxation The property owners Will have
paid for direct Improvement OF their property. and
70 make it ready Tor occupation, the agsregats OF
ments make IL 50, viii be ready for occupation and
become productive. Tue report shows the Increase of
taxation that Will be consequent upon these improve
mens The assessed valuation Of the land In the
Wards above Forteth-st Is nov 40 the amount
stated above i5o0o0 ID only three per cent of The val
uatOD. q.
table shows the total valuation OF property In these
wards from 1860 10 1874 and estimates the
increase for rhe next c "pars as follows: For 1875.
9l5; for 1876 S333C 523 for 1877 sj572S7s35 for
1873 $af2jll32; Tor 1879, S4GiZC690 Ihese Valuations
would pe increased beyond ho above amounts II, by
preparing land FOR occupation, houses, 10 any
tent were erected III tJese houses had residents con-
tibuting also TO the payment OF taxes on personal
property, receipts for taxes would be further in
creased. In aspect tho amount OF revenue gained
by the city from this increase OF taxation VIII be very
great in proportion to the share IL contributes toward
tue cost of these improvements.
1t may he said that the completion OF these improve
ments viii not lead TO the occupation Of these uptown
vacant Wards unless they are made accessible by rapid
transit ana that the population will still migrate by the
hundred thousand TO NowJersey and Brooklyn, aud
thus escape taxation here, ana this may be true The
injury bears however solely upon the property owner,
whose property will remain unproductive IL will not
bear the city, for the tax assessors Increase their
steadily without regard " this, and without
regard the decline In speculative values. The valua.
tlons up aud down have eDce 1860. been