The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-08

streets and avenues. parks and places were ma de
Comptroller, Andrew II. Green. These projected
improvements and the dement's they would confer
were heraldeo and euloglZed In elaborate reports
published by the PARK Commission. In December,
1863, Mr.. Green, 10 an oticai report, when he
made IS Comptroller OF the Contra Park pre-.
city would be 1000, 600: Has this prediction been
realized mus lar: II not why has II not beeng
owners, engendered by the adoption OF plans Tor
improvements and BY the acquisition Of the
menls Ah have been paid, nave been u.
terlv disappointed oy the failure 10
FIFTY ninth and l55th streets there are twenty
eight miles OF streets and thirteen miles OF
chased by the city Tor public use, the property
owners paying INTO the city treasury the millions
these lands but upon which no work has yet oeen
aone to make them streets and avenues IN TACT as
well a. IN name. the Riverside ana Morningslde
avenues and parks, which cost the property
owners over S4,OoO,OO0 are still In o condition as
primitive as the remotest wilderness on this con-
tneni 1t would be neither favorltIsm or gener.
osity, but simply justice to the property owners
who nave paid tnclr assessments and are paying
heavy taxes to 20 on with the improvements and
put II IN their 90 er 70 make tneir properly
remuneratve by building upon 1t. Had this been
done We would oe IN . Iair way OF realizing Mr..
Green's preoction OF the growth of population
and 1t can yet be realized II new departure Is
taken tlat VIII do away win the hindrances aud
overcomc the ADVERSE in nuences that nave Tor The
past three years existed. restoring confidence
among the real estate owners aud capitalists
more rapid progress Ill improvement, 8 and the
DEvELOPMENr OF OUR uNoCCuPiED rhRRIToRY.
Unnecessary delay IN the prosecution of ion.
provements Tor which assessments are to be ievicd
causes pecunlary loss to the city ny heiaying the
collection OF assessments and Increasing the ten.
pOrary or asses ment fund debt, ana the amount
or interest ON the same. Delays IN the connrma-
ton or assessments such as have occurred dur
Section i OF chapter sos Of the Laws OF 1861 le.
qulies the Boaid Of Revision and Correction Of
within thirty days rom the Ime they are leceivea
by that Board, aud provides that In case OF the
assessment snail re considered confirmed and
placed IN the hands oil tbs Collector OF ASSESS
mems for collection. TINS provision OF law has
been totally dlsregarded. In some instances years
nave lntervened between the certlhcatlon or the
act OF an Improvement ana the receipt OF the
assessment lust 10y the Collector OF Assessments.
prieI review OF the legislation ia relation 10
street improvements generally, and particularly
IN relation 10 uptown improvements, VIII assist
you Ill arriving at correct estimate OF the Obsta
cts ana adverse influences which nave combined
to reIard progress. Eacn successive charter Tor
tnIs city has conferred upon the Common Council
the power to order the Improvement OF streets
and avenues oy resolution and ordinance. direct
work, ana any deviation from TINS fundamental
soners OF the Central Park or any other prantn Of
the city government was by special enac ment
Pitor 10 the passage OF the charter OF 1870 Inc
Street Commissioner ana The CrOtOn Aqueduct
Department were the executive authorities who
carried out the ordinances OF The Ct mmon Council
that act the Department. OF Pubic Parks sue
ceedeu 10 all their powers and duties. The following
Central Park To lay out and make
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE UPPER PART OF THE CITY,
independent vi the Common Council or anv other
authority. Chapter 1913 OF the Laws OF 1859 d.
rected the commissioners OF the Central Park to
lay out ana regulate Seventh avenue north OF ll0tn
street TO the width OF $50 lcet; chapter 275 OF the
Laws o, 1864 amending the ABOVE ac., extended the
power granted to the commissioners so tar as to
lneiude the grading sewertng and paving OF tie
avenue in sucn manner as tney mlghC deem expo
dent; chapter 664 OF the Laws OF 1865 PROVIDED
tor ne widening ana imp owing OF sixth avenue
seventh avenue; chapter sos OF .he Laws Of 1865
directed the lssloners of the Central Park TO
lay out and Improve tue Boulevard or pup
lie drive, and TO lay out Streets roaus.
avenues, parAs and places aud TO improve
Che same at heir discretion III all that part VI
the CITY North 0, l55n street.; chapter S67 vi III.
Laws OF 1866, directed tue commissioners TO lay
wloen. extend and improve Manhattan street;
ana empowered then " carly on all sucn I'M
inignt Gcem eXpeoeot. Under chap:er 6Y7. o1 tue
Laws Of 1857, tue commissioners I'll the Central
Park were autLor,Zed anu directed TO lay out
streets, avenues, parks ana places III the district
known as tue West Slue, lying west oil the Eighth
avenue AMI DC ween FIT, .n,nth and l55tn streets,
were added the power to regulate, grade, pave
and otherwise Improve Any st,eer, avenue or
road bounding aud surrounding any pubic square
Or pace 50 iaId out III TINS a,s'rlct. By chapter
s72 OF the Las Of 1872 the powers ana dulles
vested IN the Department OF Parks, the successor
or the Central Fark Commission, IN relation W
streets roads anu avenues north Of Fiits
partment vi Pubic WorKs.
AT the time OF TINS TRANSFER The grading and 81.
perstructure OF Slxtn avenue north OF ll0tn street.
had Deen completed. and the Improvement OF tn;
Sevehth avenue, the Boulevard, Eighth avenue,
ST. Nicholas ana Teuth avenues. north OF l55tn
street. were IN progress. fncse works " ere ener-
gctlcaily prosecuted toward completion under my
direction. Tue organization aud peIsonnel OF the
engineering, clerical anu iaDOrlng force emp. Dyed
on them. as II was nanueU uOwu rom the cen raj
PARK COMMISSION 30 the Depar iment OF Parks. apd
from that 10 tnis de Lartihent, was Kept intact
except that 1t was gradually reuuced ia numbers
AS tue several WORKS approached completion. he
Improvement OF Riverside avenue aud me ave.
nues bordering the Morningslde PARK was
also taken IN hand ana continued until The
passage o! the cnarter, Ayrn 80, 1873, oy
amended by chapter 757, Laws OF 1879 the
authority to oroer Tie Improvement or all streets
and avenues reverted to the Common Cvunci.,
wnereupon | immediately ordereu a SUSPENSION
o, the work. That taero mgnt he no ciuse Ior
questioning the legality OF Tue assessments Tor
ADOPTED ny the Comm0u Council directing tins
departmens TO proceed win the work. nut tue
holding Ia MS Message tnat ms provisions vi the
charter we're 50 ooscu'e IN this suoject TO leave
IL doubtful whefher Tue Common Council naa any
control over these avenues. since the passage or
the CHATTER Of 1913 no Iurtner legislation mas Deen
last win CT, anu no lurtner WORK has been done
on these avenues ihe,r IMP Ovement IS essentiaI
or imaginary cause for doubt as to the authority
TO carry on aud complete the work should We
removed.
WORK ACCOMPLISHED,
Meantime the department has used all possible
despatch consistent with economy in he prosecu-
tlVn OF the wvrks commenced unuer the fark ad.
Infnlstratlon anu transferred ny the act 1877.
Tue Boulevard, rom Fiity-ninth street to both
street; Sevcnth avenue from ll0Gu street 70 the !
Harlem Rivers avenue st. NicnOlas, no 1l0tn
street 70 l5jIh street, and Tenth avenue, from
155th to l94tn street. nave ucen completed; l55tn
street from avenue u. Nicholas to tac Hudson
kivcl, are near completion. The rOadwa have I
been constructed on the Tellord.McAGam plan ana
are universally admireu. Under ordinances oil the I
Common Council. seventy second street, rom
Elgntn avenue TO the kivefsldc Drive, ana l45tn !
street, rom seventh avenue TO tue Boulevard, !
have also been macadamlzcd and work Is IN prog !
ress ON Ninth avenue, rom l25d To l26th street.
and on l22d street, rom Tenth avenue To tho !
Riverside Drive. BY chapter 52o Of The laws OF /
1873, an act passed by The Legislature at the I'M
mediate nsugation OF the property owners,
Mr.. Crar,, the President Oi he East /
side Association, being member OF
the Assembly and having the oil IN
cnargc. It was made mandatory on this Depart
mcnC 10 proceed with the construction OF the .
eastern Boulevard, which embraces The following
avenues ana streets:-Avenue A. IrOIu fiity-sev- (
en- 10 Elgnty.sixth street, anu from li6tn street
TO tue harIcm River: avenue u. rom seventy