The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-08
Necessity for Vigorous Prosecution Of Up-
town Improvements.
GREEN'S OBsTRUCTIvENEss.
New Streets Demanded to Provide for
Dwellings Of Increasing Population
WORK FOB UNEMPLOYED LABORERS.
Property Owners, Who Pay The Bills, Urgent
for the Work 10 Progress.

Properly UwncrS, VINO ray INC Bills, Urgenl
for The Work 10 Progress.
In the letter Of resignation Of Mr.. Van Nort tho
hte Commissioner OF Public Works, ne calls the
attention OF the Mayor to the communications
Buomitted by him regarding the more important
objects which had OF late attracted the attention
Of the department.. ana in which the future pros
perity and growth OF the city Is largely
centred. Among these objects were the I'M
provements in the upper portion OF the
city. The communications were originally
submitted before MAJOR Wickham had entered
upon the duties OF his ONCE. and with view TO
his intelligent appreciation OF the exact condition
Of the public works should he desire submit
any recommendations or theories concerning
them. He did not see ut, however, In MS lnaug.
nrsl Message 10 make any allusiOn 10 them and
as q result the carefully prepared and exhaustive
discussion OF these important topics By MIR. Van
Mort, whose long experience In the department
enables him to SPEAK with intelligence and author
ity. as not heretofore been made public. The
following Is the full textof the communication on
UPTOWN IMPROVEMENTS.
DEPARTMENT or PUBLIC WORKS.
COMMISSIONERS OFFICE ROOM 10, CITY HALL.
Hon, WILLIAM Fl. WIcKHAN MayOr.elect OF the
city VI New York.
DEAR SIR desire to present for your consider
Rtion o brief review OF the present condition OF up
town Improvements and my views as TO the ncces-
Bty OF o more systematic and vigorous prosecu-
tion o: the same than has been or could be had
during the first three years under existing laws
and combln atiOn.of circumstances.
Among our intelligent citizens, and especially
among property owners, there is no diversity Of
opinion AS 10 the commanding necessity Of o more
rapid prosecution OF street improvements. They
q he
respect Is the principal cause OF the migration Of
our population and wealth to the neIghboring
regions OF New Jersey, Long Island and West
chester county. or the entire area OF the city
west and north OF the Central Park, which Is capa.
BILE OF accommodating q population or at least
100000, less than ten per cent Is available Tor
occupation, because It Is without streets, except
On paper, and wi.aout sewerage or otner Deces-
sary improvements. The natural consequence Is
Ieen In the difference In the rate oil increase
D population between this city and the neighboI
ing counties OF New Jersey ana Long Island.
From 1860 to 1870 The Increase OF population IN
New York was sixteen per CEN, while IN Kings
county and in the oofder counties Of New Jersey
1t was sixty per cent; and the difference IN the
lncreasooi actual wealth Is even greater. From
the best information and statistics to be obtained
Il lie evident that the aversion OF population aud
wealth IRON the city TO its suburbs has been
greater curing the East three years than at any
previous period. simply because the rate OF
progress IN improvements has been less than ever
before, when compared with the demands OF the
population.
OF the cost OF street improvements to be made
in the district between Flity-nlnrh ana l55th
streets, Only small portion IS to be borne by the
city. ana The bulk OF 1t VIII! be assessed on the
propertj Tlis fact should efectually correct the
false impression, created principally by the EFFORTS
OF the Finance Department, that these improve.
ments Will involve any considerable increase TO
permanent city debt. But even though the cost
TO the city were greater than 1t will actually be, 1t
would still be gamer by the execution VI these
worSs, by the consequent enhancement OF value
Of taxable property and a corresponding Increase
in revenue. This increase in taxable values would
be so great that, allowing Tor liberal increase in
municipal expenditures, the rate OF taxation could
still be materially reduced, thus making every
lndlvidual taxpayer THROUGHOUT the city gamer
by The improvements. This production OF the
prospective growth OF wealth Is not q mere mat
ter Of speculation or surmlse. but Is amply war
ranted by STATISTICS OF past experience. Flom
1860 to 1873 the tag valuation OF property north
81 Fortieth street was increased from S42 743, GOO
TO $3.50, os, 900, or than $50 per cent. During
me same period the increase In valuation south
Of Forrieh street was less tnan 100 per cent. This
increase OF uptown values was due to such i'm.
provements as have actually been made and to
the promises OF the Central PARK Commissioners
that the whole system OF uptown improvements
Is adopted by them should be speedily prose-
cuted. How much greater would It have been II
these promises had been fulfilled and the many
thousand yet vacant building lots were made
available for occupation? Yet the efforts OF the
Department Of Public Works TO push forward the
uptown street improvements have met with the
most strenuous
OPPOSITION FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT
and this, Also in the lace oil the most earnest re.
quests for progress on the part Of the property
owners, who are to pay, and are anxious 70 pay
Tor them. By the familiar cry that their prOsecu.
sit would involve large increase in the city debt,
the Comptroller has succeeded In enlisting the
sympathy OF those who merely take su.
pernclal view OF the matter. and have not
the inclination or capacity for sufficient in
vestieation to discover, nor tho foresight to
perceive The material advantages to puolic as
well rs private interests OF a more liberal policy
in public Improvements and are either wilfully or
helpiessy ignorant OF the fact that the costs OF
these improvements are almost entirely borne by
the property adjoining them and cannot be
charged to the permanent debt OF the CITY. The
owners Of vacant uptown property have very
substantial reasons Tor demanding that their
streets and avenues be improved, though they are
to be assessed Tor the cost. They are now paying
taxes on property which Is entirely unproductive
IT they could build upon and occupy or let their
ands they could better afford 10 pay double their
present taxes. They have paid heavy assess.
ments Tor the opening of stree and avenues
which lie still untouched and for parks which as
yet exist in name alone. The following Is list OF
some OF the assessments paid during the last Six
years by property owners north OF Filty-ninth
street, principally In the west side district, be-
tween Ftynnth and 155th streets, west and
north OF Central Park:-
LIST or ASSESSMENTS.
lAmf