The New York herald., 1875-09-19
A City Burdened with Taxation and
MiSgOverned by BIunderers.
WHAT IT is AND WHAT 1T SHOULD BIZ,
Comparisons Between the Systems of
Paris London and Gotham.
No Docks, Slow Transit, Dirty Streets and
Ignorance in Office.

pect to keep pace with the times in matters of
financial and social progress Whatever may have
been accomplished in the past the present state of
things in New York disgrace the whole city and
deserves prominent publicity well for reprobation
as for remedy. The city government may choose to
perpetuae the muddle into which municipal affairs
have long sunk and persons may delight in the
confusion, but the who pay for all have the NOR
tcation Of seeing in the along the roadside
how persstenty the Of the people continue to
leave those things undone which they ought to have
done" The truth is seldom to hit upon the
rght method and never get hold of the right The
present government has certainly not been more for
tunate than its predecessors in municipal improve
ments Indeed, great expense and Inconvenience have
been endured long enough to make patience forsalle
the taxpayer, especially when he examines the ques
on, Chow does the administration of New York in its
various departments compare with that of large
cities such Paris London ?n We venture TO think
that an unfavorable conclusion will be formed by any
who takes the trouble TO make the comparison
In coming this conclusion have only to deal with
facts and figures.
The taxes levied in New York last year averaged
$35 for every man, woman and child. Large this
sum must appear at FIRST sight, it becomes enormous
when compared with the city expenses of Paris
another great city, where public works under the
third Empire carried out on a scale of great
grandeur and magnitude. Taking the last year of the
Empire 1SGo-7o when taxation was heaviest we find
that in Paris the average amount of taxation per head
S24 so, being about $40 so less than that of New
York last year 1t might be supposed, however that
from this extra $40 SO paid by the citizens ofNew York
they received greater value brief survey of values
received by the citizens of New York and Paris re.
spectively will show that such is not tho
case. With lower rate of taxation in
years than that given above, Paris being
transformed, under the direction of Baron Haussmann
from of crooked and dark, dngy unwholesome
buildings into of the cleanes handsomest hghtest
and healthes cities in the world Broad finely built
avenues cut through the drearest and foulest
portions OF the old city and the old rookeries replaced
by long lines of handsome buildings. lnnumerable
public buildings bridges and markets were con-
structed and the Bos de Boulogne was turned into
magnificent park When reflect that the only public
works worthy of attention in New York the Central
Park and the Post Office we cannot fail to be
struck with nleriority in this respect In coming
to the question of streets arrive at the lowest depths
of our humiliation; go where we may there is not
decent, welkept road to be found Our pavements
VILE the cleaning OF the streets is done in most
defective manner sewerage is bad and the streets
badly lighted
How different in this respect the we'll constructed
bouevards and streets of Paris and London, many
in New York it has become the exception to find a
square yard any of main which does con
tain within its ahole varying from two to six inches
in depth Countless evils result from this condition of
the streets Filthy water and vegetable matter OF all
kinds are allowed to accumulate and undergo decompo-
stion in the holes and ruts and thus portions of
the city made deadly peril to the community
This condition Of the streets is not only impediment
to carriage traffic of every kind, but also serious
Of discomfort to loot passengers especially in
rainy weather. when may witness the most wonder
full acrobatic performances by ladies and gentlemen
anxious to avoid being immersed to their ankles in
mud Too often their efforts unavailins, and they
only escape puddle to find themselves struggling in
another.
1t is somewhat singular that in this matter Of pave
monts moderns inferior TO the ancients The
Carthagirians, who first invented paved roads made
highways superior to any in this country and the roads
Of the ancient Peruvians have never been equacd by
modern engineers. The roads in and the Central
Park the only credtable in New York There
is why Fifth should not be macad
amized. 1t has been said by way of objection
that heavy vehicles destroy macadamized roads
That such is not the may be in Paris,
where macadamzed roads are constantly travelled on
by the heaviest Let the pavement Of Flh ave-
be ntrusted to the Park Commissioners and We
New York is so situated that drainage is an easy
matter compared with the obstacles encountered and
overcome by the authorities of London and Paris; but
nevertheless system Of sewerage is much inferior
to that of either Of these foreign capitals The grand
trunk Of Paris is 10 feet broad 4 feet high and
2JS miles long A visit to the east side of New York
will convince any one that sewers require imme-
date attention.
There few things that strike traveller more on
reaching New York than the comparative absence from
the streets of ''cabs" publ. carriages We may
pride ourselves horse car system; but he is
fortunate who finds it possible to obtain seat on
getting into car, the is supposed to be
too full to take up another passenger The advantage
Of the ''cab'-that Is, the possibility of travelling
in any direction and delaying at pcasure-renders
it, If properly and Cheaply conducted, great public
convenience. In New York the charge for carrying
person any distance exceeding mile is hfty
cents the fare for tho distance in London being
about twenty cents. For carrying two passen-
gers tho distance, the charge IN London would
be the same; here it would be seventy-hve cents. If
hired by the hour the result is much the same New
Yorker has pay, least 81 hour, while in Lon
don he would only pay cent or two half that
sum. If we tarn to Paris we find better and
cheaper system than that of London The prices as
fixed by law here much over double the Parsian
rates and it is also notorious that the ordinance
pletely ignored by hackmen. The fares really
just what the driver chooses to ask.
1t is impossible to stroll along the wharves of
North and East without feelings Of strong dis
gust and humiliation. We ask ourselves the question,
'What has been done to improve the magnificent watar
front Of great commercial cityf" Nothing
worse than nothing Is II not possible to replace the
164 unsighty wooden piers which now disgrace
rivers, by series Of substantial stone docks prop
of wharves have a wooden covering sufficiently
substantial for the protection Of merchandise For
marked contrast 10 dock system need only glance
at Of the Thames dock companies Each company
comprises -four Eve distinct basins with canals COM
municating between them. The London Dock Com
panys docks and premises, Tor instance, cover sur
fco Of $50 Tho largest vessels aaoat may