The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-01

To THE EDITOR or rHE HKRALp:-
Tue question whether the Riverside Park I'm
proyement Is "a swlnde,n as declared In = re-
cent article OF = morning contemporary. II one
which admits OF some debate. II 1t IL true, as the
records OF the city seem snow, that the adIoin-
Ing property owners have been assessed for tnis
work over 81, 900, O0o-to be exact ta,1o4 47e-tne
most Of which they paid into the city treas
urI years ago, and upon any unpaid part OF which
they are now paying twelve per cent nterest, and
II u be true that under the pretence that this Inn
provement had greatly increased the value OF
property in Its vicinity the city has for several
years been extracting from the pockets OF these
same property owners an Increased tax revenue,
lredicated upon these assumed Increased valua-
tons. 30 tnat by direct Assessments and by in-
creased taxation these property owners have
pad within lew thousand dollars the whole cost
OF the para, then suretv 1t il a serious question
whether a cool proposition TO refuse 20 make sucn
Improvement or 20 suspend its execution Tor an
INDEFINITE period, wnIle the money Is retained in
the treasury aud the taxation goes on, - not a
proposition 20 swindle our citizens instead Of
gain nothing by acting IA cad latin toward any
part OF the codntry, still less toward her own peo
pie. Reputation Is as intoleraoie In city gov.
eminent as IN state or national government II
we would win 10 US capital and business men
meat or their mouey and enterprise here we must
snow the sane regard Tor honor, integrity and
good fam Ia the standardization OF our city arairs
as we exact from the nation and we iusist
upon IN oil fair dealing between man ana man.
Now, N theAe property owners nave been as.
sessed So 000, 900 tor the "benenn supposed 10 be
derived from toe Riverside PARK, AMI nave been
Compelled 10 pay that assessment, aud n the city
has exacted rom them nearly 5000 600 more in
the form oil taxes upon Increased Valuations as n
the Improvement were actually made, u seems 70
TO be tue dictate VI tue simplest justice not TO
say honor and uecency, that tile Improvement
should be made; otherwise IL amounts to little
less than the en- Orced cOnnscatlon Of toe properly
OF our cluzens. cannot listen 10 the suggestion
that 10 carry out this I'm pied contract on the
/ part OF tue city to MAKE tnie Improvement may
increase the CITY deJt Tnat was July understood
wnen the work was nrst undertaken. II the ctty
was not willing 90 undertake tnat risk she should
have stopped at tue outset Many or the per.
sons assessed we're earnest opp0sers OF the worK
at tue beginning, but they we're overruled. Tue
\ city determined TO 90 the w0rk, has laid me
assess ent ana enforced Its payment and now II
4 IL under every legal anu moral oblsa ion 10 con.
Y Ter the Denent Tor which IL has exacted aud
Il received tao moneY. u ~ somewhat curious
\ circu instance that the cher opposition 70 this
i measure comes now from tie very persons whv
\ we're Chiefly instrumental IN originally devlsiu z
4 ana encouraging the verY work which tney no n
seek 70 deleat.
/ But IL il certain that this Improvement within
proper UNITS Will not substantially increase either
the city DEBT the DurIen Uf taxpayers, but Will
ultimately relieve bOtn. The whole west siGe ais
trlct - now essentially improved. les Improve
/ ment anges mainly upon the compleuon Of
Eighth and Riverside avenues AL the aide streets
/ tetminats nson them, ana TIE wheA sswasa@s