The New York herald., 1877-01-23
Tn. r.sur. OF New York CITY.

markable will result from the conference to
take place to-day between Mayor Ely and
prominent citizens An interchange of
views between the new Mayor and repre-
sentatives of the property holders and busi-
ness interests of the city will, no doubt be
of some assistance to Mr.. Ely in estimating
the public sentiment which may promote
or obstruct his measures, and may
also give him valuable hints as to
what steps may now be wisely taken for
improving the government and fostering
the growth Of this metropolis; at any rate, it
serves to call attention to great and lmpor-
tant subject, and our readers will accept it
as an excuse for suggestions relating to this
great seat of commerce.
The points on which we desire to fix atten-
ton are few in number, but of fundamental
consequence as landmarks OF q sound muni-
cipal policy The thing most to be depre-
Gated is the narrowness Of view which re-
suits from surveying great and complex
subject on only one of its several Sides
To illustrate what we mean we will
select two ideas. each sound in
ITSELF which are more likely to be
brought into conflict to the injury of the
city than any others-namely, the idea of
economy and the idea of improvement Asa-
gacious and foreseeing policy must reconcile
the two. No two ideas come into such easy
collision. improvements cost money and
bring burden or a mortgage on property;
and vet it would be false and mistaken
economy which should arrest all large
schemes of improvement and merely pro-
vide for imme ediate wants. In the present
temper Of the public mind, resulting from
the depression of business and real estate,
retrenchment of expenditures will not
want advocates, and we will begin
our statement with glance at the other side
of the question. We assume that this city
has great destiny, provided there is some
thing of statesmanlike breadth in its mu-
nicipal policy. But such policy must look
beyond mere facilities for the transaction Of
business, paramount and indispensable as
these certainly are. The metropolis must
furnish means of enjoying fortunes as well
as of acquiring them, and whatever adds to
its social attractiveness is solid element
/ able place of residence on the Western con-
tinent, and there is no reason why it may
not grow to be one of the most desirable in
the world for people of wealth, taste and
culture. Since the opening of the Erie
Canal, which gave the first decided impetus
to the growth of the city, how many great
fortunes have been made here in trade by
persons who went to Europe to enjoy their
wealth! We must acknowledge our debt to
European capital and European houses for
aid in promoting the growth of the city and
building it up as great centre of trade, nor
can we blame their owners for retreating
with their wealth to the more pleasant capi-
tails of the Old World. But had they all pur-
| chased land and erected fine mansions on
this island, what an immense contribution
it would have been to the value of our
taxable real estate! We are not so
Quixotic as to expect that this will ever be
very different, or that ties of nationality,
language and early association will be
broken, and we allude to the subject merely
in one place and enjoy it in another. Our
vast and prosperous country abounds in
fourishing cities where enterprise and busi-
ness capacity find great rewards, and there
will be constantly growing tendency for
wealthy families from all parts of the
American continent to fix their residence
in New York, or to spend the whole or a
part of every year here, for the sake
of our parks, our drives, our places of
amusement, our social entertainments,
and the advantages of intercourse
with large circle of cultivated people. There
will be hardly any limit to the future value
of real estate in the upper part of the island
when it comes to be competed for by people
of great wealth from all parts of
the country. A narrow and niggardly
policy respecting tasteful public improve
ments would be penny wise and pound
foolish.
Another class Of improvements comprises
docks and facilities for commerce. In rela-
tion to these we suppose there can be no diff
erence of opinion except as to the proper rate
of progress. The present time is not favorable
for heavy expenditures of any kind; but, on
the other hand, the city should move steadily
even if slowly in furtherance of measures to
keep and extend it's trade Money expended
on docks and terminal facilities will come
back sooner than that devoted to parks and
public drives, although both will be repaid
tenfold in the end. The city must not at.
tempt to go too fast, but it must never halt
in its ceaseless march toward imperial great
ness in commerce and metropolitan attrac-
tiveness as place of residence A true
economy will not block the wheels Of prog
ress, but will take good care that improve.
ments are not made cover for swindling,
either on great or small scale 1t is