The New York herald., 1878-03-29

pleted and confirmed on tho Goth OF June. 1s47 The
value oil the lands taken was awarded at 500 w. Tug
whole OF which, with and charges swelling .hc
total to $40, 743, imposed upon and paid by the
owners OF ,s25 lots assessed for benefit
Madison square completed the local group oil squares
In the sixteenth, Eighteenih twentieth and Twenty
hrst wards. which. in their proximity, exertea
united influence in raising the taxable value Of all tue
rcnl estate in those adjacent wards
Ia this more densely peopled portion OF the metrop-
OILS we rst discern automatically the potent innu
ehce Of open squares IN dinusing large elements OF
value throughout the lands IN their vicinity. Tnis
VIII be strikinsy manifest by comparing the chrono-
logical prosress of the assessed values o the rca es-
tate In the four wards In question -
In ls56 tho aggregate cwas........... $9l, 5OS 90
In 1865 II increased dto.............. ia. Il6,304 04S5O
IN loIO " Increased TO. o............. $50 649 lvO
In 1875 IL Increased to............. 10. 205. SOL 500
Nor true that this increase from syl. 5Oa325 to
szoo o90 (oeing more than l20 cent? was wholly
owing to corresponding increase OF population. In
point Of act tue increase IN population in that period
Was cny rom ioozo' IN 1903 10 25S 100 In lSo-less
From lsi6 10 1858 the opening or public squares in
the CITY oil New YORK wns utterly piraiy that
the the OF that broad belt OF The city
from Twenty sixth street 10 Seventy seventh street,
embracing iour square miles, wcrc built on an ARID
plain, scanned with rocks, without place,
with the single exception OF what is called Reservor
square,, occupying portion Of certain lands boong
Ing absolutely 10 the CITY, on Forty second street.
The renewal OF the public works OF the Stale In
1858 operated with magical effect reanimato with
law for establishing the great .spubc place, from
FIFTY ninth street to 106th street. since called "Cen
ings hnnlly confirmed on the LIST of February 1856.
THIS was followed by the opening TO l1Otn street Of
tho extension Central Park, in April 1883 which
increased It's TO $50 l5lO0 acres by tho
oil Morning Side Park, OF 81 23-lOO acres on the 2st6
Of July, 1870, aud the opening of Riverside Park con.
tanning 80 $500 acres, on tho 18TH oil July, 1872
BY the tabuialed statement herewith furnished Il
Will be soen that the far to tho city
trail Park and Its extension Morning Side Park and
Riverside Park, cmbracng In all area 900 l2l 90
acres, now amounts only 10 So 727 l41 while tho
assessed ana paid by individuals amount to 5S29 S3
To the sum thus pad by the city should, however DO
added the amounts expended 1855 for laying out
and embellisning tho intcrlor OF the parks, DsIng
nearly $10, ,000, 900. presenting total OF about
$40 900 0O0 Tor which the CITY incurred funded
debt drawing yearly interest but little exceeding
ON the other hand, it will be found that the city
treasury has gained ny tho scady ncroas ng taxable
value OF real cstate north OF ForIeh street, US fol-
lows
Iu 1855 it assessed at............. $2s 43S CSC
In 1865 II WINS assessed dat............. 81 OPS $50
IN 1870 II was assessed dat.......... al 1732l2, 6l5
In 1875 IT was assessed AZ. 24S 59l, 963
generous, To the individual of the &C. 2I9 lots
shown by the table, whose money contributions in
assessments Tor tho So $40 s37 have furnished
siderable portion OF the seed for harvest thus
enormous.
or tho yearly taxes of so4s, 5ol, 1868 paid for 1875
on the lots north OF F0rteth street. 1922 23 WAS
paid the 53 204 lots bewceu Fifty ninth street ana
155th street, where tho Ninth avenue crosses tho
Harlem RIVER being ing At The average. 200, or III
buildings. OF tnoso 204 lots about 20 900 must
havo been occupied by tne buildings required for tho
may eventually be covered with buildings fairly 10 30
estma.ed Tor purposes OF taxation, ut not loss than
$4,000 eacn. The Increuse they would add. ut
$4,000 each TO our present fiscal RESOURCES would We
at least $232, 42S, 900.
The average tax valuation 1875 the H. 1856 lots
and buildings between Twenty-s,xth and Forlcth
Streets was 81, 704
IL II shall be thought that considerable portion of
the milton TO DO added to our population may
prefer eroct cheaper dwellings, IN the ne wly ac-
qurcd wards north OF the Harlem River, .vaucd for
taxation IN 1875 ouiy So, 9O6 1885, 1t need only be
SAID that tins magnificent annexation, adding at cast
$4,000 acres 10 The area OF our metropolitan CITY, will
furnish la 900 lots OF ordinary sizc which, If prop
eriy intorspcrscd with suburban parks OF moderate
szc and COST justly and lborally managed will cor.
tainy add, long before tho close OF tue next hftv
years ut least tenfold the valuation OF 1875 TO our
taxable resources.
II will only be adued, IN conclusion, that our me-
tropos has now reached most interesting period IN
It's history Tho lime has come when tho public NJ en-
OF the present active generation fully profit by the
lesson Ol tho past II VIII now DO rare privilege
seasonaby and actively to aid, by thcir counsel and
cooperation Inc vast formative process by which our
metropolitan city Is eventually and inevitably des.
tined, amid all Its vicss,u udes. TO reach, under tho
Providence OF God It's full maturity and proper RANK
among the greatest OF the OF commerce in the
CHRISTIAN world. SAMUEL B. RUGGLES
NEW YORK, March 16, 1878