The New York herald., 1879-12-24
NO THOROUGHFARE

WHY MUST Pedestrians LEAVE THE SIDEWALKS
TO SUIT THE CONVENIENCE OF BUILDERS P
AN OFFICIAL EXPLANATION THAT FAILS TO
IMPROVE MATTERS.
Surely the Jefersonian spirit Of Independence
has ceased to exist in New York city. When our peo
pie in the street receive shower of dust from
passing cart they may growl little at the driver
but afterward shrug their shoulders and say 1--WE
are used to it, When they reach q crosswak
covered with refuse and dirt they to regard 1t
as . matter of course. and think they have no right
to expect anything different. When they find the
sidewalk fenced of in front Of some new building,
or perhaps heaped up with sand boards or mortar
they submissively roll up their pantaloons or lift
their dresses the case may be. and either climb
over the distractions or pass around them via
the cobble stones. No thinks of making
abo these nuisanccs unless be to sym.
pathizng neighbor and in the strictest confidence.
Ia the burden of such needless annoyances rendered
any the less by patient endurance are the people
of New York tired Of complaining? Certainly 1t is
very difficult to find responsible officer in this free
and glorious metropolis, . reporter of the HERALD
found out by experience. He was told to discover
the man or bureau department that was response
Bile for blockading the sidewalks in front OF now
buildings and after the fullest research and listening
to any quantity Of "oicial utterances he does not
quito see now how anybody is to blame nor how the
public help itself.
WHAT WE ENDURE.
It would seem as though the sidewalks were in.
tended to walk on and for the exclusive benefit
of the property on which they front Yet there are
scores Of blocks in the city where the reverse Is
maintained by practice and where hundreds of PEI
destrians must daily pilot themselves over blocks
Of stone and around beds Of mortar so that
. handful of builders may not be disturbed In
their individual pursuits. In the upper wards ara
whole blocks Of buildings. where the sidewalks
have been appropriated and no provision whatever
made for public travel Such thing in Paris or
London would almost provoke a mob. In the former
city builders compelled to do all their work in
side their lots and not upon tho public thorough
fare. There. too. they must run fence up in ad.
vance their walls, that not speck of dirt shall
fall upon the passers by. In London the regulations
are exactng. but sufficient to protect her citizens
from imposition At least part of the sidewalk ia
reserved for their use matter how large the
ture nor how broad the street A gentleman who saw
told the reporter that it fenced about that il
looked like giant pen of framework from without.
and no observer wonia nave tno@gns 50 great
builder of q three story tenement must hsve the
tire sidewalk and half the street to himself. The
reporter was informed by builder that the De-
partment of Public Works gave permits for the use
Of half the street where large buildings were being
called on Commissioners Campbell. The reporter
stated his case and asked If it true that that de-
partment granted such permits.
NOT OUR FAULT.
"Not true at all, sir" answered the Commissioners.
promptly. I'VE don't issue any permits of the
"And never haveY
mo. SIR"
"Then the builders permit tnemselvesT'
sWhereY'
Gall the CITY,"
II have not heard OF 1t.
"There are buildings going up in Harlem where
passageway is impossible except in the street or on
the opposite sidewalk. " added the reporter:
'Then the police do not perform their duty"
care they responsible?"
eyes, for the execution Of our ORDERS"
"What your Orders?"
"We only allow the builders the use OF ten feet
Of the street Formerly they were allowed twelve
feet, but aterly We have fixed it positively at ten
"And the sidewalks?"
"No portion of the sidewalk. If they are digging
beneath it we require them to build bridge over it
for foot passengers.
"In case they are not excavating you do not grant
them the use of the sidewalk at alp
"No. OF course there occasions when they
are Obliged to the sidewalk for o while-for in-
stance when they are carrying in an iron column
to put railing the walk for the safety OF the
public"
"Haye yen given such orders as you mention to
ave sent them to Superintendent walling''
"But you don't know If the patrolmen are aware
Of the regulations?"
"No. I suppose superintendent Walling attends
to his duty We have only two inspectors to be used
for such work. and they can't patrol the whole city,
We have to rely upon the police to report violations
to us, and then the Bureau Of Encumbrances will
correct them. wish that you any other citizen
would report all annoyances OF the kind you have
remedying matters. and if citizens won't do that
they will have to suffer so far as I can see.'
'But citizens think the Bureau of Encumbrances
Is organized for the special purpose OF keeping the
SO it u.s." answered tho Commissioner. .but two
inspectors, / said before. equal to the
task of finding out all the violations on Manhattan
Island. We correct them whenever we find them.
6nxv
ing when found lot of material scattered over the
sidewalk in front of a building on the corner Of
Eighth street. The only passageway for pedestrians
'.It had been SO for two weeks" interposed the
"WelI, stopped 1t as soon as saw it. told the
builder he had no right to use the sidewalk for
stone yard aud he improved matters right away"
"Does your department. possess the right to grant
the OF the street whenever you see ftr'
"No but we have discretionary power The Board
of Aldermen are charged with the protection OF the
public highways under the charter. but they delegate
that duty to this department"
CONTRARY TO CUSTOM
"why cannot buildings be put up in New York on
the Parisian system?"s
al have never been In Paris"
''They do their work. mix their mortar and so on,
inside the lot
"oh, we'll. the manner of building is different in
different in what way?'
"why. from time immemoral our builders have
beon in the habit Of using some of the street.
They have always had their mortar beds outside the
"But cou!d tney nos nave tnein In the collars OK
their buildings just as we'll"
'Not economically. Then, my dear sir, you
must make some allowance for custom. New York
is different city from Paris. They have their mode
Of building and we have ours. can't but
what New York has got along very well in her own
way. Custom is q very important consideration.
For instance. sometimes find merchants blocking
up the streets with goods, and when suggest to
them that they ought to put the boxes inside their
stores they 1t takes up much Of their room.
Now there 1t Is. They don't want to take up their
own room, but they will monopolize tho public
room on the street. They have always been sccus-
toned to doing so."
There is aid saying that custom cannot
ton an abuse but the reporter did not recur to IL
and the interview ended. II the commissioner OF
Public Works s not aware OF the abuse OF buders'.
privileges all the island then tho public are
wiser aud sadder than he.
CHTDDTNn TNrERESTN