New-York tribune., 1885-07-07
THE HARLEN BRIDGE JOB.

THE HARLEM BKIDGE 'op
We hone that Mayor Grace will be successful
in his opposition to the indefensible JoD OF
amending two millions on o new bridge over the
Harlem River which will not be needed 1or ten
wears to come. This was about the worst
SC heme that got through the Legislature ana
received the Governors signature. 1t was en-
gipeered in the interest Of few property
owners in the vicinity of High Bridge ana 10
serve the purposes of some unscrupulous
politicians whose fingers are itching TO hahdie
public money. 1t would be hard to ma Dill
drawn up more plainly in private interests. III
will nut into the hands of q commission TO be
appointed by the Mayor, the Controller ana the
President of the Board of Aldermen the ex-
penditure of two millions or more without any
protection for the treasury. The powers OF the
commissioners are practically unlimited. Ihey
can make whatever contracts they pleaseI anu
these contracts are not subject to the Pppro'ai
of the Board of Is stimate and Apportionmcht oi
of any public official. What rich placer TINS
would prove for men of the stamp whom Con-
troller Locw would be likely to select
The Mayor has asked for the opinion OF the
Corporation Counsel on the question whether
the law is mandatory and requires the immedl-
ate annointment of the commission. No doubt
the iobbers who planned the scheme intended
that it should be, but the taxpayers may wen
pray that their plot may miscarry through some
inadvertence in language, and that the CITY
NAV escape this afliicton by means OF repea
of the law by the next Legislature. III the men
who are behind this undertaking succeed IN
getting commission appointed after their own
hearts, great deal of city money VIII certainly
be wasted and great deal will probably be
stolen. If the Mayor could make up the COM
mission. his resolute opposition to the plumber
of the city treasury by this job would result in
putting the work in hands of the right sort,
bnt Mr. Loews impudent defiance of public
opinion. as exhibited recently, and his deter
mination to foist all his relatives upon the CITY
pay-rolls, will lead to the worst results, II lie
can secure the corporation OF President sanger
of the Board of Aldermen. Well. as to Mr..
Sanger, he is in the habit OF sneezlng whenever
Hubert o. Thompon takes snuff, so that ii Will
need only "deal" between Mr.. Thompson and
Mr. Loew-polilcian of a feather who 1ock TO-
gcther with great irequcncy-to fasten this
iniduitous steal upon our taxpayers.
There is no shadow of excuse for the job.
The city needs no bridge between High Bridge
and Kingsbridge for years to come. Ihe
facilities for pedestrians and for elevated rail-
road passengers getting across the Harlem III
that part of the city are already all that could
be desired. For those riding in carriages or
wagons the drive to one of the existing bridges
is a short one There has been little building
on either bank of the Harlem between Nc
Combs Dam Bridge AMI Kingsbridge i'll the
last ten years. That part Of the city is filling up
slowly. People who compare the Harlem
River in the vicinity of High Bridge to the
Thames in London, or the Seine in Paris, with
a.yiew to supporting this monstrOus scheme, are
either fouls or knages. Let any one take trip
in row boat from High Bridge to Kngs bridge
and note .he silence of the wooded shores with
the long stretches between the buildings on
either bank Then if he thinks that New York
needs as many bridges in that quarter as are
needed on the Thames or the Seine, he need not
take the trouble to return to the busy haunts OF
men. DIR. Nichols would like to make his ac-
quaintancc at Bloomingdale.
If this city is to be forced into the criminal
extravagance of building a bridge costing
SO. .OOO, 900, merely to enhance the value Of a
few estates lying on the Harlem River and to
give places to greedy politicians who will assess
heavily the contractors to whom they will
award the lucrative contracts, there will be a
day of accounting for the members of the Leg
islature who are responsible for this job AS
Mayor Grace has Justly said, New-York has not
schools enough. Tens of thousands of her
children are unable to get a common school
education in comfort and peace. Our present
schoolhouses are overcrowded and inadequate.
The fathers and mothers Of New-YOrk are more
anxious for the education of their children than
for the increase Of the value of estates on the
Harlem or for the filling of the pockets of
hangers on at the City Hall.