New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-07
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF
TOPICS OF UPPERMosT INTEREST IN THE
METROPOLIS OF LONG ISLAND.


The action Of the Park Commissioners in regard 10
the preservation and Improvement of the East side
lands has attracted good deal OF attention most Of
favorable. In spite of the fact that Tho Eagle" sh
contends that the only thing to be done with this
property s TO sell It, 1t Is true that the Law author
ICES ts sale, and that nothing can be done without
legislative authority but deciding to sell It and selling
II arc two different things. The fact s that notwith
standing the passage of the law providing for the SALE
and Notwithstanding the decision Of the Court of APP
peals in favor Of the city's right TO make such dis
position of the land, clear title TO cannot be given
by tho city. am told on excellent authority that
lawyers generally advise their clients not accept
title here, and that the companies Which guarantee
titles Will guarantee nothing this property Moro
than thst. leans cannot be raised by mortgages It,
and any one who has purchased lots AZ the sales that
have taken place viii nnd &c impossible TO sell out In
he wishes to do So or course these last
ments do not apply to tho portion Of he East Side
lands witch It Is row proposed % reserve park,
but % the part north Of tho sackettst. boulevard.
most Of which has been sold"
so the question is practical oue ana II ought to be
docided on practical grounds. The property as It
stands Is not only eycsore OF the most offensive sort
t Is @ serious deriment to all other property In the
neghsorhOod, and It makes the journey to Flatbusha
most desirable suburb for residence purposes, which
must In tho natural Of things become part Of
Ihe Improvement OF tbese lands In way another
Is practical necessity. To all intents and purposes
they cannot DO sold 10 private owners 1t is incumbent
upon the city therefore, TO undertake the work. and as
the same time to supply additional park space that s
needed. That there would be an ample return in
few years for the city's investment in the increased
valuation Of neighborins property, there can be no
reasonable doubt All that is needed is 10 obtain from
tho Legislature the right TO retain the lands for park
of ha
on them at present Whatever "a so spent should be
set apart a. special appropriation by the Board of
Estimate Under those circumstances the people will
have an assurance that there win be no money spent
on the proposed park that ought TO BIO laid out on
Prospect Park itself All that Is needed at once on
the East Side lands is TO grade them, and as all the
material Is night there the expense would be small
Then as q natural sequence part of the land could
DO set apart asa playground and the establishment of
botanical garden might easily follow. Provision
should be made IN tho bill for the fixing Of sizes for
public Institutions such as the museum which the
Brooklyn Institute has undertaken to establish 1t Is
generally understood OF course that the action Of the
Park Commission IN adopting tho report Is merely in
the nature Of suggestion since at present the Com
mission has no power to act.
DR.. stOrrs was one of the committee which prepared
the report adopted by tho Commission on Tuesday.
1t Is fair presumption that he had tho largest hand
In giving verbal form 30 the document His opulent
and splendd rhetoric makcs Itself apparent even in
discussing dry details, and the report as whole reads
much Ike passages rom some OF the famous clergy
mans marvellous Orations. He speaks Of transform
ing this ugly stretch OF land into thing Of positive
and permanent beauty; he says that the sale Of
the lands would be 10 the city "a permanent and
damaging disgrace; he declares that this plot OF
ground h perfectly adapted TO tho purposes OF
ri ASSURE ground Of Independent and various attrac-
tiveness. No one look at IT, even in its present
deSolae condition, without seeing that II is as fitted
BY nature 10 b fashioned by art into choice and
charming park Is the uncut stone Of price on the
table OF the apidsry 10 be shaped and polished into
gen. One advantage Of appointing a man like Dr.
Stors to an official position is that Official documents
arc not only put IN good and readable English but
that thsy become literary products of high GLASS
Mayor Chspin'S message to the Aldermen on the
subject Of lighting the city would be extremely mis-.
leading to persons unfamiliar with affairs In Brook
Ign; Just as his remark at the beginning OF tho
year that the Aldermen ntcllg CONT progressive
and patriotic would have led any one unnoouainted
With those officials to the conclusion that they are
model public servants, labo1pg, solely for
tho public Eood without tie remotest
thought OF private advantage. a. Tho pro
else reason for the writing Of this message is
not apparent; the only practical suggestion in It
that the Aldermen shall consent to transfer to the
Commissioner Of City Works their powers In the mattor
Of street lighting. That they will do this probably
The Mayor did not imagine for a moment. Their
powers have been much cutailed that they will hold
fast zeaously TO all that remain. Mr. Chaplin
makes It clear that Brooklyn does not pay more
for its electric lights than many other cities he does
not point out what equally true, that Their. arc many
other cities which pay much less; nor does he com.
ment on the most obvious fact OF alI-that electric
lighting IN Brooklyn Is in the hands Of monopoly
and that there Is no projection against the city's
being robbed eutrageousy. because competition in
this matter Is strenuousy prohibited. That is the
crying evil In this matter The two electric com
panlos which divide the city between them arc in the
control Of o political gang the same gang controls
tho intelligent progressive and patriotic Board Of
Aldermen; and there IS TO remedy OF escape
carplng critic would not have TO 20 far out Of his
way IN order to reach tho conclusion that the
Mayors message was composed with the Interior
object Of making himself solld7 with the gang with
vieF 10 securing denomination next fall The
signs appear to point in the direction OF reaomna-
ton, since with any other candidate tho Democrats
would be almost certainly doomed to defeat Mr..
Chaplin Is ambitious and lOng-headed man and
IS working not only for another nomination but for
a reelection.
The way in which Prospect Park Is now main
tanned said resident the Park entrance to me
yesterday, is shameful and wonder that more is
not said about II in the newspapers. ] noticed the
people who out driving on the line Sunday
wo had fortnight ago. and when they came out
Of the Park their home they fairly white
with dust. Under the old administration OF Park
Affairs tie superintendent would certainly have had
the Watering carts III such day and kept
the rosdways sprinkled. Then everybody who drives
Is complaining about the condition OF the Ocean
Parkway, which ought to be maintained IN excellent
condition all the tins. considering the money that Is
available for the uses Of the Park Commission
Comment stIn continues to be made the action Of
General Woodward In Joining hands with tho Demo
cratic ring once more. " He knows all about those
people, said a close observer OF brooklyn affairs
day two ago, and he fought against them for a
number OF years. even going so far as % run
Independent candidate Mayor against Mr. Whitney.