New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-13
REyOND THE BIG BRIDGE.
TOPICS THAT INTEREST PEOPLE WHO LIVE
OVER IN BROOKLYN

80 cA.,,,,s message sent TO the Common Council
-. .,oasav e ,uo.d. comprehensive liberal and DO.
,o long II is hardly correct pefnap', 70 speaA u
~ as his message since It is on'T "no '"0'uen' ~
or,.s There are undoubted adVaD'"~o' ~ ''a, "
o,.,ng forth his ideas In insialmen'' ~ ''' "'s"'
eeveraI short or comparatively sho, -
- r,ore ant TO be carefully read man one lons
in"ch nv nv -, IA nublic attention. being brought
w ,. :, ,,.tters one after another at intervals
~ 49,, d.vs or weeks. IS far more likely 70 DC duiS
s .hsn nv the other method 'n' Inap'"
49,. ,deas for the permanent advantase Vi Dfoohnn
a. cot forth in this last message h@'o -
IN acbt hills which the Legislature "'ii ~ "sA0" "
consider favorabIy What is proposou 70 " Ap
,,,re NJ 81 o65 900: that is. the bcFs'" % -"
90 authorize the Issue Of bonds to 'ns' aHo'""
,rovsuonts recommended by the Mayor arc as io
mr. s.n., ronav,nr at a'furthcr cost OF $S5oooOo
49, ,,o ~ honds 10 the amount OF Sl'oVo'ooO ior
n1. nurrose having been ordered iast "hlep'
a ~ Gov the relief OF the soca.ed hooded DISTRICT,
q, ooo 900. sewers for the I"epS'N" %"
%,.',,sr,v East New-York 100000: now school
houses Al 800 oOo for the purchase OF property aa
,o,nInc the Municipal Building SZo''o''' 'o"''"'
ton of public buildings, Seoo'ooo'
,..r. scbcme II carefully and con-
oon,,o,,s,v carried out who doubt that IL would
-, ., Immense advantage to Brooklyn but WHAT
narantee can be given that the money VIII DC honest
~ spent7 Is It safe 10 entrust inc 0Ar',o "
sncb gums TO the hands Of such mon as Illuminate
the Democratic politics Of the city! Gan hepupn-
can legislature safely put much power In the
keepinr of the persons who compose ul0 s'nS anu
who figure prominently in the Mcia"Hhnn fine
rbesa ouestions must inevitably arise In the mind
Of every faIr-mInded citizen who turns Dis attention
10 the matter for even moment Inc maui ea'u'eo
~ this plain Of Improvement arc conceucuU a"-
m,rable but probably the wiscst course VIII be TO
begin gradual as Josh Billings used 10 say Inc
most pressing needs good pavemcnts ana abundant
scbool.houses with the bond Issue authorized last
year good start win be made in the matter oil re-
having. and provision should be made either now
or early In the next session for continuing the work
in 1890. Tho prospect OF electng kopuDhcan Mayor
next fall is extremely good. II that IS zone the
CARRYING out Of the ideas which Mayor Chapn has set
forth with so much force and sagacitY can DC pro-
cetded with In full confidence that honesty VIII pre-
vail In the expenditure OF the vast sums Involved.
word should be said In passing the saGacty OF Mr.
Chapin I'm not seeking the execution OF his scheme
during his present term stil IS almost impossible
TO dIssociate his splendid ideas from the expectation
that he himself VIII profit In political way nom
them. whether HIS party In Brooklyn does or not.
Tho Mayor did not find mako an opportunity to
say anything In his latest message on tho subject OF
reoreanlzlng tho Bridge trustees. although what he
But he did direct attention TO the possibility that
Brooklyn might soon be called on 10 take hand In
the construction OF another bridge over tho East
RI, or, from the Eastern District Of BROOKLYN to mo
neichborhood Of Orandst. New-York This.
believe Is the first official word that has ever been
said on this subject Evidently the exnectauon Is
thai tho two cities VIII 60 into the bodybuilding
business again. But there are good many people 10
brooklyn as well as New.York who believe that this
IS exceedingly improbable. Mr.. Chaplin talks about
eliminating the East River. and some passages To
HIS message evidently look In the direction Of union
OF the two cities But 10 eliminates the river Is
big and costly undertaking
A close student OF public Affairs on both sides OF
the river puts tho matter thus In my opinion, a
conso idshon OF BrooKlyn AMI Now-York is highly
improbable. Equally improbable Is IL that New
Yorh VIII consent 10 spend any more millions In
hui ding bridges for the benefit Of Brooklyn. Tho
enc experiment in that direction has boon costly
enough for half a century at least, though donb
suppose there is anybody n New-York who regrets
hs construction Of the present Bridge. II NAV have
been forgotten that this begun as a private en-
ierprse and vas afierrard taken up by tho cities
Now, my idea IN the matter Is this II bridge Is
needed at tho foo OF Broadway, Brooklyn, let COM
pany be organized 70 build H. II Brooklyn should
care TO assist the work by taking OF tho Stock
I can sec no objection So with any other bridge
that may be found necessary IN the future Then II
The two cities arc ever consolidated las ] suppose
they may be in a hundred ycarsl, II II IS considered
desirable let the municipality pbr-iaso tho bridges
and treat thom cvacty like public streets I 500
some talk about New-York taking share IN building
the proposed Barl0vell's Island bridge. This Is
surprising That bridge Is designed almost wholly
as a railroad bridge and should be built like any
other railroad strlcture-by private means. In fact
the company which has the matter in hand has
- IL r. ~ ~, a
really absurd TO propose such thing. Tho whole
question OF bridging tho Fast River will solve Itself
satisfactorily IN the way have suggested
Progress OF a satisfactory kind Is being made in the
matter Of small parks The cecision 10 establish
in the Seventeenth Ward (Grccnpoinn s sound since
that quarter Of tho city has parks al present.
This is populous and growing region. Colonel
John Y. Calyer. whose judgment in such matters
win be readily accepted tells that The site selected
is tho most eligible TO be had and that n can be
readily improved. The Park Commissioners should
avoid any temporary expedients in the treatment Of
breathing places like this however as II IS easier and
better 10 put them In good condition at tho beginning
The name suggested for the Grccnpoint park IS Win
throp, which has pleasant sound. The price paid.
s1o1 900 takes large slice our OF the 100000 avail
able for small parks and neighborhocds that have
been hoping get the benefit Of such parks doomed
TO disappointment All the Eastern District has been
exempt from taxation on account Of Prospect Park.
because OF rs supposed remotcness The Justice OF
such discrimination is rather obscure Now that the
entire city IA 10 be taxed TO provide parks In tho
Eastern District why should not that region pay its
share Of the Prospect Park burieni
In the lexicon Of the Board Of Education there
| TO be no such word "a economy Az least, extrava-
ganco the watchword at the last meeting, when
salaries were increased with a lavish hand. Tho
present is not good time for that sort OF work Tho
thing to be dono Of first importance is to mako room
for all tho children who wish to attend school The
question OF increasing salaries ought to be kept in the
background long this lack exists, and the public
viii not look with patience on such action as was
taken on Tuesday, even though the enlarged salaries
have been clearly earned.
The designation " City Of Churches" has long been