, 1889-01-03
GREATEST OF ALL.
How the Biggest City in the
World Could be Made.
The Scheme to Consolidate New
York and Brooklyn.
Tho Advantagsa to both Cities. uci,
Opposition Expected. but II
Can be Overcome.

brooklyn uurinE tne past ten years ntes
again revived the agitation concerning the
the consolidation OF the two cities. The
discussion will assume practical shape at
the next meeting Of the New York legisla-
ture, when ex.State Senator Thomas j..
Creamer, who has been elected to the as-
sembly, will bring the matter before that
body.
This is not new question:" said the
ex-senator to correspondent who called
upon him. ut was advocated twenty
years ago by Andrew II. Green, president
of the park department, who then declared
that 1t would force itself upon the public
attention ut no distant period. 1t has
done 80 now, and there 10 but little doubt
that bill will be introduced early in the
next legislature of the state to create q
commission to be composed of citizens OF
New York and Brooklyn TO consider the
feasibility and practicability OF the unit
cation of the county Of New York and the
county of Kings and part OF Queens, under
one municipal government.
''Some people estimate the present pop
ulation of New York at something In the
ueighborhood of 100000 and that Of
Brooklyn at 800 900, which. IL doubled in
the course of thirty years, would give O
consolidated city . population OF AGO.
600; therefore the administration OF the
affairs OF city of this magnitude would
involve the settlement OF questions that
occasion alarm among conservative citt.
zens who always antagonize radical or
grand improvements, which become abso.
lutely necessary and essential to keep pace
.,;kb kho c-nc darf,,l prnUth Of this tnatvO.
polls of the Western world, and which is
undoubtedly destined to be the metropolis
Of both hemispheres.
ADVANTAGES OF CONSOLIDATION.
"But do not you think that the city will
continue to grow north rather than eastr'
"I do not believe the city will exceed lite
northern limits within 100 years. II we
had half u dozen more bridges and tun-
nes over and under the East river the
tendency of the growth of the city would
be toward the east for many years to come
before it will reach the present northern
limits.
"The fact is, the commissioners who
laid out the streets and avenues in 1907
made serious bunder in providing so
few avenues running north and south in
stead of 40 many streets running east and
west. There are out few avenues to-day
left not used entirely for railroad purposes.
and the indications are that within the
next ten years there Will not be any LETT
for other travel"
"What advantages do you think would
accrue to the people by such a union?"
''Well, one advantage to the citizens of
New York would be voice in the control
of the ocean front at Coney island and
Jamaica bay. Part of the ocean water
front should be converted into public
summer parks, instead of being monopo-
lized by ininerants, peddlers, unscrupu-
lous showmen and cheap restaurants, Ex-
perience shows that nearly every depart.
ment of our city government has improved
in character and efficiency during the
past thirty years, our police and fire de-
partments noticeably so. Our schools
still remain the pride Of the
New York people, and the de-
ipality the sobriquet of being the City of
Charities Our dock department, though
heretofore confinlng the best part Of its
labors to facilitating the commerce with
foreign ports on the North river, while
neglecting the waterfront on the East
river, is nevertheless decided improve
ment on the former bureau of wharves and
piers. Our department of parks has
shown wonderful efficiency. but | submit
that no further work should he done on
parks at Pelham bay or on the Van Cort-
landt farm until we have more bridges,
tunnels. wharves and piers on the East
river"
THE RIVER NO OBSTACLE.
"Would not this all involve an in .
creased expense TO the administration to
the local government?"
ayes; but that will easily be made up
The last return of the board of assessors
of the city of Brooklyn shows but paltry
sum of $4,000, 900 on the assessment
rolls for personal property. Residents Of
easily evade the tax-gatberer by stating
or giving the impression that they pay
their taxes in New York city, and while
at their place of business in New York
they make returns that they pay their
taxes in Brooklyn. Strange as
il may seem, this is common
occurrence, the tax laws being so loose.
No one has ever heard of a case where any
person has been punished for non-pay-
ment of personal taxes, Notwithstanding
the fact that the perjury committed at the
tax eifices, both in New York and Brook
lyn, is something appalling. Under a
onsolidated city government the amount
fassessable personal property could easily
proper administration of the tax
office there would be surplus
from the taxation every year which
might be applied to improvements on q
gigantic scale. including the reconstruc-
tion of our sewer system and requirement
of many of our streets. which to-day are q
byword and disgrace to our govern
ment."
but is not the East river q serious ob.
stacle to a perfect cohesion of the two
slties?"
mo; many of the great cities Of Europe
are divided BY rivers. noticeably London