New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-18
VHATBROOKLYN TALKS OF.
TOPICS OF GENERAL INTEREST IN lhh
METROPOLIS OF LONG ISLAND.

METROPOLIS OF LONG ISLAND
Dcspte the non action of the Legislature. the Bragg
continues 10 be topic of wide interest on D"ti sueS
Of the East River. The capacity OF the s"iP'SI"e
Doard Of Trustees for mischief received wv" Ncis
striking Illustrations at the meeting on MONDAY 'S'
The decision allow advertising signs IN the r'l"''
cars was really astonishing; and not less :" was te ~
.na,1a readiness with which the trustees ac-
ren,ed the first offer made to them letter dauu ~
the claw OfhccS of Hess. Townsend M''loH'""'
Nos 40 and ~ Wall-st, New YORK. anu s's","
Charles A. Hess. secretary of the lnternato"" '''
way and steamship Advertising Company was 80
and Immediately resolution authoiI|l"e
Howell to enter into a contract with the COMPANY "
,nercd by Trustee Riley and adopted by unanimous
co,c only Controller MYERS of New-Iork. declining
n vote II Is asserted that the matter had hot Deeh
brought 10 the attention Of the trustees PrcNo"SN'
,ut that they at saw there was oh'i'o Vi "''"
Inc s15 600 a wear clear for the Bridge treasury. ana
Immediately and with one accord jumped DIT "'o many
Of doing So 1t requires uncommon uSEIcV vi i''''
In believe that Why was not some question asheu III
regard TO the international Railway and steamship
Advertising Company-1 Why not the matter re
ferred IN committee for due consideration! why was
IL denied that any similar offer had beeh Mdue !"
the Bridge authoritieSl Why, If II was resolved 10
p,t advertising signs in the cars was not the matter
submitted to open competition There are any
number Of similar questions which might be asked but
the decision OF the bridge counsel on Friday that
tho Trustees exceeded their authority in conserving
70 such contract makes IL unnecessary to pursue the
matter II is be hoped that the trustees VIII take
this lesson 10 heart and that President Howell wlll
he less bumptlous hereafter 1t is plain as some one
has said very apty. that Mayor Chapin might
fust as we'll rent ont the City Hall. To make
closer parallel. he might just as well make
A contract for the privilege Of placing ad-
vertising signs in the public buildings ana in the
peoples parks
Furthermore. at last weeks meeting the trustees
made feeble show of yielding to public opinion in the
matter Of enlargng the terminal facilities and com
pletng the Bridge railway. II was only prctence'
however, and scarcely mislead any one. The aJ-
pontment of two experts by Mayors Chaplin ana
Grant act in conjunction with superintendent
Martin upon this matter is generally recognized TO
be farce. though by no means an amusing one. Mr..
Martin is estopped by all the demands of common
sense. and it would seem. by the courtesy OF his
profession, from acting As an arbter IN case "hoo
Judgment must bc passed idea OF his own lie
was present AT the meeting Of the trustees, but made
no demur the proposal that he should serve as one
Of the experts. Why did he not at once demand 10
be heard and denounce the attempt TO him in this
way7 Then again. the bad faith Of the trustees IS
shown in leaving the question open even after the
experts have come so decision. The experts are |"
report to the Committee on Terminal FacillueS ana
the committee 10 the trustees. who viii then-do IA
they please. With such Board of Experts as IS
arranged for. however. this is matter Of small con
sequence. Ii is merely device 10 get some form OF
professional approval for plan TO which the trustees
arc already committed and will be surprising If they
can get any experts worthy of the name to assist
them in comprising it.
The Brooklyn Ethical Association, which has been
holding fOrtnghtly meetings on sunday evenings, IN
the second Unitarian Church, brings its winters
course to end this evening. This has been the
most successful wear in the sOcety'S history during
the last two years the subject Of discussion ha, been
evolution in its various phases. The society itself Is
a living illustration Of evolution 1t began In mod
est way, about ten years and for a time It's
meetings held in the houses OF its members, ana
on the evenings Of weekdays. In 15o4 il began to
hold Sunday evening meetings In the sunday school
room Of MIR. Chadwicks church. which for three
years was largo enough TO accommodate it on ordinary
occasions. Since then it has been meeting in the
main auditorium of the church, which, at times, has
been filed to Overlooking. The general theme of the
lectures during the winter and spring has been So
biological Evolution" and among the lecturers nave
been John Fiske. John w. Chadwick. Daniel Green
leaf Thompson DR.. Lewis &. James the president Of
the association; Hugh o. Pentecost and William
Potts The closing lecture Will be given this evening
by Mr. Thompson. II is tie last OF four the
special topic. Evolution and social Reform" Mr..
Thompson Will treat Of The Scientific Method" As
usual the lecture will be followed by discussion.
These discussions form one OF tlc most Ht'Te>tIhe
features of the associations work as those who dis
sent from any Of the lecturers remarks have the
privilege of talking back at him. There was at
one time tendency proOng the debates unduly but
recently the president has been able to bring the
meetings TO a close at a reasonable hour
Doesn't Mr. Meredith fear that he may have misled
the people who heard him speak in Boston the other
evening when he told them that his new church had
been erected on what had previously been COW
pasture one not familiar with the facts would be
justified in drawing the conclusion that Dr. Meredith
church establishment. which has been forcbly If not
fellctously called the largest religious plant IN the
co,ntry was situated far on the outskirts Of the
CITY instead of being miles within the city limits and
in the midst Of thckly populated REGION Moreover
the new church is just across the street rom the
one which the society occupied when Dr. Meredith
was called 10 its pastOrate, and which was erected
something like twenty years ago. Since Dr. Meredith
came 10 BroOkIyn COWS may have been allowed 10 eat
the grass which grew upon what is the site Of the
church. but II is hardly correct 10 speak Of the church
a. having been built a cow pasture. Nevertheless
ten wears ago corn fields foushed In Its neigborhood
where now are long Of comfortable, If not
luxurious, houses.
The church. by the way, 10 be growing
rapidly in popularity place for public gatherings
On Monday night the annual meeting Of the BrooM>
bureau Of Charities held there and large audience
assembled hear addresses by DrS. Storrs and Mere
dth and President Low, and to listen to the annual
report made by NIr. Buzelle, the efficient and lndc
fatgable secretary Of the bureau. The report con
tanned large variety Of interesting and suggestive
facts in regard 10 the organized charlie, OF the city
Perhaps the most interesting is the statement IN refer
enoe 10 the work Of the friendly viaitOr5 These are
men and women who interested in helping others
and who volunteer 20 Investigate cases which seem to
demand relief and 70 determine whether families
applying for help really need IL. Mr.. suzcllc said
on this point Four hundred and ten friendly visitors
ara now enrolled. They organized IN thirteen
district conferences. The number Of friendly visits TO
and In behalf Of the poor Is reported II 500. The
number Of families reported as having become self
supporting Is 32l, which represents a financial gain
10 tie community. by Edward Atknson's computation.
Of not less than Sl2-. OOO7