New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-15
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF.
CHANCES AT MEN AND THINGS oN iiN
Tone ISLAND SIDE OF THE EAST RIVER


since the adjournment of the Legislature hao -
while the session was in progress it Is imposeoi' ~
conccve that the lawmakers could have ia
enact q bill making the phenomenal bod'u VI .o,,u
a thing OF the past Mr.. Howell receNcs % nresl
ment Of q unanimous reelection W u'o V - .ho
dent Under the circumstances II was p, ,"''rh th,t
lest thing to be done 1t great pity ti'ous
- ,,o- t,,.,ooe did not also ndorsc The sehsioie
cor. which he had resolved upon. after coh''
hesitation in the matter Of the CONTRACT ~. p A.
bridge tickets Instead Of that thcS roP a, ,,rd
stems he had taken and ndorsed the o'.e ,h.n .
thunder which had been made IL ""' Ell thot
IBID hl,rdcr indeed it was piece vi WY nc
f - - ranh dishonesty. To rehedrec the
,t-,or, ., ,bo matter is not necessary noio, SUM
- 20 Sav that the trustees have shown oau i"'" "'u
have acted in a clearly dishonorabie "'''"''''
..tic niece of business at this
,to determination to have the thlrd OF inc
-, .oor,s who are to recommend Improvement,
&c. ,ho bridge railway appointed oy iresiueii, hO"o
Mi i only part Of tic scheme 10 p"o" ''o '''
- r,nrts Of which there have been various mani
W Not much is TO be expected, any way OF
merits appointed specific purpose as these aie'
encciallv as the trustees have reserved the r'sh' 10
ioc, their report in its entirety just as they uu
NAT of fhe very competent engineers VINO more IMAM
two years ago unanimously recommended inc auop'on
NJ thc Wellington circulating system. Inc prcse"'
situation las its amusing side. The trustees las,
month provided for the appointment Of one expert
each by Mayor Chaplin and Mayor Grant. who were
n act in conjunction with Superintendent Martih.
Novor Grant made his selection some time ago But
Mayor Chaplin regards the matter to all appearance WIN
sublime Indifference. 1t may well be douo'eu "he'ioi
he will appoint any expert at all lie mas o.y ooo"
rcouestcd 10 do So II is we'll known that he Is OPP
posed TO the continued existence OF the Board Oh
Trustees and it would not be unlike him to snow MS
contempt for them by ignoring them in this matter
hat
to resort TO some other method of getting up boau
of Experts. What simpler method that to authorize
President Howell 10 appoint still another mehpef i0
purpose is 10 get experts who will approve the course
II the trustees in adopting the Barnes Martin pan
with all its dangerous elements. and Mr.. Howell oy
making proper inquiries. can make sure IN ADVANCE
Of the disposition of his experts
The only person who comes out Of this affair with
credit is Superintendent Martin His refusal 10 act as
one of the experts was only to be expected after
he had declined 10 serve in the capacity wheh
the question of experts before the Legislature
OF course the Board of EXpertsn case one Is ever Cd
taincd-wl feel free TO call upon him for whatever
information il is in his power to give in reference 10
the Bridge railway system. In fact he offers TINS In
his letter 10 the trustees written only few days AFTER
the May meeting. when his appointment was made
That his information gained during the seven years that
the Bridge railroad has been in operation will be Of
value is unQuestionable. But it Is amazing that the
trustees did not see "a clearly Mr.. Martin himself
that he was 10y his very connection with the Bridge
disqualified from acting as an independent expert
The expert matter Is likely TO be a failure at the
best. With the author of the plan for the approval
of which the trustees seeking as one of the ex'
pcrtS 10 pass judgment upon IT, 1t would De slmDy
iarccal in the extreme.
The responsibility for the failure Of the bill which
provided for the appointment Of commission TO
t., 70 -
Mayor Chaplin alone. His motive in urging the GOV
ernor not TO sign it is of the pettest sort II was
simply that the author Of the bill was exPark Com
missioner Kennedy, who had incurred the Mayors
enmiiy by letting the public know how completely
Ml. Chaplin was urder tie thumb Of the Old Man
AID shcv" No one successfully contend here
after that Mr.. Chaplin is ? largcminded man. His
conduct IN this matter shows that he is willing to let
tic best interests OF tile city suffer merely that he may
giatlfy little personal spite This bill had absolutely
10 political bearing II simply authorized the APP
pontmcnt Of commissioners to recommend sites for
new parks. The commissioners were 70 have no
power beyond this. They were TO be named BY Nr.
Chaplin. Tile need Of more parks in Br"ohlyn is ad
mittcd and it is obvious that 1t will be urwtsc TO
postpone the selection OF the sites until all those that
arc desirable have been used as building sites. Mr..
kcnnedys idea a most excellent one. IL has
failed for 10 earthly reason except that IT was his.
in connection with this The Eagle reads him
propositions insures the defeat OF the propositions.
lie should. therefore he loves Brooklyn. not be for
any more propositions" II is easy TO treat the
matter thus lightly. but the revelation Of this side Of
Mayor Chapins character be agreeable to those
desire the best welfare Of the city.
Wise householders will give heed 10 Superintendent
CGmpbells advice about letting the police know Of
their intention be absent the city for longer
or shorter period during the summer. Many robberics
have been prevented in the past by taking this pre-
caution. The plan Of reporting vacant houses to the
police originated. believe, with superintendent Camp
bell. In addition to doing this Of course, people are
supposed 10 take pains 10 iasten securely all doors
windows scutties etc. This last is one Of the vul
n"labc points Of houses that built in solid blocks
SO that from the roof Of all those in long
may be available. Unless scuttlc is secured un
commonly well. it will yield 10 the persuasive infu
cucc Of jimmy In most houses these openings
to the roof reached through closet the upper
Goor, and strong bolt two the closet doors may
Eot come amiss.
Electricity BIDS fair to into pretty general
on tic surface roads in Brooklyn judging by the ap-
Tlcaton, which have been made TO the Common
Council for tho substitution of this agent foi horses.
lie companies which control the bulk Of the street
cans In The city arc the Brooklyn City and Atlantic
Aycntc. Both have applied for permission 10 use the
electric system. although they not in duty bound
10 GO NOcf tnc recent law tHcy cOuiu Jc
needed permission from the state Railroad COmms-
sOEers. but. as in the case Of the NewYork com
panlcs which desire to cables they seem TO think
II wise To the consent Of the local authorities In
advance Of anything else. The system favored ap-
pears TO be that which has been IN use In Boston for
some time. The electricity is conducted through
overhead wires, the being attached 10 them by
means OF uoilcys. Any who has lately travelled
on the Inc running from East NcwYork to Jamaica
has seen this system in operation ID is certainly
objectionable In city account Of the danger arts
Ing from Tho powerful currents which necessarily
carried. Boston has not as yet had any difficulty
from this cause, but the people Of Brooklyn who
iamiiar Win The system can hardly contemplate It's
adoption with complacency Electrc-l light wires
dangerous enough but the aerial conductors required
TO propel cars constitute peril that no community
should voluntarily subject itself 10.