New-York tribune., 1890-01-12
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF.
TOPICS OF INTEREST AMONG PEOPLE ON
THE LONG ISLAND SIDE OF The
EAST RIVER

/ TOPICS OF INTEREST AMONG PEOPLE ON
THE LONG ISLAND SIDE OF THE
EAST RIVER.
While Mayor Chapins message at the opening Of
his third wear In Office is not a document that VIII
add much to his reputation as the Chief Magistrate
of Brooklyn. there number OF points III that dc
serve attention. The has the merit Oi brcVV,
though it IS possible that this may be accounted for by
thc fact that Mr.. Chaplin not feeling in the best
Of health during the closing days OF last year. But
for his illness he might have made the message more
/ important and striking. still he rather more than
intimatcs that he has not yet had his fun say
matters relating to the cty. and consequently further
messages may be looked for. In regard to one matter
/ that had uncommon personal interest for himself,
namely. the increase of his salary, which began with
January l, lie Is silent discrcety o~>hcrwsc. Tic
SAYS to be sure that the citys financial condition
is favorable and hopeful Thanks TO the Aldermen's
Icrality with the public funds 1t might be added that
his financial condition is in an equally fortunate
situation.
The analysis which the Mayor makes Of the growth
Of the city indicated by the number Of dwellings
erected produces results that almost startling The
separate houses and apartment houses erected during
the year ending with last November provide accom-
modatlons for not less than 1903 families and
cordng to the usual estimates these families would
consist Of than $4,000 persons. In the previous
year dwellings erected for 1O457 families which
on the same basis would contain nearly 10000 per
/ sons That would indicate increase in two years
! Of some 113OOO Rapidly brooklyn Is growing. it
Is not Increasing at anything like such rate. and
| the figures woud to Justify the Mayors implied
assertion that the building business IS being oyerdonc
Whether this Is so or not. II IS certain that a more
careful inspection Of the houses which going
up numcrouely in various parts Of the city s. i'm
/ pcrltivcly needed. glanced the other day into
house nearly finished on a handsome block where
nothing but brown,tOne fronts 10 be- seen, and
10 my surprise found that underneath the washtubi
in the kitchen no trap had been placed IN accordance
with the specific regulations Of the Board of Health
~ this house 81 several that being put up by
one builder. IL is fair t. assume that the others
defective In the same respect How could thing Of
| this Kind escape the cy" ~ the -pcctor of the
Health Department. And how docs any builder dare
o. violate the law in tl, way Thee are questions
that demand answer. The prcci location Of the
/ house viii De given II inf rmaton regarding IT IS
desired. The standard Inon." furthermore calls at
tcnton to the fact that pale brick" the use Of which
j. forbidden. has been put int, the house, erected by
some speculative builders, and that bad material ~
other sorts has been used. his would indicate that
tho in pcctors of the buildings Department are 10
more yielant than those Of the Health Department
Closely allied TO thi, subject IS tho question Of the
fro limits. To- which attention has liam been
directed In these columns. What the MAJOR says on
this point is satisfactory. In rnu'.ne against FIRE,
hc SAYS, tho first ard most olyiou- Improvement
b, an extension Of the fire Limits which should Dee
" l-tantIaly enlarged Mr. Chaplin will do the
cts an important serv-c II he his prepared and sends
| to Albany adequate bin providing for such sub
st.rtM enlargement. The matter dc-crvcs CAREFUL
consideration and cannot lee decided upon n day.
There parts ~ the o.tv n which 10 !, reasonably
,afe to permit the construction of wooden buildings.
hat the present system j, ful of ab~urditic> and
ino0u-Iuiuc, that ~ :, amazing That any CITY ha-
permitted IT so long. The safety Of Brooklyn should
uo longer be endangered by the construction OF block
after block Il wooden house, which would bc the
easiest possible pres TO the flames II fire once hap
pcncd 10 get started among them.
The portion Of the message relating 10 pavcments
cannot Doe read without surprise. especially when it
is read IN connection with the bill which the Mayor
had has drawn up authorizing the continuance Of
the work ~ rcpavug an elaborate scale. Mr..
chaplin boasts ot the number Of mile, OF granite pave
Ucnt which have been lad during hts first term, and.
taking the figures alone. IL would seem II there
cause for qualification the substantial progress
that appear, To have been made 1hrtyouc and
eighteen nonc hundrcdth miles of granite pavement
have been laid down during the year, lass and l--9.
thig mileage being grcarr th1n the entire amount
~ such pavement within the city upon the l,t Of
January. 1---." Tut the Mayor sag, nothing about
the character Of The now pavcmcnt~. which j, very
~ 100000 provided hy the l,.t Lc,-lature f. avail
able for the layine of pavement, during this year.
and that Mr. chaplin B, now asking the Legislature
to pro, de another ~ 100000 for the like purpose
next year. That the payemcnts OF Brooklyn are In
a bad condition j, not open To- que. ton but il may
seriously De doubted whether any satisfactory result
1, To be accomplished by providing one, unless
the material /, The hest obtanahlc aud the work Is
done in the most thorough manner
on this point The Eagle has been making some
invest CATIONS which confirm what have heretofore
said regarding the pavcmcuts. These invc,tlga
tions cover several streets in detail and show spec.
nclly that the contractors have done their work in
shabby and sllp,hod fashion. The granite blocks
not only Of different size, and In uu-
evenly laid but It Is charged that a considerable pro
portion Of the stone is Of poor quality instead OF
hard Quincy granite a much softer variety has been
used, which crumblcs easily. and. 81 course. viii
readily give under the travel TO which ordinary
street Is subjected. The blocks laid upon the
earth. with perhaps little sand thrown upon It, the
courses Of blocks being put down with little regard
for smOothnc,, aud tghtnc,s Of joints. The entire
absence Of walk, to bc noticed though partial
change of heart appear, 10 have over the De
partmcnt of city Work, IN thi, matter. uasmuch as
the recently laid pavement in smith and Jay SIS. has
been ripped up at Fulton st, and cros,wal Of hargng.
such needed every where have been put in
place whether at the expense Of the city or Of the
contractor does not appear. From the work. thus
far done IN improving" tho pavcmcnts Of the city
there IS little encouragement To be found in the fact
that another million dollars l. to be expended this |
year and the Legislature NAY well proc ccd cautiously
in authorizing further ontlay in this direction.
The system adopted In New York, whereby portion |
Of the contract price Is withheld and the contractor
required to keep the pavement, he lays in repair for
fifteen years. ha, obviou, advantages to which the
Brookrn Mayor and Commissioner of city Works |
ought to give some attention without delay.
An instance of good ncigAborhOod brought to |