The evening world., 1890-07-21
IN . struggling sbFOns ulftA.y sre nearly

sioners to make the necessary provisions
by which the western portion Of Stuyve-
SAINT Park may be r%eopened, and they can
not begin work too soon.
The members Of the Commission are
Mayor Grant. Comptroller Myers and
Commissioner of Public Works Gilroy.
Although they hold no regular meet
inRs, it is possible to have one called ut
any time. II has been several times
promised that they would take action in
the matter when they came together, but
meeting after meeting has been held dur
ing the past two months, and nothing has
yet been done.
Let them bestir themselves. for IL the
public are to be benefited at all there is
no time TO lose.
II Ia said that M objection to lighting
up the western portion of the park so
that it may be opened evenings is the
expense. 1t would cost just S2.s0 n night
to light the west side of the park, and
this is certainly a trivial matter compared
with the immense amount of good that
would be accomplished by the expendi.
ture.
But" " it is said. There are the com
plications with the electric light COM
p%anies, and we have no contract with
them. Even the light in the east park
may be cut off at any moment. for the
company is not bound to furnish il at the
present rates any longer than it sees fit to
do so.
Besides, the western side, of the park
was lighted by another company last
year, and the wires connecting with their
stations have all been cut bv order of the
city authorities"
This is evidently a very weak excuse,
and it is only given by the Commissioners
because they may imagine that a poor eI-
cuse Is better than none at oil. 1t does
not satisfy the public.
So long as the Eastern half is lighted
1t would be q very simple matter to make
arrangements with the company lighting
it to extend it's connections to the other
side of Second avenue. where the electric
plant is all provided, and q very slight
expense would be incurred in meeting
the extension.
Nor does the idea seem to have sug-
gested itself TO the Gas Commissioners.
that If the city cannot make satisfactory
arrangements with the electric light CON-
panies there is still plenty Of gas pipe to
be had. and plenty of laborers to be hired
for laying it. and that within a week at
the furthest both parks could be lighted
with gas, and the public be entirely inde-
pendent of electric light trusts and con-
tracts.
As it is. half the Summer has been
wasted in delays and excuses. ana now
the public is coolly informed that it may
be shut out from both parks without a
moments notice.
call it by DO worse name, which hesitates
at SO trifling an expense to confer a great
public boon, when it is SO much needed
as it is in the present case. The people
who are obliged TO remain in the city all
Summer require fresh air, and all they
can get of it. and the Gas Commissioners
need to wake up to q realization of this
fact.
Let Stuyvesant Park be opened at once.
When an EVENING WORLD reporter
called upon Mayor Grant this afternoon
to ascertain from him, rs President of the
Gas Commission, what power the Board
had to order the relighting of Stuyvesant
Park. he said:
II don't know anything about this
matter. and therefore cannot give an
opinion on the subject.
II do not think the matter has ever
been brought officially to the attention of
the Commission, and l would nave to
study up the whole question before l
could express any views upon it.
You would better go and see Supt.
Mccormack, OF the Bureau of Lamps and
Gas. He is the Secretary OF the Commits
sion and knows all about it,"
Mr.. Mccormack. who has had his
attention called to the matter OH several
previous occasions, said that he was ready
and anxious to do all in his power to have
the westerly part of Stuyyesant Park
reopened. hut that there were a good
many obstacles in the way.
1t isn't on account of the expense of
lighting this particular part, " he said,
I" that there has been this delay, but the
question involves the lighting contracts
for the whole city.
The East River Company, which
lights the eastern half of the park, didn't
have its wires cut last Winter, and the
United States Company. which ran the
western half, did. That's the trouble.
when the time came for opening the
park nights. / notified the companies to
go ahead and light up again. This the
East River Company did. but the United
States Company was unable to carry ont
the instructions. as the Board of Electri-
cal Control would not permit it to put up
the wires that were cut.
1t was supposed that the East River
Company would go on lighting the park
at the old contract price, IS cents a night
for each lamp; but it has put in bills for
May and June at 42la cents a lamp, and
their bid for the current year is As cents.
1t is the unwillingness of the city to
accept those higher hids, which all the
companies have put in on count of the
they have formed, which has