New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-06
CONSOLIDATION.

The Green Municipal CONSOLIDATION commas
sion has invited number of well-knOwn citizens
of Brooklyn to appear before it at its meeting
to-day and state their views on the advisabiity
of combining New-YOrk City, Brooklyn, Long
Island City, Richmond County, Jamaica and
other outlying districts in one giant munlclpai-
ity. If the invitation is accepted, as we trust
il will be. the members of the Commission ought
to receive a good deal Of valuable information.
The citizens invited include ex-Nlayor Schroeder,
General Woodford, Mayor Chaplin, General
Slooum, ex-MayOr Howell, William w. Good
rich, ex-senator William H. Murtha and others,
all of them doubtless with ell-considered views
on this subject, and more or less well Informed
regarding public feeling in their city on the
question of consolidation. 1t will be extremely
interesting to know whether they are prepared
to indorse the plan dear to the heart of Mr.
Green and to Mr. Stranahan by common con-
sent the First Citizen of our neighbor across the
East River.
The Commission is to be commended for TAX
ing this method of ascertaining public sentl-
ment on the question in hand. AS we under
stand it, no one-nOt even Mr.. Green-intends
to force consolidation, willy niDy, upon the
cities towns and districts which it is proposed
to unite. In our opinion, at least the earliest
thing to be done is to find out whether or not
a majority of the people concerned want to be
made citizens Of "Greater New York" Ii so,
and if New-York wants them, well and good.
The course of the Legislature will then be clear
before it. IF NewYork wants them," we say.
A citizen of Brooklyn appeared before the Com
mission last week and contended that Brook
n increasing
if it remained separate city. and that they
would be equally bound to decrease If consohda-
ton were an accomplished fact. Would the
benefit that Brooklyn, on this theory, would re-
ceive be at tho expense of New York? ms Is
an interesting question: and one that many New
Workers would ask themselves earnestly IN case
the problem of absorbing Brooklyn and the out
lying regions were fairly presented to them.
Instead of deciding offhand upon scheme OF
consolidation and sending bill on that subject
to Albany, it strikes us that the wlsest thing
| for the Commission to do would be TO prepare
n measure providing for the submission OF the
consolidation question to the voters OF New
York, Brooklyn, and the other communities IN
terested. We can think of no fairer, juster and
more expeditions way of arriving at definite
basis of procedure. While in one sense queS-
ton for the Legislature and impossible OF
achievement without legislative action, consol-
ldation is in reality question for the people
directly concerned to decide. For the people OF
Brooklyn, for example, it means the surrender
of their separate individuality as city, and 1t
would be an injustice to deprive them OF this
without their consent The same is true OF the
other towns and cities VIII the advantages
accrung from their absorption by New-York
compensate them for the privileges they will
lose And is New-York almost and altogether
ready to absorb them?
These questions can be decided fairly and sat-
isfactorily in only one way. Then why does not
the Consolidation Commission turn its attention
to this task, and ask the Legislature to pass
law submitting the matter to the test of pop
Mar vote at the election next November? Plain
" it ought to be done this year if it is to be
done soon. Next year interest will be centred
on the Presidential contest, and the question OF
municipal consolidation would be merely side
issue. Let the people have a-chance to deter
mile this important question for themselves, and
| let them have the chance this year.