New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-14
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF
GIIMPsEs OF MEN AND THINGS IN THE
METROPOLIS OF long ISLAND.

Tho elaborate message or communication sent TO the
Roard Of Aldermen on Monday with the signatures Of
Navor Chaplin and Controller Jackson attached proved
veritable brutum fumen." Never was an official
4ocuuent designed to produce q powerful effect
rrhlic opinion so quickly dismissed from the public
mind II is doubtful whether in any case it would
have produced the slightest change in the feeling with
which Mr. Chaplin has been regarded ever since the
nosure Of the water conspiracy but the totally
ected turnover the Bridge and the sensational pro
ceedings which have followed have absorbed attention
20 the entire exclusion Of the Mayors wearsome de
fence OF course there reason under the sun
FOR sending such a message to the Aldermen, except
that Mr. Chaplin has several times since he took office
fonnd this convenient way Of communicating with the
people rather OF communicating his ideas TO them.
The Aldermen have more TO do with the water
supply Of East NewYork than has the Beecher Statue
Committee the City Railroad Company nor could
any action that they might take have any bearing
whatever the requirement by the city Of the plant
of the Long Island Water supply Company. Oh the
situation they appeared 10 have very exact apprcca-
ton when they refused 10 listen 10 the reading Of the
voumnous message and merely ordered 1t to be printed
as a part Of their minutes. "The Citizen" was the
only one OF the papers which found room for the whole
Of the document with its numerous supplements
The Eagle printed the whole except the opinion OF
the Court Of Appeals, which had no news value
1t is safe to say that few persons in Brooklyn nave
read he entire message. In fact. there was no heeu
Of doing So since the opinions Of the engineers obtained
rv the Mayor to back up his position were Adequately
summarized in the message proper-the hrst par''
which bore the Mayors and the Controllers sigma
lures That part, with the exception Of the sum
,naries Of the engineers opinions, was really no more
than restaement Of the affidavit made by Mr. Chaplin
in connection with the injunction proceedings early
IN the wear. The important points which the puDhc
would like to see cleared up-such as the reason why
the contract for the purchase OF the waerworRs was
made ia secret-werc passed over in silence NOT did
my clUC
as 10 what ought u be done to "unify, extend ana
couplete the general water-supply plant and system
of the city, 1.-THE contract Of last December mas
been brought 10 nanght. Some other solution must
10 discovered That is ali That it means the seek
Ing Of further legislation order to allow the pnrchase
which the courts have nterdiced scarcely douDtlui
Mr. Chaplin is evidently opening the way for the
cousumation in some shape OF the bargain which nc
made last winter.
The comlcal aspect Of the Bridge revolution is more
striking than the serious Never was a neater
trick PLAYED than that by which Mr. Howell was oustcd
and Mr. Wsgstaf put into the Office Of president MT
Howell has usually been credited with fair amount
Of shrwdness and with the ability to manipulate
things cleyerly But this time he was completely
outwtted 1t is wonder that CONSERVATION seized
upon him and his six associates when they realized
what had been done. II they had been quickwftted
enough they would have retired from the room when
they saw what the NewYork trustees were aiming at
and thus left the meeting without quorum or else
have devised way Of postponing the Inevitable
until they had time To summon Mayor Chaplin, Con
toler Jackson and General Barnes. If IN the Brooklyn
trustees had been present, there would have been q
deadlock and Mr. Howell would have held over as
nresidcnt; and the deadlock could only have been
broken By the absence Of some trustee from future
meeting. Evidently the future meetings VIII be better
attended than those in the past when there has often
been much dlMculty in getting quorum pieseht-so
much indeed, that it has oeen seriously proposed 70
establish a quorum OF less than one than half
of all the members.
Mr. Howells announced intention Of contesting the
claims of Mr. Wsgstah 70 the presidency was evidently
an afterthoucht for Monday he consented 10 take
the Office of vice president Whether he was altogether
serious the next day in his loud talk about carrying the
matter into court may be doubted at all events his
zeal did not hold out LONG, and the threatened war
quickly subsidized into truce, or something mdef stAI
II will be characteristic performance II the once Oh
vice president made salared one In ordeI W appeae
the ex-presdent. Few people fancy that the br1ose
interests viii suffer by the change Politics have had
much 10 DO with the Bridge heretofore. and OF course
they viii continue to do 50. Mr. Howell has done hOle
IN the six years Of his presidency 10 bring the STRUCTURE
mn 10 the largest Of its usefulness 1t Is much
10 be hoped that the infusion of new blood VIII nave
GOOD effect There would be hope Of this. how
ever If there were new trustees all around as well aS
a new president.
have met no one in Brooklyn who approves the
decision Of the Beecher Statue Committee TO place the
statue with the face To the City Hail. on the other
hand the denuncauons Of the committee ara numerous
and the matter IS assuming ridiculous aspect through
the suggestion that statue be placed pivot so
that be turned around by anyone who IS dissats-
fed The contention OF Mr.. Ward, the artist. that the
work ought face the south In order 70 obtain the best
light appears to be theoretical rather than practical
II all depends Suppose that Mr.. Ward had had the
determining voice in deciding how the Lincoln and the
sranahan statues should face would he have turned
them around II so, he would have shown extremely
BAD Judgment The light is not the main consideration
the relative fitness of things IS. 1t is by no means an
invariable rule that statue must face the south IN
order to get good light and if It were this woald
be the time for an exception which, according to
popular Out not wholly truthfu proverb, should prove
the rule The fact IS. the statue. If put In this little
park at ALL should have been placed near the apex OF
the triangle, instead of the opposite side and Mr..
Beecer should stood with his face TO the world"
not to the City Hail. 1t will be unfortunate If the mis-
take corrected before next week That there Will
be an demand for change of posture when the
work is disclosed to public view can scarcely be doubted
The movement to establish klndergartens In the city
is worthy Of all praise and furtherance. The Brooklyn
Kindergarten Association. which formed at meet
ing held in the Pratt Institute, Monday evening,
is modelled after a similar association which was
organized IN wYOrk about two years ago. and which
has established two free kndergartens and expects 10
extend it's work in the ne2r future. The statement
Of superintendent Maxwell the meeting in reference
10 the feeling OF the Board of Education toward the new
movement was especially interesting, and he predicted
that when q number Of kndergartens in opera
ton and their usefulness came to be appreciated the
beard would be glad take them mp and carry them
Oh az the public expense. Ii is expected that the
Froebe Society may lend valuable help in this work,
it members knowing by their experience In connection
with the Froebel Academy what important factor
the Kindergarten is in the education Of children.
II WAS not ingenious to hold the latest hearing
n the use Of the trolley at the New-York Chamber Of
Commerce The Railroad Commissioners ought 10
understand that a BROOKLYN matter should be heard in
BROOKLYN 1t is not reasonable TO require Brooklyn
ties to cross the in order to oppose the use Of this
rbfe