New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-25
LIGHT ON THE DOCK BOARD.
AN EXTRAORDINARY STATE OF AFFAIRS
THE SENATE COMMITTEE on CITIES STILL PCR
sIuNG Its INVESTIGATION.

THE SENATE COMMITTEE on CITIES STILL PCR
SIZING ITS INVESTIGATION.
Tho State senate Committee on Cities yesterday con-
tinued its investigation of the DOCK Department Inc
committees object is 10 get ialr statement vi 'c
extraordinary condition Of affairs which mas cAsteo IN
New-York 10. these many years. In regard 10 inc
relations of the city the riverfront interests In
the work of calculation the principal witness examined
Henry F. Dimock was a valuable one MIR. DmocK
wos a Dock Commissioner from May. 1873, until ISL
lie told A. b. Boadman. the committees active couh
sell that he had also been in the steamship business
for twenty years. lie is manager OF the Metropolitan
steamship Company. All this experience quallhes MN
for an expert knowledge OF the perpIe%lS suOIcO' O
almost every point of view
The great plan of 1871 was TO gave the CITY ioi
its improvement TIE entire river frontage Vi Niai
haitian Island Mr.. Dimock stated that he was Il
healthy of forty-eght years OF age Dut 'haU III
had not the least expectation Of living TO see tha pan
rarried ont. Then Mr.. BOardman and ne mao h'"o
talk about the middle and the deadlock which hsiper
The Dock Department. and Mr.. Boardman asked MIN
10 propose a solution Of the difficulty.
SAID Mr. Dimock: have always entertained per
sonally very great doubt as TO whether the peopc "
the CITY 81 New-York would be willing TO have inc
city enter upon such Gigantic scheme oi puio'''
property for any improvement as is con'e"'paeu ~,
The Man Whatever else NAV be said for muiciPa,
government in this country, do not tl'hk 'a' WV
be claimed for it that it Is machine particularly We"
adapted for the management OF large ProPo'" a.
tercSts.' 80 lila
"A cre,t MANY peoplen he added, with smile
awou,d think that n very conservative statement
When the peoplc come 10 consider what it is 10 MAKE
one of the departments of our munlcpai eoVcr'"'Vn
the most gigantic landlord In the history Oh tlc "V'
and give il the management OF property the iIoS' i
nortant in the city, / have never believed that tno
p,an would commend itself TO them we nave oo"
coded only step here and there in the progress to""
the completion Of that plan but wheh 'he p"oso
is clearly presented u the people whenever ''c " ~
shall become comprehensive enough 10 a'IcS' NV az
tention of tie people by It's magnitude Deho'o ~ WIZ
he considered by them entirely ont OF the q"eS"o'
7 DO not believe that the people would DE "ii'nN "
r,ale investments that would approach huOuscus Va
millions of dollars in the belief that such vast
would be managed for the best interest Vi III. NE
7 do not believe that they would care 10 e'"S' "'
vast power TO any department OF TIE Guy Eole
Therefore have always thought that Whei 'niS W
,o ,.mc Ia he seriously considered the Necessity Va
dcuartiuc from the plan would be coMceocu'
enu,~r As a matter of government TSul"u0'' Wv
n,uic.pal authorities must prescribe inc hu VI I'M
.oni-,,. "a which they and everybody else must
conform , ,uosidoa
oJu.t the same" said Senator Fassett VINO pieS'uea'
. ,,o uri,a,pr Department docs now with new bald
mg>.' rorcb s,ricter
.Ycsp said Mr.. Dimock "but IN rluch s'''. .'''
sonsc because in erecting piers 1T wouh NC "poi"''0
IN conform 10 some general plan nave always sup
that would give. under proper ieSui0'.oi'' Wv
10 private owners TO buiid peers 49,,
W. Din,ock expressed himself to be in favor OF 'hc
sl,eddngn Of piers, and said That i' Iilu "'ro INV
passage of the law permitting tl"''' h"' a. i" '-'o'
inc certain per roof, 10 the purposes vi I'P""'
rroucnadc, ne was not enthusiastic. N'Ho"r" 10
s.l tnere seemed ~ be an Ol.u'n h some HH'r'c'9
eliza, j., ngh, he good thing have thc ROOFS I'D. pi''
as combination park, and beer gardens. Hr "a" no'
tlink IL world b. good thing. eA'"lt possibly '''
,raup, Mr. Dlmock made the suggestion 'I"'
sn,rc of nfiy feet should h. allowed on th' eN'lo'
street whose total width might be 30 ie't though he
,ond not lu!, himself t. tHat numo'', for OIhIe'
,,,m 4 fixed In." he remarked. can Ice "sct
foy ANYTHING on Garth. wouldn't leave the condii'"
of thing, a, 1t - now ~,.ch tlt m0 hHnAn D'.- can
say where 4 bilhlcad bcgn> ana whcr; 1t end,
senator ra>,ctt took up the line "i interrogation anu
o,iccd from Mr. Di,nock this expression OF OPINION
In my judgment the municipal government Is NO. .'o
et,cst instrument to manage Two or three huoorcu
million dollars worth of property nor 90 Oe'eNe u
ourbt TO be iu:ruscd with as much power
\ nooeingp the witness was asked the cost was
j snoo 600 600 what would he the determination OF
the plantl' A., rob ps
partment who sitting by, supplied lhiS liiio'""
lion lie said it would be five or SIX per cehl'
THAT said senator Fassett. of itself Involves
ON ANNA, expenditure of ten or twelve millions oi
ao,ars taking 900 900 an estimate OF cost
..,rbe whole thing" added the senator in'cr-
roca,ively simply places the commerce OF the "9rid
SO far as NewYork is concerned III the col'roi " 'O
Dock Department! y
YES" said Mr.. Dimock. 49,.
9. And If there was any abuse it would drive that
commerce TO other shores =
Yes" 49,
SIT becomes frstclass monopoly was tne
Senator's deductivc suggestion, 10 which also MI
DimOck gave assent.
M Greene the engineer, was recalled 10 INC sIdhu
a,d WAS asked how much would be The cost Oh
uniting in the twenty piers by excavation IN inc
a,recb between West Eleventh and west twenty
sscord SIS He said il would be eight or nine millions
az dollars including everything Inc cos Oh nail-
tnnance wonld be comparatively small Inc revenue.
wouI1 he about 100000. Thus the Improvement II
carried ont would cost the city about S3oO,ooo a
xcar and would bring TO Il about SsOO.ooO u year.
jike Mr. DjmOck Mr.. Greene did not expect 10 hVe
10 see the new plan carried out around the entire
Island nor he remarked did anybody else ~ would
;ndenendent of all considerations OF legal dhhculy
he a. least hundred years before the wh0le water
front of Manhattan Island would be needed for com
mcrce. 49, -, -. -, -. t,r,dar ,rbon Mr.
CoaUimon will have cX-N0yor Hewitt and OK corpora
ton Counsel Beekman up to TESTIFY about 'he dooH