New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-30
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THE T0RS AMBITION.

The paIpfuI intelligence reaches US VIA Albany
and tho Navors office that the City Hall has not
foupd favor IN the ewes OF our municipal rulers.
They do not like its architecture. Its appear
ance and It's dimensions do not satisfy their
aesthetic lodgings. They hunger and thirst ior
gigantic building in its place and SUI more
gigantic building fund in their hands. lhis IN
to,ligence is painful not because 1t suggests 10 III
tollicent citizens the necessity of revising tner
own ooinions as to an admirable structure, Dut
because there is much danger that the Mayor
and his advisers will succeed in having 'heir
WAY and carving out their plans. The Munlci-
nal Building Commissioners seem to THINK lhaU
the task OF finding suitable site ou'siue '''e wy
Hall Park is beyond their powers. and they wouid
like to have authority to proceed upon '"o'ne'
line They want to have all restrictions le-
moved, so that they may run free course anu
be .lorilied. They desire the acroSalioh vi 'he
law which exeInps the City Hall fafK lrom
further occupation. They are anxious 10 oee,"
rs soon as possible the erection OF colossal pilc
within its limits and in order to 1ullil tha' am
btion they are eager to tear down inc h's'o''o
odiGce whose symmetry and c0mellness they are
unable to appreciate and whose historic asSocla-
lions they care nothing about.
II is admitted that Ncw-Ioll needs a new
budnc to accoinmo late its pubic pusiiiesS'
'pon tina. point there IS no dispute. But OUT
s;do tho circle of those who expect to control It's
construction and disbuse the money required
for that p,,rpose we DO not believe there Is any
anoroval of the project which Tammany mag
Mates have at heart The taxpaA ers have re-
ccrtly paid S25. 600, 900 for an aqueduct' anu
rLa,.h nr pnppnfIy Il
large share of the cost of a Giand, gloomy anu
pcculiar state Capitol. which is dlSinteeratlh2
fastol than it can be conveniently repalreu' anu
thcy pray II be excused from carrying ano'hcr
hurdcn Of that sort They are willing 10 pay
for 4 commodiolis structure OF modest type non
ostlv and economically built upon an accessible
site. Bat they do not want to buy oiocK OH
Rroadway and least of all do they want TO re-
Mace the City Hall with mOnstrous 1aoIic at
cost Of ST.. 900 600 or 500. 900, thus AT one
stroke losing thing which they greatly Nalue
and acquiring a thing 10 which they are aVerSe.
The case would be different if the city had
any guarantee that the huge sum required TO
carry out this scheme would be honestly spent OF
tho, the result of such prodgaity would he arh'-
tacturaly satisfying We have had lamentaDie
experience OF the ways i'll ""iN"
loves to squander public funds, ana we neeu no
further enlightenment on that subject 10 De
sure Tammany government is the only govern
ment we have and the essentials for carrying on
the public business must be provided mat Is
the argument which now justliies the constfuc-
ton of a new municipal building such as sensible
citizens are willing TO agree to. but there Is no
reason why we should embark in an undertake
ING which would inevitably prove to be master
niece of extravaganza and corruption As ior
the Mayors ambition to be the means OF INTRO,
ducinc q rev era in municipal architecture ana
teaching the world how to build for immortall'y
we devoutly pray that it may be frustrated Inc
record of past efforts does not make new expert
monts aIlrrng \ spacious bat unobtruSlvc
building on side street is all that the people
IL. f,r