New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-07
WHAT BROOKLYN TALKS OF.
TOPICS OF CURRENT INTEREST IN The
METROPOLIS OF LONG ISLAND.

LEGISLATURE they are now receiving salaries, and their
payroll is $4,000 a year. They have Just Involved
tho citr in a suit TO defend The franchise which they
granted to the Union Railroad Company, in doing
,rbicb they failed TO secure $4,000 offered by rival
comnonv that would have been willing pay at least
$4,000 for what the successful corporation secured
for nothing There is a parallel between the leEal
proceedings I'm which Mayor Chaplin became involved
when he was the head OF the city government and that
in which the Aldermen are defendants 1t was soon
after he had his salary Increased from $1,000 TO
10000 wear that Mayor Chaplin was made defendant
in proceedings to prevent the contamination OF the
pu,chose OF the plant and franchises Of the Long Isl
and Water supply Company. Now; soon after tiio
Aldermen began TO DC pa M u, M e,jt f. de-
clare null and void the franchise they were III hurry
10 grant The outcome In the TWO SUITS may De TIT
same.
The only public compensation for the disregard
OF the rights OF tax payers by the Aldermen is 10
be found in the possibility that they may be oruefeo
bv the courts TO pay the sum lost 20 the city by
their failure Il money return for the frahchse
II this is adudgcd the outcome Of the suit brought
BIZ a Taxpayer under the Tildcn act 10 preVe"
the waste Of public funds, the city VIII nj least p
reimbursed 10 the amount OF the salaries OF the
members OF the Board for year. In their nh-
,alared DAYS no objection shown TO the Alder
mems taking a long vacation II the ahairS OF ,le
city did not suffer. But now that they are pad
for their services there Is additional reason for De
handing the performance Of their whole duty. Ana
vet the Board adjourned for the summer eanIms
the important matter OF supplying addiiohii pump
ing facilities for supplying water 10 the ciI! lul-
attended to. and the Mayor has had TO call them
together for special meeting TINS week.
President Hendrix OF the Board OF Educauoh' "hoSc
reelection was secured by the narrow margin vi
one vote land he voted for himself at the meeting
If the Loarl last month. had an opportunity %
making up the standing committees OF INC '''"
10 send to Coventry the members VINO "ppoSod
him and he has done 80 To considerable degree by
leaving them OF desirable committees, ana ~leH'''s
them to minor positions. Nearly all the twenty three
chairmanship, have been given TO his supporters
AZ the head Of the committee IN inc ho'S
High school whose new bullding VIII be opened newt
month. Colonel John Y. Culycr has been placed
He has had long experience In the Bcam' ana
well fitted for the position I've Is a,'o nm mgD
Of four Of the other most lhp"r.ar nnp'hor If
Professor Franklin ". Hooper, "A new mehiDe. Va
rmitfcos and is chairman Of the one upon studies
Ills experience as a teacher In the Adeiph AcnoenN
and his work in the lirooklyn ih Stv "''o y
cullarlv fitted him for this congcnlal du'E'
Tho valnos Of the real estate and personality OF me
residents of the city a. assessed for purposes OF TAXA
t,on aggregate about S4soyooOooo ms ~ h'a'S
doublc what Il dozen Years ago in"' ~ -"
real estate has nearly doubled in value ms the per
,,nnl propcrty f. only little more than In was In
more and more difficult year by year 10 TAX inc pr
aonal estates Of wealthy men, many Of whom SNOW
nhenomonal skill In cvadIng the tax collector INC
average annual advance of real estate NleS i'r inc
Inst twelve years Ia, been S2OODOpo. ms year "
Is nearly mp to the average, being Sl-"""o' l"'
tax levy has advanced nearly Sl,OOOo,o so that inc
,.x ,.,c IL likely 10 be about r. 20 II VAS - 81
last wear on each 500 Of valuation. The average 10,
The last twelve years has been - 80. Inc 9hFiu
announcement Of Che tax rate VIII not De h"'e i"'
time.
Tho fact that unatic can escape three times rom
the County Insane Asylum IS evidence either OF de-
pl,Iabc lack Of proper prccauton for restraining t"'
inmates Of the institution OF their liberties" or Z" E''
carecs,ncss on the part of those authorized 10 watch
them An insane retreat Is not psOn. but both FOR
the sake Of the unfortunate persons occupying it'
wards and for the welfare Of the community nj h'sr'
II is ind pen sable that they b. properly guarded hN'
IRENE vigilance IS needed when an Institution Is over
crowded rs the In Clarhson-st. flatbnsh Is WIN
i,s more than 200 inmates Crowley. who las bent
,hc hors Of his windows three times and made ms
way TO the roof 81 the ground Is man 81 er'At
strength but H. ought 10 be kept In room win ettia
strong bars or soIne Adaib'"' d ~ ponghrriy
inter his escape ana the killing of t~" persons ~
aror sufficient warning TO the authorize, ~ charge
# the countys insane to keep them from hnrmng
others or themselves
Another
domnnc the property Of the Long Island Wafer supply
Conpnnv for it, purchase by the city. Commissioner
william r. Lane l. disqualified 10 serve as hc i not
a freebooter in The county. II app'ars That ne SOFA
his house u Few weeks before he wns appointed. and
then forgot the fact when he accepted the Pine" ana
entered upon his duties The law says that i've FREQ
holders shall be appointed upon The comml,S sion.
When the original commissioner was named. r. u.
r,rt,ott Was uI0n IT, lie declined 10 serve. Another
man was named IN his place but he would not take
the Office and n third had to b" selected Now JudS"
Pratt Will have 20 MI another vacancy. Tht rnn-
ml,,ioners get S6 a day They VIII not meet AGAIN
until Scptembf -
II IS not likely that there Is much IN tho current
talk about reduction Of fares Oh the bnde" rail-
mad No ono would object to paying less 81 course
hut Il IS not believed that there IS any loud or
lorge demand for II reduction. Three cous for ride
Of mile and one-scventhwhlch Il the length Of the
jridee-does seem pretty large rntr but I'll regular
traveller, keep themselves supplied with tickets, which
cost two and a half cents apiece. "iIt Is ohehy
demanded is not cheaper fares, bnt enlarged mc1tleS
for carrying passengers. The trustees need not worry
about the demand for reduction IN the fare II ih'N
viii only studlousIy devote themselves to the other
question. In point Of fact they seem to make 80
tc progress I'm that direction that II is absolutely
imperte,ptlble To be sure they are tearing down
ot of buildings ia Brooklyn, but that alp"ars 10 De
about an What might not have been done 10y ms
time II the trustees had been wise enough 10 anopt
the wellington circulating system rs IccoHIWtnncu ny
the first Board Of Experts, aNny hcA III lool'
Mayor IoOdy's handwriting Is hne ana drhoac'
like a woman's II has not a particle Of the nlascu-
line quality 40 one seeing 1t without knowing whose
IL was would suspect that IT wac the Work OF man
NJ busIncss who had gone into politics comparatively
late I'm life and made a success Of IT, literary man
or a college professor, perhaps, might write such IA
hand I'm, u does not suggest It's author In the least.
II f. renIsrkably neat aud legblc but can In no sense
be pronounced characteristic
An excellent suggestion IS that OF some residents In
tho old Eighteenth Ward, that the Brooklyn CITY
Railroad Company should transfer passengers from the
Gates-ave and IIalSey-st lines OF cars TO the cars
mining In Tompkins and kostrand ayes. and thus