New-York tribune., 1896-04-03
CONSOLIDATION DISCUSSED.
HEARING BEFORE MAYOR STRONG on
THE GREATER NEw-YORK BILL.


BRENTANo AND ERAsrUs wIMAN AR
DENT SUPPORTERS OF THE MEASURE
The Mayors of New-York and Brooklyn yes'
terday listened to arguments on the Greater
New-York bill. and Mayor Gleason came to this
city to hear what was said to Mayor Strong on
the subject. Several prominent NewYorkers who
have favored consolidation Of the cities spoke
against the bill In its present form, contending
that the scheme Of consolidation had not been
fairly prepared In advance, and that the bill
meant leap in the dark. Other speakers IA
vOred the bill. The hearing will be continued
to-day.
Arguments for and against the Greater New
York bill were heard by Mayor Strcng yester-
day afternoon, and after he had listened for
three hours to the talk he adjourned the hear
Ing until this afternoon. The hearing was In
the Common Council Chamber In the City Hall.
and the Mayor sat on the platform behind the
clerks desk. instead Of In the higher seat which
is occupied by the presiding officer at meetings
Of the Board Of Aldermen. During most OF the
time Of the hearing he sat between Andrew H.
Green, chairman Of the Greater NewYork Com
mission, who was at his right hand, and Patrick
Gleason. the Mayor of Long Island City. who
sat at his left hand.
Nearly two hundred persons were at the hear
ing and they appeared to be about equally
divided on the question Of approving or dis
approving the bill. Among the well-known
New-Yorkers present were President Seth Low.
Of Columbia University; Police Commissioners
Parker President Jerooman. Of the Board OF
Aldermen; City Chamberlain McCook Chief
Bonner. Of the Fire Department: Cyrus Clark,
7
H. HILL Frederic C. Wagner Charles Stewart
Smith, John c. Coleman. DR.. D. b. st. John
Roosa. Charles W. Watson. Frederick D. Tap
pen' Richard II. L. Townsend. Charles r. EN-
mons. Joseph Pool. ]. Collins Pompelly. Benja-
min Romaine, James w. Pryor. James c. Car
ter. Albert D. Henschel Mornay Williams.
James D. Lynch General George W. Wright.
Thomas ]. Grainer Goodwin P. Benedict. Ed
ward L. Bradford, George I. Greenfield and
Lawson n. Fuller.
SETH LOW THE FIRST SPEAKER
The time set for the beginning Of the hearing
was p. m, and Mayor Strong promptly an
nounced then that he would first listen to
speeches against the bill He recognized as the
first speaker PRESIDENT Seth Low, OF Columbia
University a former Mayor OF Brooklyn who
advanced to the platform and read his speech
from manuscript. President Low was applauded
several times In the course OF his remarks. He
said
Mr.. Mayor. As one who Is a native Of Brooklyn.
and former Mayor Of that city, and who also now
York. It is natural that should feel a warm and
lively in ,s hs M Pos Si 'hf
need scarcely plead any other for asking you
70 permit me 70 express my views upon the measure
am here who believes in the consolidation
feeling To settled
that Is also covered by the pending bill. am will:
Ing TO assume that SO far as the territorial scope oe
sistng its enactment into law. On the other hand
legislation that It enacts consolidation as fact
a. fixed date IN the future. withou, reference 70
the greater city that will be created by the con-
sodation.
Permit me to state. as briefly as possible, my rea-
sons for both these views believe in the consoli.
dation OF the cities. fTst because they essen.
on the whole. they; viii be better governed as a
single community than they have been as three;
the three cities and for the sake p' Whom ma all three
OF the city governments exist will be greatly bene-
Of their common LIE with united strength rather
than as indepe,ndent @ css and Therefore to some
few will dispute the proposition that the three cities
affected BY this bill. are in effect. a single COM
agine for moment what would be the result II the
United states Government were 10 treat the three
different ports OF entry. The commercial interests
or the entire group or cities would suffer rreparable
injury.
UNION OF COMMUNITIES
The conclusion is reached by observing the
fact that the business OF the whole group OF cities
using the word business in its large sense is all
concentrated in the city OF New-York Brooklyn
and Long Island City have many homes and many
factories and many warehouses. The business OF
exception. is conducted in the city Of %ew-York
ana the occupants OF many OF the homes In the
York than in the cities where they dwell / con-
clude. therefore. that the communities affected by
this bill are In substance cne and therefore that
there is likely to be great advantage in treating
them one from the point OF view OF municipal
1t has been said that none OF the three cities
have succeeded so we'll with the problem OF city
municipal problem can be dealt with better even
II WELL as hitherto, should the three cities be
united into INT ONE Ths does mot seem tS
prevailed during what John Fiske calls the critical
tinted States OF America never would have been
formed After the close OF the Revolutionary War
with each other to which could illustrate the
greatest incapacity for self-government The IA
they pointed out that the States failed in securing
tain good government under conditions that made
good government impossible In the confident be-
What did they do? They proposed a stronger
union as to the matters In which the interests OF
70 prepare a Constitution for the Union. / ask
YOU 10 notice that they DID not in 1887 resolve that
in I7S9 the United States Of America should be e.
tablIshed trusting to luck 70 be able. In the mean
while, to frame a suitable Constitution They called
together their wsest men. prepared the Consttue
lion with the most careful. deberation submitted
II TO the vote OF the people In every State. ana
thus established the new Union upon a basis that
was clearly understood by the people to be affected
before the Union provided for became living fact.
SAFE MODEL FOR UNION
do not believe that II is possible TO find safss
model to follow in bringing about the union that y
aimed at m this measure for the creation OF tho
Greater New-York. There Is. think good reason
10 hope In connection with the proposed union oe
the three cities that basis for better government
NAV be found than any OF the cities have hitherto
enioyed AS bearing upon this point, ask you to
notice that every Of the three cities. as they