New-York tribune., 1896-04-03
OPINIONS OF MR.. COOMBs.

not residents Of the city. should come down here
and force us into an unwilling marriage.
OPINIONS OF MR.. CoOMBs.
Ex-Congreesman William ]. Coombs said In
part:
Ny arsument is directed TO one particular point.
stitution but individual. and as citizen
who Is Interested In the welfare Of Brooklyn. The
Of mature deberation. 10 two business houses
desiring 10 consolidate Their business would lor
that they had consolidated. and leave the details
OF that constellation for future arransement i
be preceded by careful preliminary arrangements
down TO the minutest detail This would be par
tcularly the where one OF the houses was
stronger ,hsn the other. and able 10 inhlct per
maneni injury upon the weaker II such preean-
tons are taken I'm business transaction. now
much more important how much more care'ui.
should + lhsy be IN h ne rsSS c, or over million In
hahtans. with thousands OF homes , system m % %.
traditions home rule. And 1t is forced into con,
sol dalton with ciy With no &, SreSard .yd, snq on1
last hone for The preservation Of the rights OF the
people is In Your hands In your hahhs resi- M
ma Z, dn5onds nr6n YOU Sir whether the city
shah have right to Deliberately express Us oPn,
ion IN this matter or not; cannot beheVe mat
YOU viii prove recroani to tha, trust;
THE CASE IN CHARLEsTowN.
At this point Mr. Redneld read letter from
Henry w Bragg. city Judge Of Charlestown
Mass. showing the evils Of consolidation IA ap-
piled 10 that city.
Oliver p. Miller. cashier Of the Williamsburg
Savings Bank. said that Brooklyn should noe
its own row now. and should 40 5" IN '"-
future. Her people did not wah' nr cent
Forty years ago the city sold iis per ceiI
bonds below par. hut to-day II could h"a' l's
8 - per cent bonds At a premium ,
After h. had nnsned Mr Nurster asker
THE Williamsburg Savings Bank - one "i our
largest financial institutions, IS X not
''It has $3l 900 0o0 assets replied Mr Mii'rr'
"wha; is IT. surplus" asked NJ. w.t. noI ooo
Its surplus % III" market 'alu" II S'"'''''
and at par value. S2.,reo'' . ,o.,r,
DO YOU cXp"rienc" any F'u"i" j" P'"N'''"
yolIr money on mortgages
"rhn trouble is we can't get enough
"In Other words. n a man wants To bulll
house in Brooklyn. re should ha'" no "IuD, W.
in securing money on bono ana n'"i
institution is always willing TO make 'o1"'
Yes. sir
PROFESSOR BACKUs INTRODUCED
Professor Truman J Rackus president Of
Packer Institute. was then introduced lie sa'''
s,a,tns .houll always listen 10 IA" other Sic hnl
Ibave listened 10 The other side for year n "F'IE
rff.s,fou ,,c ask they give the same answer J.
yrn sav We want - preserve Tho best chht'"t 'NrI
given 20 an American city. IN" answer ~ l, ma -
c,,ies Two dir,ir~uvely American. and Two as
tinctivcy foreign cities ana we "oui IKE 10 nln
-, ;yo American cities. m" answer u mat !
,,,. l"., II We saw we have q better scno' sys-
tom ana would Ike 20 ma,n"n our
!
we say ihe local law IS fHnd.msnis the Tny
,er ,nIi me truth Bu, what sentiment This is tho
definition n the word as given 10y one o, 10, gI""'ea
philosophers u tnsla3a eim'n LIN me no,n con-
operation ~ the leh''l i"'"''''' W." Wv
yiciions n man
In reply TO question by Mayor Wurstor "a
70 the comparative standing ~ the public
schools Of Brooklyn and New-York. MI Backus
said: That is question on which am not
M all fresh I'm my observations. The answer -
that the pubic schools Of Brooklyn rate hlgher
in the esteem Of educational men than the
schools Of Ncw-York"
X X Dykman. who followed. called attention
TO the promise made by the Legislature that N"
vote of 1894 was 10 be Informal LrsslalNe
committee I'm time made a report. but IL was
without merit. terms or conditions The great
State of Ncw-York. Mr.. Dykman said In allow
ing the consolidation bill 10 pass and be saddied
upon Brooklyn. was party to the deceit In
referring TO the series Of supplemental blls
which will follow the main bill should II be-
come a law Mr. Dykman spoke Of that 10 con
tain provision for equal taxation. Il predict
he continued. that the wealth and the strength
of all New-York Will be against the bill which
promises an equal taX-rate with Brooklyn.
This Is said TO be a provsionsl hill only. Even
so. II this consolidation bill goes through az II
now stands some of the supplementary bills
will pass: some Of them Will not. and you VIII
Nnd that YOU will have A disiointed and wholly
bad scheme OF Legislation lis own fathers would
not recognize when II comes from the Legis-
lature"
Mr. Dykman added that he believed there
was vet Il chance for a wise consolidation bill
II such bill thcrs must be. commission
could be appointed by the Mayors Of the cities
and make provisions to give the people chance
TO vote after the bill Is prepared, and an op-
portunity for IT'S correction afterward II the
vote so Willcd. before II finally becomes law.
The members of the legislative committee. Mr..
Dykman said. in ending his remarks. beard the
former arguments. with their minds ALREADY
! made up They were impatient ana nppant III
their attitudes and even disrespectfui to the
people OF this city
APPLAUSE FOR A. 4. Low
| When, A. 4. Lows name was called to speak.
he was received with considerable applause.
! His speech was brief. but strongly argued and
! directly 10 the point He began by saying tha'
/ pror 10 the election ~ 1894 IT was his privilege
/ TO be Identified with Mr. Redheld and others. who
were not only opposed 10 consoiihh'ioh put alsp
to any dishonest and underhand methods wflch
might be brought into force T. bring II about.
! He said that the Loyal Lcnsue people had me
) satisfaction Of knowing that the vote which
elected Mayor Schieren did not elect MIN az a
J consolidationist When we consider this bill.
Mr. Low continued. we must not do II in the
/ light Of our past relations with Ncw-York city.
| What has her attitude always been? Unfriendly.
! unnclghbOrly, unkind and even dlfrcspectful.
Was there ever native demand for consolidation
/ from me home people OF Brooklyn? No They
/ are the ones most concerned In this movement.
, There are 5000 or 5000 more homes IN Brooklyn
than in New-York. and In the nature Of things.
as n matter Of right and justice. they are the
frat 10 be consulted and not the real estate
! agents who are to await their pleasure. and
speak IL need be after the home people Of Brook
. Ivn have had their say.
MIR Low asked how the demand hret came
| for consolidation lie answered that II was
! through the Consolidation Commission OF which
I Andrey H. Green IL chairman and his two
4 associates, one OF whom was a Newborn real
estate man, and the other refcrr,ng to j. - L.
Stranahan). whom he would not mention be-
cause he was not there to answer for himself.
But" adi led Nh Low, 80 far as he Is con-
cerned do not think I. was right for him 10 be
on The Commission at all The consequence Ol
all this agitation Is that when consolidation ame
10 Brooklyn. II came wholly by force. We know
how unpreparei the people Of Brooklyn are to
pass this question
Mr. Low then referred to consolidation being
brought abou: in the administration OF Mayor
Schieren. lie meant Lo reflection on the Mayor