New-York tribune., 1896-07-28
OPINIONS ON THE CHARTER.
BOROUGH SYSTEM RECEIVES COM
MENDATION
-.rr MEN TALK FREELY ABOUT THE
,ox,s,oNAL cIIAPrERs-How THE NORTH

.-.-r MEN TALK FREELY ABOUT THE
,nov,s,oNAL crIAPrERs-How THE NORTH
SIDE WILL BE AFFECTED.
,-.., ~ the first Ave chapters Of the
I New-York charter. as proposed by the
s.scommittee on Draft and printed YESTERDAY
suV was received as a whole with marked
- - real estate circles yesterday by repre-
"'.. men Of that interest The borough sys-
vas approved upon the theory that eSch
YEN '-.c, was the best judge Of its needs and
-. nlan would therefore. facilitate the
-. 10 ,n,erests Of each district. The increase OF
and its accompanying responsibility
4, the Mayoralty were also approved
p'N ,. ,,,,e feature which relieves the city OF
.,..,or ~" a, Albany save In rare instances. was
80. commented on With approval
-, Wells. a leading real estate broker.
-, +he Tax Commissioners and president OF
>,.h Side Board Of Trade, expressed his
&c follows. Il speak for myself and not
ra,resentative capacity. I am favorably
-, 80 the borough system itself. and would
=. .. o good system should be secured. Ny
-. ,,,rsssions regarding the present draft OF
e., Ave chapters Of the charter are favor
-. cav this without committing myself to
o,orter as a whole. for the sting may be in
~. ,au The North Side Board Of Trade has
.-,o,r,ed committee consisting Of ex-Judges
Ia,Shsin and Hail. Assembyman w. W. Niles
40 Angle and myself the latter two being
oacs-s ~ the Board. a special committee on
.ba new charter so that. you see. we take
strong interest in this matter
SPECIAL. DEPARTMENTS ABOVE THE HAIR
LEM
..o,. reason for this is that We have sort
- he
,,o-+h side since have a special Department
:, c,r.s, improvements for the Twenty-thrd
and Twenty-fourth Wards. 50 that IT would be
a s,en backward for to lose this system. This
.o,ors,e departrnent for our district. which,
With the newly annexed area across the Bronx
piver IS 10 be called the Borough Of Bronx. ac-
cording 10 the present draft. has been of In
calculahe value in developing the two wards.
It's great value has been shown. In fact. In an
article already published in The Tribune. giving
q general idea of the rapid increase In develop
r,ent from the time the district system as ap-
nlied through this Department OF Street I'M
provements was put into operation In 1881.
In further illustration Of this modified form
of borough system the North Side. the De-
,o,troant Of Buildings has recognized the neces-
s;,v of establishing a branch office up there
.or the convenience Of builders. owners and
architects so that they may avoid the long
tourney TO Eighteenth-st. This office is at Third
ave and One-hundred- and -forty-sixth-s Then
40 the denartments OF Street Cleaning. Of Pub
Nc Parks and Of Public Works nave each
branch office up there There is also con-
siderable agitation in favor Of having branch
Office Of the Tax Department there. Those who
understand the district convinced that II
would be profitable investment for the city 10
establish such a branch across the Harlem
rver. Much Of the property there is owned
hv people Of moderate means who are unfa-
uil;ar with the downtown offices. so that II
such branch were opened. in charge OF some
one well known in the district, 1t would faciii-
tate greatly the collection Of taxes The city
would be great gamer thereby.
1.-THE pavment of taxes is often delayed IN
conseauence of the long Journey The fact that
two-thirds Of the citys lots are above the Har-
snn is an additional argument for this oranch'
n the borough system plan. With over twenty
four thousand acres in what may become the
Borough of Bronx. we certainly need branches
Of DEPARTMENTS which will facilitate public busi-
ness. and which Will. therefore. be for the In
.erests Of the city its governance and its growth.
GREATER POWER FOR THE MAYOR
81 think that that feature OF the draft is COM
mendable by which the Mayor has power over
whole
vision that there shall be Department OF
Taxes and Assessments for the whole city, so as
10 bring about. as the act suggests. an equaliza-
ton of taxation There are several other COM
rnendable features Of the draft. but have not
had time 10 study them closely. and. there
fore prefer to defer an expression Of opinion
until the charter is complete. There are also
some features that do not fully meet my ap-
prevail hut l prefer not to speak of these at
present"
H H Cammann. Of H. H. Cammann CO..
eell-known real estate firm. said: 1 have not
had time TO read the whole draft care1uiiy.
Ny attention has been directed TO the district
borough system, however 1 believe IL Is
good idea The value of ii. Of course; VIII oe-
pend upon the character OF the men chosei lor
the Borough boards The subject OF the new
charter is broad and large one and requires
careful consideration which have not YET hao
Horace s. Ely. Of H. s Ely & Co, real estate
brokers' Of No GA Cedar-st.. said that ne ahuci-
pated that the Commission would 1aVoI .ns
borough system. 1T is modelled. l believe. salo
he upon that feature Of the charters OF soiiie
European cities especially Of London. put
have not studied 1t enough to express an opinion
about H.
HOME RULE FOR NEW-YORK.
Richard V Harnett. of r. V. Harnett @ Co.
one OF the leading real estate men OF the c"y
said: az think we'll Of the draft OF the chai'ef
as far as 1t has gone. L, gives the Greater New
York the control Of its own affairs, prac,icas, ao,
believe in the borough system. tnihh Ia Ia
the Greater New-York will be great oe"e"
70 the present New-YOrk. ou
William NJ RYAN a live spirit among we,.
Known real estate brokers' said: Il like the oralt
o. the charter so far very we'll as whoie ,.s lns
feature Of home rule. which Is put lorm
such necessary exceptions as tina, pHn,.ns per.a.ss
10 the issuance Of bonds. is to be approved
heartily. Then too the borough system Is d co,i
mendable Outlying districts whlcn couu
mention voted for consolidation with the expec-
tation that the Greater New-York as "nois
would pay for sewering the streets, hghtine anu
other local improvements which, according 70 tne
present draft are TO be paid for as is rlght. py
the borough in which these public improvements