The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-26

hshed camp OF non.pnrtisanship. i am un-
sSsS 70 % S SnSeT prscissiy what Is meant By
MISUNDERSTANDING in!municipal AFFAIRS"
lod RsgFdIn forward tnS Ss eagerly i,af &C. NJ II f9,s sf ietteT in
the hope Ssw that q it 4 Tg gssns show Sy w hs sa tb1 ,C %iSsr
sS%o EaiSs Of Of the the n %SSn %u ny MaiHs S Would Ti' be-
its citizens, Had Mr.. Low outlined a plan of
in The &ayoraity OF Brooklyn ana on tho com:
mission which framed the charter Of the
fiS In SeHfi sSsSdF thas t'i Sis Scheme tdTs'p of impr OF SSTssit
i %s' for fSsf Sis %o Ssa t%sHaf His 20 p%os siatRRNF would as q tES Ss,
DO COMPREHENSIVE and the attitude of intclli:
gent citizens would be decided by the rlerits of
Els proposal. But we look in vain through any
Of his ptterances for a single. phrase which
show, ~ that onn he has sT sSEcS I'M IN the I. t al fdSsa d hS
enc Ht y f SSyC years ar 'a ss s sSisi s Sl.si Tvs S Of the
any fruit to which he, could point as a proof
that he was possessed OF peculiar talents of
Of two successes at elections, but he is silent as
to the !uco,essful foat Of administration after
Tho greater city will DO the second in the
,ss na,n In point a5 t. of IORnliHtti oSsS Sna d s 30 sSs mass
N s%R,0o other @H!Fo IN the oW world rid ISIS is SOUNDED on its
right by q majestic river. divided by q broad
he hSn,sahs ~ a. Ss.5 y OF The Atlantic OCEAN. YET,
,osEstS AS Dc pfodissi bounty q PrcSi:
metropolis arc among the most u%aniovesiy. in
tho world; Tho beauty with which nature has
territory has been defsced by the hand Of i'm:
proyidsnt. man. Until last year the city was
divided into separate Jurisdictions, always
other. New York had nc. authority to sup:
press nuisances. on Long Island, and no on:
river front, while foul smelling factories faint:
cd the Atmosphere and corrupted the waters OF
crown beyond the widest exDeCtntionn of
those who administered their affairs, even in
the tn, last generation, and no intelligent prepare,
their expansion. Our sewers are imperfect
and inadequate, our streets narrow, mean. un-
We're SO rough and % primitive that to travel
on them was a gerilops adventure. The Isl,
the occupancy of the vicious. who are forbid
den, and to the sick and unfortunate, who are
tho most healt6fni bathing beach in the world.
now brought within the jurisdiction Of the city,
has long been u pest hole, morally and physi.
success which attended the East River Park.
its crowded condition every day. ought to have
But Mr.. Low leaves us in impenetrable dark.
ness as to whether he favors liberal appropria-
tons to remedy the long neglect from which
the greater city has suffered or devote All his
SSs s favor TO the hhe' remov aIw OF the the peni, f@Ifi oa the
almshouses,. and the hospitals from the East
River islands to other sites, and the conversion
OF these sea washed spaces into parks which
would present unrivallcd opportunities to the
masses for the enjoyment OF the bicycle and
other forms of exercise. while women, children
and invalids from the most crowded districts
could easily reach them for the enjoyment Of
the condemnation for park purposes OF the
ground occupied by those fountains Of stencil
Creek a 6ideous memory to anybody who has
eyer passed close to III A slight expenditure
OF one % o9 sSe m SSnld b]s sss1ts in n.t rhst ,n nssis sne Of 3Sa
most attractive bodies OF water in. the civil
lied world. Would Mr.. Low favor the ac9uisi-
from, Norton's Point to tho Brighton, Reach
Hotel. the erection there OF q comprehensive
B}lsckweIrs and Wards islands, and the estab.
lishment of easy means OF access to all these
P Prise at 'l a trin IN zee Feet t'' ha sF he e' ever prrv thought sRte Of
a remedy for the hideous condition of our
streets at the present momsntl Has he any
ton Of the horrors through which the city has
passed under this administration
p sasaHsI subjects. sA, The "S city OF Sew ' YORK, FOR 'ri the
sufficiently ample to enable a wise and states.
manlike Chief MAGISTRATE to confer benefits
reach Of the populacei His failure to describe
Improvement Of the city deprtves him. in my
satisfaetory qualifications for the office to
Mr.. Lows language concerning the operation
and the ownership of municipal franchises Is
so vague that it is impossible to fully grasp his
meaning.
I am not one of those who believe that mu.
vantage of. the citizen: American. cities have
nothing 10 learn from foreign municipalities in
provement in these industries Of any immpor.
lance has been.by American invention. | know
of Sel o0 ips snR im in we,Ss mI IN the sSptyv has BE- pS as.
lie necessities. The telegraph and the tele
phone. the trolley and the electric light have
all haan the nrnHnrfG nf inNanfipn EtirppIa ted
by the hope Of profit through the operation OF
public franchises. Does anybody believe thai
the public streets for the exploitation OF his en-
! tween franchises Of recognized and mcasur
able value. such as those authorizing the sup
ccbhises Which permit enterprises essentially ex
:. perimental which may entail loss rather thar
, In January, 1887, the General Committee OF
, Tammany Hall adopted a set of resolution:
which contained a scheme OF administering
3 with reference to corporations using public
, I have always believed embodied The sount
did not favor municipal ownership, hut munic
: ipaI partnership,a limitation Of the prott'
operation Of the enterprise to an amount which
. while It would be an ample reward for indus
c beyond such reasonable compensation into til,
; Il is impossible to say whether Mr., Low
bS hA tF
l cost of transportation For my part, 1 believ,
n hat continuous reduction would DO for tho bes
interests of both the public and the com
panies. A cheapening of the product has al
. ways resulted In greater profits to the pro
Queer, A few years ago many railways in thi
city, charged more than five cents for a fare
To-day not one gould BIO persuaded to charge
greater sum. The elevated railway for a fonl
time struggled fercely and successfully agains
. q reduction OF it's fares to five cents. but to-da.
1t would be bankrupted by a restoration of tn,
7 10-cent rate. l know Of no magic quality u
c the figures Of a dollar for.gas OF five cents TO
/ street railway transportation am opposes
!, favor a gradual reduction. intelligently hxe.
o and firmly applied. l an convinced that sucl
n q, reduction would be profitable to public am
corporations, but 1t would be of incalculabh
y advantage in demonstrating to Those who raj
n against tho laws Of industrial distribution tina
y not hostile but identical.
Indeed, we are puzzled to ascertain from
Mr.. Lows letter his viows upon any subject
10 except that he declares no would not, II elected
attempt to violate the civil service law. This
however, is only u pompOus and verbose nett
cd Of declaring that he would not deliberatel.
violate his oath Of Offie. i opposed the enuCi
h ment OF the original civil service law and ever