The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-02
The Borough OF tho Bronx.

The successful results which have fol-
lowed the homo administration of the local
affairs Of the Twenty.third ward and the
Twenty fourth ward of New York, some
times called the Annexed District. led to
the establishment, under the greater city's
new charter. Of the territory beyond the line
of the Harlem River as q distinct borough,
to be known after Jan. l, 1898, as the Bor-
ough Of the Bronx.
Since 1874 the two wards then annexed
to the city have had primary jurisdiction
under distinct tribunals for the disposal of
civil and criminal cases arising in the dis
trict. Since 1891 there has been main
tanned in this district a separate and i'm
portant department, corresponding to the
Department of Public Works south of the
Harlem River line, and called the Depart
ment Of Street Improvements. During the
six years previous to the establishment of
that department, 4,9s7 plans for new build
ings had been filed in Wards Twenty.three
and Twenty.four, at a cost of $21 ,943, $50.
During the six years since the establish
ment of the department moro han 1000
plans have been filed, the estimated cost Of
the buildings being $40, 900, 900. At the
time of annexation, the assessed value of
real estate in the Twenty-third and Twenty
fourth wards was $22, 500 900. Seventeen
years later, and before the establishment Of
the Department Of Street improvements,
the assessed value of real estate in these
two wards was $53, OOO, 900. 1t is now In ex.
cess of 800, 600, 900. The various local in
terests of this district have been more rap
tdly dayalopad ppdar tho diract;oo - loooI
bureaus than under the general system of
municipal management, and it is believed
that desirable and substantial results will
mark the further extension of the same
system in the Borough of the Bronx.
This part of the enlarged New York is
directly In the line of improvement, not
merely by reason Of its geographical posi-
tion, but on account of the enormous in
crease in transit facilities during the past
few years. The annexed district, too, has
been considerably increased by the further
annexation of the new territory from West
chester county In 1895. This new addition
has an extensive area and a population
variously estimated at from 10000 to
% 5000, now increasing at a rate 80 rapid
by the introduction of improved public
works and convenience that 1t may be ex-
pected soon to exceed in population some of
the older wards of New York.
Tho experiment of a borough within q
city, a borough having control over local
matters, but In other respects subordinate
to the municipality of which 1t is a part,
has already been tried with success in the
annexed district, and, it may be observed,
nowhere else within the territory to be In.
cluded in the enlarged New York. In the
administration of the local affairs of the
city OF Brooklyn, the tendency has been not
to endow with privileges of self-govern.
ment the outlying towns which formerly
formed a part of Kings county, but were
separate from the city of Brooklyn. On
the contrary, little by little and one
by one, these outlying towns nave been
absorbed into. and have become a part OF
the City Of Churches, 80 soon to become
the Borough of Churches and the policy Of
Incorporating them with the city and there
by obliterating the former distinction be
tween Kings county and the city of Brook
Ign has been found to work well; as we'll
perhaps, as the contrary policy in New
York, relating to its annexed district.
In the appropriations this year for the ex
penses of the several departments of the city
Government, 1910, 900 was apportioned
to street improvements in the Twenty-Five
and wenty.fourth wards. The Borough o.
the Bronx will start with a voting popula
tion of about $4,000, considerably larger
than the voting population of the thriving
city of Rochester, which, in an assessed
valuation not much exceeding that of the
+; Borough of the Bronx. as it will be consti