New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-09
ppyrtyr WORK AND PUBLIC WORN.

v.wyork has a reputation in al countries
,or encrov and enterprise. Foreigners VINO 'Is't
,.,. .,,v ,r. unanimous in expressions OF sur
,, ,hat many things are accomplished mere
,, go ,,u.l In sh and speed. Whatever Iaol's
mas, h.v., heen ascribed to the American people
,.nd Eew-York Is the truly typical ana cha'
..,.rist,c American city, no one has ever io'h"
fu,t with the private citizens of TINS hhe'ropoiI'
,or s,owpess or lack of push and rush. IL j III
,J ,hrose and n wellknown phrase tha' Wv"
vorl.rs appear 10 be always IN hurry !"
~, n,rt M the world have great buildings '""
; hundreds of feet above the streets, p'c'i
oonstuct.d in so short time rs IN the 'h'ei
,,r ~ tho New World. When New-lorke
bova made ND their minds that p'liiiihg sh"ii
ho completed with GREATNESS haste 'h'! n">c
suoceaded IN surpassin even the most pr"H"'I-
inc records of Chicago or any other western 'oN'
munitv The careful observer VINO mas s'roi''"
obout Manhattan Island in recent years ana Has
r,,ob.l tho rocket like ascent OF Inc clo'u'
.ouohers which have risen story AFTER s'or!
NTH amazing rapidiiy must have been con-
,.ircod that when a citizen OF this town mas re-
so,vod that he will bring about certain r'S"iiS
ou,cklv there is no spot on earth III Whch
swifter feats of construction can be achieNeu'
Rnt when one studies public works the con-
,ros, is astonishing and not at all agreeapie.
70 . orroration mr. an individual within the Dor
ders of New York secures contract lor IT,
,o,ro on avenue or a street, If a gas c0mpah!
gets permission to make excavations IN oruer
70 law down new set OF pipes. if any KIND OF
organization or person procnres an'hor'! ~
ohonoe rho existing order of things in any pup
liz territory. then delays are heaped upon oe-
Of ol,c
the people of the town are subjected to serious
,,oorro,ience IN many ways. If it had not
been q subject of actual experience 1t would
have seemed impossible that flf'il-aVe' S"o"''
remain drearv waste for month after month
while now water mains were SET "o"n anu
,bue various changes were in progress. When
private capital is invested IN erec'"S d" "'"H
n;dcent now structure, one which employs a
great number of artisans and when uses h"Ec
,o,a, Of copi,al. the electric light makes it pos
sible to hasten the work through all ho''S VI
tho pgh, the preparations have been so care
fully made. tine whole plan mas Deeh 81 'no'-
oughly perfected that the enterprise goes OH III
n pace wlneir would make the people OF l'onuoh
or Paris. Of Vi,nna or Berlin. hold 'heir prea'"s
i'm amazenient. Yet when great sewers are
to be dug, when waterppes are 10 Nv sum-
when municipal pans Oh improvement " "
carried out, how slow how dliator! ITO" olS
Amounting is the actual advance or the WORK
Every New-Yorker is familiar with me TACT '''a''
oven when public money is not thrown away
public contracts and improvements in every de-
partment of the city government fall far behihd
the pace at which private enterprises are put
through.
Nav it not he possible some time in the future
10 All the offices Of the Greater New-Nork with
men who will enforce directness. diligence
and an efficiency in public undertakings sim
liar to the qualities which are exhibited on all
sides in the handling of the enterprises or prl-
vate citizens? Is it not possible 10 get LOT
the service of the city men with force enough,
and with public spirit enough, TO compel con-
tractors into whose hands IS committed the con-
troll of public enterprises TO hurry their opera
tons in a manner similar TO that in which pri-
yate capital achieves its ends!