Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-04-09
THE SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
THE GREATER NEW YORK PROBLEMS.

THE GREATER NEW YORK PROBLEMS.
The inherent difficulty of establishing
any system of self-government for the
benefit of the 100000 of people who
will be included within the territory
covered by the charter of the Greater
New York finds new evidence in the
proposal now before the legislature to
divide the state in two. Quite number
of people seem to have reached the con-
clusion that the same form of govern
ment Will not do for two so clearly diff
fercntiated bodies as the Greater New
York region and the rest of the state.
1t has been argued that New York sup
the state" is quite capable of managing
its affairs on the usual American basis
of local self-goverr ment and real repre-
sentation at the capital, because the
cities within its limits are not so large as
to make the interests of any one of them
a controlling factor in state legislation,
nor the interests of all of them, as against
those of the rural district, larger fac
tor than they should be. The metropOli-
tan district, on the other hand, with its
large percentage of foreign and floating
population, its general absorption in the
fierce daily struggle for existence, and
its low level of general intelligence,
is very unpromising field for the work
ing of any system of local self-govern-
ment. Whether 1.-THE presence at the same
time of a very superior small upper class,
thoroughly capable on occasions of
thinking for the whole body polite,
makes an aristocracy or an oligarchy of
some kind the only possible form of
government is rather an academic than
practical question, since it is very GER
tain that the only obtainable oligarchy
will be composed of select class of
quite a different kind.
Any real assemblage of the units COM
posing the metropolitan district would
necessarily include considerable part
of the state of New Jersey, as well as
the territory that it is now proposed to
include in the Greater New York. The
state of Manhattan, in short, ought to
comprehend Bayonne, Newark, Eliza
beth, Paterson and Passaic, Jersey City
and Iobollen, rs we'll as all of the lower
part of the present state of New York.
The territory that it is to be actually
consolidated with New York includes
Kings and Richmond counties and part
of Queens and Westche ter, but for all
the great problems affecting the position
of the port of New York, the Jersey
water front is of as much consequence as
the shores of the bay included in the
political division to be known as the
Greater New York. The community
included within the present city limits is
more Interested in the preservation of
the Palisades than are the people of the
state to which they belong. So in mat
tiers of commerce, the use of the opposite
shore of the Hudson for steamship and
railroad purposes is one of the practical
questions that affect New York much
more intimately than New Jersey.
Whatever metropolitan extension, there
fore, may take place within the present
state limits, large portion of the COM
mercial activity which belongs to New
York city must continue to be developed
within the bounds of another state, and
a still larger part of the population
which is dependent on the business done
in New York will be numbered as resi-
dents of other cities, nelghboring, but
still divided. The advocates of new
state of Manhattan would, however,
probably find it as difficult to convince
the rural Jerseyman that it is for his
interest to separate himself from the rich
and prosperous communities near the
mouth of the Hudson as it will be to
convince the rural New Yorker that the
end of the state which pays most of the
taxes should be allowed to set up for
ITSELF Boston Herald.
A BLOW AT AMERICAN COMMERCE.
The protest of the members of the
Maritime association of the port of New
York against the proposed duty on
Chinese mating takes shape III pointing
out that its imposition. which will 90
far toward preventing further importa-
lions Of this character, is staggering
blow delivered at one of the few remain
ing lines of American shipping enter
prise. We send each year to China a
large quantity of kerosene oil, and
American ships have been in position
to compete in this business, because they
could obtain in China and bring to this
country a return cargo of Chinese mat
tings. TO deprive these vessels Of their
home cargoes is, in effect, to drive them
out of business. The republican nation
al platform protested a deep concern for
the merchant marine of this country,
and pledged itself to 1.-THE protection of