New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03
STREETS GOING TO RUIN.
EVIL EFFECTS OF DEMOCRATIC PARsl-
MONY AND INACTIVITY.

rTr ADMINISTRATION WITH THAT or ITS
PREDECESSOR CONTROLLER co1ER
TRYING TO OVERCOME
OBSTACLES
The Van Wyck administration has Just rounded
out the first half year Of It's existence II has ail
less than two ard half miles Of pavement or all
kinds. All of this work was planned and provided
for by the last Republican administration. ana n
the present rate the Democrats Will spend their
entire four years working on old contracts During
his last year In ofco Theodore b. Willis paved or
rcrnved twenty five miles Of streets. or fv" times
as much as the Democrats viii do at their present
rate.
Wills. as Commissioner OF city Works. initiated
his brilliant predecessor. Alfred r. White. The
Democrats do not seem to he able even 20 initiate.
As Mr. White had been n man Of large affairs. and
had TO other motive than TO spend the money with
which he was provided ly the city for the henefi.
Of It's taxpayers he surprised the people Of the city
by boldly beginning the operation OF transforming
the streets from cobble asphalt and granite
block. Everybody remembers that before he be
came Commissioner Of city Works under Mayor
Schieren about the only asphalt pavement In the
city in Beiford-ave. and that was so fright
fully rough that whc".m@n did not consider it
much superior TO cohhes;one In short time ;hs
pavement was in excellent condition. and new
streets. Ike Schermorhorn. were smoothly paved
for the use Of the wheel0on. who were then he
co ming numerous.
In 1926 Mr. White paved nine miles Of streets
with granite block nine miles with asphalt. one
third Of a mile With vitrifcd brick. two and half
miles with Belgian block. and seven and a hall
miles with macadam. In the year before Mr. White
had not been able 20 do muoh locause ~ the lin
itcd appropriation left him by the Democratic
Board Of Estimate. However. he managed 10 do
two and half miles OF asphalt and tircc miles ~
granite and he began tho proceedings in the Com
mon Council which resulted the next year IN so
much good pavement
\ DEMOCRA TIC DEAL BROKEN.
In Mayor Boodys last year only two miles Of
granite pavement ard one mile - asphalt
laid The manner In which Mr.. White reduced the
price Of asphalt paving under orcn competition is
well remembered by everybody. The Democrats
had arranged their specifications for paving that
only firm able 20 supply the particular
kind Of asphalt called for Mr. White abolished this
favoritism at once. and this very firm bid half rs
much as they had formerly bid under Democratic
misrue.
The Legislature and Common Council were lib
eral with Mr Wills. ~ they had seen how popular
tho good paving done 10y Mr. White was Mr.. Wills
devoted himself 10 asphalt paving. OF which he lad
aboJ; twenty-five miles in h!s TWO years honey
oomhing the Twcnty-thrG First. Twenty-fOurth
and Twentieth wards with nolseless streets. The
city with !ts asphalt and macadam roads. became
one Of the most attractive wheeling districts IN the
entire country II was Mr.. Willis's boast that he
was laid In all tho previous yonis in nrooklyn IN
Guiding thosc 81 M Trlec.sfo &C., ~ 1 soa brc
miles OF granite nearly miieg o.: belgian block.
ana nrnrly n'ne miles oi m, a,."n' re 'ai' NOR
office there wore contracts for eight ana on"-NH
miles Of asphalt untouched. These cortrhctS VIII
occupy tho attention Of the present administration
for some time To come
Tho Only paving undertaken ny NE Dcnocrais.
and no, ali OF ths is finished is The following Mar
ket-s,.. asphalt. Belmont Kochaway - Powell ns-
phalt; Court opposite Borough Hal. asphalt Han
cock Ralph to Howa!d-Gyc. asphalt. EsfcN A.
lan;ic-avc to Parkway. Peisian: st Nlchoi.s-a'c..
Hart 10 Ralph Belgian. Boeflr1 Place. Fulton %
bergen. granite. besides which there IS some new
paving IN Oakland St
THEY ARE SHORT or MONEY
This Il pitilb~ showing compared with the
four previous years. and "a a showing that 40
Democrats have got 90 go TITO the campaign WITH.
The superficial history Of the financial wrang"
which has prevented Br,-lIyr fron getting any
money for paving uythlrs else is known 20
everybody. II IS only fas to the democratic Office
holders In Brooklyn. ard especially Thomas X
Farrell Deputy Commissioned OF Highway =
Brooklyn. to say hat thcy are FAR from aaiishcl
with thu poor showing ,ha, they have made thus
far and arc deeply ,haggncd ~ the fart that th'y
have no funds with which to WORK. After several
months 81 acluescenc" in the fa.@c-"conony
scheme OF Mayor Van WICK. Controller to'er has
aroused himself from hi i',harRy and apI airs -
b" making al EFFORT To neuirnnz" ne erect .;
Mayor Nan Nycks hostility toward "a" second
In tho body day, the DomocIa's had 'he excuse
'Or dOinL nothing tIst tH"y dl' nor mo" '" -
Gy Kc2ubii,an Ciiy Work. Com.nlrs ion'rs. nd 10
good sense 10 retain IN once Nci-ou l.. LOWS. the
engineer Ok thc IIpr'au OF lmiror"n'nis. "n'-c
value 10 both M,ssrs. White and WIFE. Nj Lows
is not MAJ 10 COMPLAIN = h!7 ,ui' ,lof,. pI'
under an uaciiytf Mat h. j. not uscp &. Mr..
Ls|% G a ,s' Th. H., he w. Tor !o
time - inc ia!iuI" 10 pint ~ he 't} f'."IH
rTc a.ihdrity to ad|,rts ~ bIs FOR repairs
AID this Ae "ii De- a. on-r. Ingf' are a,v'n'r r
sponahlc and Mt The .ortractois SON" o. TIC INC.
He B,diofd-ay,, chn'o" So. HM'h-a!,' udo" =,
laud-st and Henry ST. lay" Epi" 10 h',AS -
rapidly that only The Bfratcst cAp' dilon ON NE
part OF Nj. Le"!s viii ave mem; Hrafold a'o . ~
particular. has h""" pm 40 d" l'''..'''" 80,
dl;lcn by the never ending procession - Wnrrlh'I
other work acquisitions for (, have gone Dsiorr ihe
Board Of Public lmUrov"mcn;a. aad thcf' ny
', G,s i of The ac Il funds mere T. provision
the new charter whioh give "no'h,G i' "ao, yer
taken by tho prcarrt administration oGtstc OF IN q.
9r,ady rloncd iot ~ "3n ac ,ha, w6@tc
the owncrs Of -half The rro''rp alo'f an pa.,
pe,i,iom for +, ana pay BAR The eSpcnso while tn"
CITY paid mo oih.r half. ExMayor Nursi"f j. hu-
th6riry FOR In. statement that MS law was prac-
ticaIy repealed by the charter. and TINT here
after the city will pay al he Expense o. a.. pa
unna'n had tnc passing Tanmanys Board ~
Public Works and me Municipal Assembly.
GRAVEsEND ~ IFCKY
The only par 81 'hc borough that = likely - got
AIRY Considerable amount 81 paving IN "a" in'nNdl-
ato future f. tho THIRTEEN Nard or tn oil town OK
Cravesond The work VII Ic don" apparently be-
corse MAYOR Van WICK cannot get out - II. II
WA provided that such 81 The old common lani
funds as were left after the Kane crowd rot
through with the lit;lc town Icy IN" sea must u"
used for improving the Thirioih Ward. ana FOR ="
other purpose. \ law 81 1891 rr"vicol FOR com
mission which wa Authorized :" draw contracts
fcr nacadainzirg the streets or inc Th'rlrth ware
This money has been freed from IN" ngh'
treasury OF the Van Wyck administration. ana the
work on the Gravcecnd trr"tS has been renewed.
ILn.lln fn- ..eNcn mli.e- ~ mmcaGam