The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-04-15
Supervisors and Departments 81 Assessment

Three representatives Of the association have
been at work IN different parts Of the State calling
personally upon members Of committees and
others interested, and getting them 10 write Il
Senator Strannhan recommending home rule In
taxation and mortgage exemption. In the city
of New York labor organizstionslhave been asked
TO adopt resolutions fayoring the bill for home rule
In taxation. and over sixty unions, some Of which
are tho largest and most influential In tho city,
have done NJ. and forwarded them 10 Senator
Grady. who is the member Of the Joint Committee
from tho city OF New York
TO IMPROVE y BEAuTtPY THE CITY.
Eight years ago the City Improvement Society
was Incorporated "to promote the improvement,
and beaulfying Of the city. and 10 assist and
stimulate the authorities in enforcing the laws
| relating To such objects" II Is supported by con
trbuiions from Its Executive Committee and sub
scribing members. In ono sense IL Il a sort Of
central bureau Of complaint. as /, announces Its
willingness 10 receive from residents Of New York
any complaints within he scope Of It's work. and
promises that they will be presented 10 the au-
thohtios, who will be urged TO show them proper
attention DR.. Frederic Dame is the president
OF the society. j. c. Pumpelly Is the secretary,
and there are besides these on the Executive Com
mittee Noyes {. Wooster, j, Edward Weld, Howell
II. Barnes, Stevenson Constable, DR.. George Is.
Fowler and Charles ". Watson.
Among the complaints especially invited by the
society are any for violations OF the sanitary code
and city ordinances They specify the follow
Ing: Ashes or garbage thrown into the cutters
or allowed to remain there. the placing Of rccep-
tacles for the same on tho sidewalk between the
stoop line and the curb; failure on the part OF build
es or contractors TO remove debris and clean up
the streets after their operations; allowing vacant
lots TO become a nuisance: permitting black smoke.
SCOT or foul odors TO escape from the chimneys Of
factories or other buildings. the beating OF carpets
where the dust from them may be driven into occu-
pied premises. failure on the part Of the street
car companies TO provide clean and comfortable
cars or to run the same during the night at regular
intervals as the law requires; failure of the EN-
ployees Of these companies or the ferry companies
TO call the attention of persons splitting ON tho
floors OF the cars or boats TO the sanitary regula-
ton forbidding that, or TO cause the arrest OF per
sis,ent yiola,ors Of that regulation; the encum-
berng Of the sidewalks, even by the placing Of
stepping stones at the curb or allowing them 10
remain there. or the failure to complete repairs
for which sidewalks may have been removed or
broken up in as prompt a manner as may rea'
sonably be expected. Complaints about birds,
dogs or other animals for disturbance Of sleep.
health or comfort will be entertained only when
the complainantis willing to make affidavit setting
forth that the noise disturbs rest 10 the detument
Of health.
One Of the things now interesting the City I'm.
prOyement Society is a scheme for the crcmatio
Of garbage, which 1t is desired to have the munic.
ipal government adopt. II provides for the estab-
lishment Of incirera'ing furnaces at convenient
places in the different parts Of the city. As among
the most frequent violations Of Law In the city the
society enumeratcs, with various other ones al
ready specified, iusolencc by a policeman, "civilly
addressed in the line Of his duty specifying his
number and location las near as possiblcl at the
time" Al these things, and many more, the
society sets forth In a pamphlet which II publishes
and distributes under the title, Information for
the Residents OF New York City
THE WEST END ASSOCIATION
One Of the oldest of the real estate associations
In the city is the West End Association. the first
meeting Of which was held on Feb /, 1884, when
the twen'y five or thirty persons who began the
movement called themselves the Citizens West
Side Improvement Association. The meeting was
held at iOS West Seventy first street The as
ISOLATION was incorporated under It's present
name in the following year. 1t includes among
Its objects, besides the improvement Of that part
Of the city west Of Eighth avenue lying between
Fifty-ninth ana Manhattan streets, the bringing
together Of the residents OF that district for their
better acquaintance and for their general and
mutual benefit
The second article Of It's constitution declares
that IL is distinctly understood that the association
shall not be in any sense a poliucal organization,
All persons OF age who are residents or property
owners In the region covered by the organ faton =
efforts are eligible 10 membership In IT. II has
committees on local improvements, sanitary
affairs, grievances, taxation, legislation, law
and schools besides house, membership and Il
nance committees; and the Committee Of the hole
consisting OF all the members may bo called to-
gether by the President In emergency.
From 1854 the Boulevard received considerable
attention from the association until II became
a part Of Broadway last year. Part Of the time
appropriations were made by the society for the
deaning Of cross walks, From 1883 the associa-
tion worked for the enactment Of laws 20 protect
the Riverside Park and for It's completion. From
1891 I'LL 1895 II struggled with final success for
the passage Of laws under which II secured the
removal Of the Seventy-ninth street dump and
the certainty that so long as tho law passed In
the latter year remains on the statute books the
dump cannot be- rees'ablished or any other rs
tablished on the Riverside Park waterfront
The association fought the threatened encroach-
ment Of the projected North River bridge upon
the park land until in 1895, il had the salts
faction Of showing that the bridge would not be
allowed 10 land on the park front
1t was among other West Side organizations
In strenuous opposition To the laying OF four
tracks To be used by the under trolley cars in
Amers,rrdam avenue. II sent to Albany in this
tN1' ~ W ny nv III ~ 10 ~ -
pamphlet issued this year the association says;
The association has, from the time Of its
formation, Interested itself In and taken action
upon almost every question, great or small, re-
lated 10 the material interests of the West End.
The condition IT the streets, their payements
and sidewalks, the enforcement Of the ordinances
regulating traffic therein, the providing OF proper
facilities for rapid transit the establishment and
maintenance uf good public schools IN buildings
architectnrally suited IN their surroundings,
the establishment and maintenance II proper
postal facilities, the securing Of better equipment
and service by the elevated as well as the surface
railroad the improvements OF public parks and
squares: all have been the subject Of constant
effort on the part Of the Association, through
correspondence, the work Of It's committees at
tending before city authorities or at Nlbany before
the Legislature, and a great deal OF work by IN
dlvidual member al all times
The association has rooms in the Hotel Endicot,
It's officers are, President, Cyrus Clark; Vice
Presidents, James Van Dyck Card, John c. Cole
man and James j. Phelan. Treasurer, J. T.. Leay-
craft; Secretary, George Is Sheppard.
~RovEMEN IN THE BRoSx.
In that picturesque borough, The Bronx, there
il an organization, mora or less picturesque in
itself, which has grown up, slowly, It's existence
In It's present form dating back only five years.
The organization Is Practically an outg rowth
OF and successor 10 the old North Side Taxpayers
Association which secured the annexation 10
the county Of New York 9. the towns of Nor
1873 II Is the Central Taxpayers Alliance
Society. which now has its own home, called
Alliance Hall, in Third avenue near l75th street,
and deyutes itself in n broad way to the int rests
Harlem River One Of its members said
Years ago one man wanted the Harlem River
improved ano'her wan'ed To develop some prop
erty over on the Sound, another wanted school
houses built, another found himself with An estate
which was eating up his substance in taxes with
no hope Of ever yielding him an income None
OF them could accomplish anything himself and
they finally got together and by means Of asso-
ciauon We have got our Harlem River. docks;