New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-10
Mr.. LOWS LETTER.


do
The Tenement House Department has mace
the law veritable godsend to the ten s.
Under its benehcent provisions new puloihSs
are going up every one of which assures light
and air and decency TO all their occupants. MIile
under the old tenement house law, as auili.i
istered by Tammany, only . per cent OF the ne"
buildings were compelled to comply WIN TIC
laxer provisions OF that law. Ola peliu4LsS d
having their abuses corrected as rapluAS % POa
sibe. -, .7,
The Controller in his department has MADE
brilliant contribution to the success vi '''e 90
This ! wrote before the Controller had allied
himself with Tammany Han Tor the S Iila -
about 10 begin. have no Wish 10 , oI[+ +tc
NO word of mine shall at any uli.S St1S'+ToIIa-
value TO the city Of the services OF the Soi'I
during his last years IafnIlldIly 80: tte - -,
ever permits TO man the oppor ntofro
tramneIIed service such as he has heretofore
been able 10 SlVe.
WORK OF BOROUGH PRESIDENTS.
The borough presidents nave primary charge
OF local improvements, paid for oy asseSSIiiI-I;
such the opening and paVIhs u 81 80 ,,ona
| the building of sewers. TINS WoLh 4dS So
forward freely in all the boroughs, III IhoSe
under Tammany presidents as Wen % -
under fusion presidents, because the pollCJ VI
the administration has provided the NECESSARY
credit for the city to enable this work 10 20 oii
Such local improvements are the things thiiI
enable the city TO grow, and TO pIoVlue LoI 80
rapidly increasing population me dII az, :, -
authorized in the last twenty-one nlotnS, 40 ,9l 90
the boroughs, is substantially F1f'VV 'Q,
Under Tamuauy the amount authorized IN us
first two years was only S3,5OOOoO. Staustcs
not available to show what was done IN I'm, Sne
last two years: but il safe TO assume thaI
not more than 100000 was authorized IN tue
last two years. The large increase In the CITY >
borrowing capacity has also enabled the BOT
ough Presidents to build public baths and pubic
comfort stations.
The Board of Estimate and Apportionment
has been completely under the control OF me
fusion members of the city government; out II
has dealt much more generously with the Dor
oughs under the control of Tammany presidents
than these boroughs were dealt with by the
previous Tammany administration
This leads naturally to the statement of the
financial problem which this administration was
called upon to solve. The city was received
from the hands of Tammany with borrowing
capacity Of 81 0OU0 Taking into account the
natural increase of the year 1902. the credit at
its command was, at the outside, S3OOOOOOU
On the other hand, the city had been committed
fully or partially 10 public improvements asefe-
eating S74.OOO.OOO. Il is striking that in this
aggregate allowance made for school
buildings. for increasing the water mains, for
dock construction, for street paving ior local
improvements. or for rapid transit apart from
the Brooklyn tunnel. A glance at these omis-
SlOnS VIII snow that IL reIlet hau not Deen iOuhd
for this situation, the city could not even have
built the schools that necessary to keep UP
with its growth; the bridges the East
River would have been practically at a stand
still; no dock improvement could have been
carried forward; no enlargement of rapid transit
facilities would have been possible; and none Of
the large preparation by way of local improve
ments for the great and constant growth of the
city which has been marked feature of the
city's activity OF the last two years could have
been made. On the other hand the administra-
ton found that the city overtaxing itself.
by reason OF an old law affecting the sinking
fund, to an amount already exceeding $S,0000O0
per annum; and that this excessive taxation
would grow heavier year by year, unless the
evil were corrected. until it reached at least
S16O0000O per annum.
ASSESSMENT AT FULL VALUE.
The administration took hold of this problem
courageously and found fortunate solution OF
1t in both its aspects. 1t secured legislation
which permitted the excess of income of the
sinking fund to be used for the reduction Of
taxation, and il inaugurated the assessment of
real estate at full value, required by law. The
effect Of the first measure, which devised in
the Controllers Department, is greatly to cut
down the amount to be raised by taxation and
the effect Of the second has been to increase the
borrowing capacity of the city by $142OO00oO
AS a result OF both the city raises by taxation
this year $1OGOO.O00 less than II raised last
year. ana 1t IS now also in a position TO pro-
vide for its current growth and to carry forward
its great public works without embarrassment.
Incidentally, the assessment OF real estate at
full value has done more than any other posi-
BILE thing TO remove the inequalities of assess
Inet. anC thus TO distribute more fairly the bur-
dens of government. In order to make this re-
suit sure and permanent q law was secured from
the last legislature which calls for the publica-
ton of assessments and for the valuation OF
land separately from the valuation of the land
and improvements combined. In the course of
a very few years. n result of this policy, the
tax burdens Of the city are likely to be distrib-
uted more fairly than ever before in It's history
Publicity will make impossible a return to
the favoritism of the past. The administration
may fairly claim that in thus dealing with the
finances of the city IL has contributed beyond
computation to the present and future welfare
of the city.
If men fear that these policies are likely TO
result in extravaganza. some say, the citi-
Zens can easily avert this danger by keeping the
administration of the city in the hands OF those
who unmoved by that ''mercenary spirit
which breeds dishonesty In the public service
COMPENSATION FOR FRANCHISES.
This administration also has stood stoutly in
defence of the public interest in every matter
relating to public franchises. From the very be-
ginning it determined that no new privilege
should be given by the city TO any corporation
without a payment TO the public treasury of
adequate compensation. As a result the total
income of the city from railroad franchises has
been increased during these two years by go per
cent. During both sessions of the legislature
the administration contended successfully
against the passage of every bill that would
have extended without the consent Of the local
authorities, the old and lapsed privileges of any
public service corporation which would have
granted them new ones in disguise In connec-
ton with the legislation authorizing the Penn
sylvania tunnel project the Rapid Transit Com
mission given such control to all under
ground roads will prevent future embarrass-
ment from conflict of authority BY this fran
Chse also. the city assured the right to
readjust the terms Of payment at intervals of
twenty-five years. No such opportunity to
profit by the growing value of franchises was
ever before secured by the city of New-York
This has now become II may well be hoped, a
part Of the settled policy of the city as to any
franchises which. from their nature. have TO be
given in perpetuity. 1t may also he noted that
a result Of the attitude of this administration
the Brooklyn tunnel contract runs for term OF
tErty-hVe years, where the original contract ran
for nifty years each carrying the privilege of re-
neWal for twenty-five years.
The method of construction to be permitted in
the streets marks also great advance on the
first contract. The terms of time for the Brook
Ign tunnel contract are the best possible uuler
the Rapid Transit law AS IL now stands. l think
this law, without being deprived Of Of it's