The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
TOUGH PROBLEM FOR PIPER,
HOW CAN TRUCKS BE LOADED
AND SIDEWALKS KEPT CLEAR:

Piper Doesn't Know. Morcisanty Committee
Doesn't Know. but They're Tr,tng
Hard to Find Out-And the Business
Men Say Piper's Doing Coed work.
Deputy Police Commissioner Piper and
the committee Of West Side warehousemen
and Wholesale grooers who have been rack
ing their brains for a week to ind some
means Of relief from the ordinance which
forbids the backing Of trucks across the
sidewalks to deliver OF receive merchsn-
disc had q long conference yesterday
morning, at which no less than fifteen plans
for solving this problem were evolved,
only TO be cast aside as unsatisfactory.
Capt. Piper and the warehousemen agree
that the existing law which, until the Deputy
Commissioner enforced il for twelve hours
q week ago Saturday, had been considered
a dead letter for many years. Is wrong and
should be modified.
Capt. Piper hopes that such q substitute
will be offered to the Board OF Aldermen
on Tuesday as q part Of the new rules Of
the road which Alderman Oatman Il ex-
pected to introduce.
When the West Side Business Mems
Committee met Capt. Piper yesterday
they laid before him confidently proposed
modification Of the existing ordinance,
saying that in streets In Manhattan south
OF Fourteenth street. excepting Broadway
and streets ending at q ferry. business
vehicles might stand backed across the
curb while actually loading or unloading.
provided that there be In front OF the
premises a platform not less than three
feet wide and not extending beyond the
stoop line, suitably supplied with steps
at each end. and that at least three feet Of
said platform be kept unencumbered and
free from merchandise at all hours"
Capt. Piper pointed out that this would
be Unfair to many merchants north Of
Fourteenth street. All hands then set TO
work to think out some way around the
difficulty, and various amendments we're
drawn up and then turned down a. insult
able. Finally the conferees adjourned
TO meet again tomorrow. In the meantime
Capt Piper said he would draw ups amend
ment which he thought would serve the pur-
pose. and the committee said they would
have another try at it. too.
This is one Of the toughest problems
have yet gone up against, said Capt. Piper
last night. There is no question that
would make business practically impossible
in the big West Side wholesale district.
That such would be the result Is shown posi-
lively by the fact that when enforced tho
% for tss dv hSurs week ago
Although we failed to reach any con.
clusion to-day, we agreed on some Inn
portant points. insisted that there should
be no backing across the sidewalks on
nrA 49, nv,oa
and Park row and all streets leading to
ferries. This the committee agreed to
readily"
Capt Piper said he expected that the
amendment that would finally be drawn
would permit the backing privilege In the
parts OF the city lying along the river front
where the great wholesale trades are located
The problem, he stated, was to word the
ordinance so as to confne the privilege
to such districts and make sidewalk block.
ing impossible In localities where foot
traffic Is heavy. He said he was opposed
to the use Of skids leading from trucks across
sidewalks.
+. NJ. Mccarthy Of the wholesale gro
Gerry. firm Of Austin. Nichols 4 Co.. one
last night that the committee was still
at sea.
We have no criticism whatever to mike
OF Capt. Piper said Mr. Mccarthy. We
never realized until to-day the problems
tTdt CONFRONT nlti ne says NC Wdhto W
do everything that is fair. and we believe
he does, but he takes the stand that the
ordinance Is on the books and that unless
he enforces II he will be called TO account
by some one higher UP.
As q matter Of fact. he IL entitled TO z
great deal Of credit for having ordered
That all trucks, when waiting their turns
to receive or deliver a load OF goods. lie
close In by the curb Formerly the driven
were In the habit Of standing ak or eight
feet out into the street, and great deal Of
unnecessary delay and blocking OF tranio
resulted
The delegation of newsdealers who called
on Mayor Low to complain Of the enforce
ment Of the sidewalk ordinances against
them also called on Commissioner Greene
yesterday and repeated their grievances.
As to their statements that from % to
100 OF them had been arrested by the
police and one fined $40. Capt. Piper said
last night:
when I heard their story got reports
from the precincts and found that only
six men had been arrested ance last 6atur-
day. In one case q fine Of q was imposed.
and then only because tho man had built