New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-30
BOUGHT NOW, HE SAYS.
School Sites Purchased by Precious
Board, Declares Worburg.

The report OF Controller Grout to the Board Of
Estimate and Apportionment yesterday. in which
he declared that the city had lost 100000 or more
due TO paying excessive prices for school sites and
allowing these sites in many cases to lie idle has
called forth reply from Felix n. warburg. chair
OF the special committee of five. appointed by
the Board OF Education to make Investigations into
the economical methods of the department for the
benefit Of the Controller.
Mr.. Warburg says:
The special committee will not answer Mr.
CIRCUITS assertions in detail until have received
he desires to issue. Nothing has yet been pointed
out which promises any possibility Of saving. So
far as l can discover, no sites, which pur-
chased by this Board OF Education during the
elected fhs board has inherited aG Hu nfSa Of
lots that are unavailable at present Many Of the
lght air and and sanitation In the report Of the com
@ II EllI ps SHOWN tlat we nave community
erection of buildings - ''-0
The growth in the population in various sections,
such as Brownsville or the East Side, has caused
US TO improve the school facilities there. before
The question of the advisa bility OF selling such
later rebuying the same sites at advanced prices
is a financial one and open to difference OF
ings standing school sites We have made It
rule TO level no buildings on school sites earlier
than necessary, so that the rent may be drawn by
the city from these buildings long as possible,
We should not be accused of negligence for this
Commissioner a. H. Man asserted yesterday:
Mr., Grout goes back for 1--WE or six years This
Wycks administration no schools were built We
hiring many extra draughtsmen Next we met
months of strikes. Mr. Grout maintains that So
Of schools. He does not consider that the money
that we appropriate for schools is not charged
are built, This takes one or two years.
At the meetiag Of the Board OF Estimate yester-
day Mr.. Grou.. after speaking OF his experts
report on school sites. offered a resolution that
when 1t IS decided TO buy any land for city
detailed statement shall accompany the application
stating why the land is required and when use can
be made of it when bought. The resolution was
passed unanimously and authority was given the
Controller to to the Board OF Education with
a demand for explanation, its request for au-
thorty 10 buy a site EiGhty-ninth-st. and Avenue
A for S125000.
Ny. Grout stated that from the report OF his
experts. he believed this property worth not more
than So 600. 1t is assessed with the buildings Il.
he said. at only S59Olo. and the surroundings
unfavorable. He cited property on the adjoining
block, site unoccupied and twice as large as the
Eighty-ninth-st. plot which he said he could get
for $117.O00. He declared that he had an option on
the land al that price, and moved that the Board
The Controllers formal report critcises the Board
delay between the acquisition Of land and the be-
ginning Of building. which causes n loss TO the
lay has occurred In seventyeght out or eighty-one
sites examined. On forty-one sites, he says. no
contracts have yet been let for building. and there
requests for forty-four more.
The Board of Estimate and Appointment at
from the interest fund for the of the College
OF the City Of New-1ork a the request OF Presl-
needed on account Of increased attendance. The
rolled than last years total after the midWinter
February 2s was set for public hearing on the
Fraunces' Tavern park matter On February
the board will decide when the condemnation pro
ceedngs for the Delancey-st. widening shall be