New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-08
LICENSES FOR LOADING
CHAMBERS SUGGESTIONS.
Commissioner McAdoo Tears Coat
on Side1Ualk Distractions.

The Chamber OF Commercs yesterday devoted frs
regular monthly meeting to e consideration Of ths
report recently made by a special COMMITTEES on
street traffic and sidewalk distractions. 1t passed.
after debate. the committees resolutions which make
requests to the Police Commissioner and the Board
OF Aldermen The request to the Police Commits
sioner is that he establish bureau OF street traffic
under authority conferred by the city charter tho
bureau to be in charge Of a deputy The requests
70 the Board OF Aldermen to repeal the present
ordinances relating 70 sidewalk distractions which
never have been enforced. and to pass new ordi-
nances which are given IN full In the committee's
report
One Of the proposed ordinances provides a penalty
OF % for each day goods allowed to stand
the sidewalk outside the stoop line. Another pro-
vides penalty for cartman who obstructs fres
traffic in any street.
One proposed ordinances makes II mfsdemeanor.
punishable by increasing fines. to keep a vehicle
standing the sidewalk. except at licensed load
Ing platform. The next ordinance would permit
the Police Bureau Of Street Traffic 20 issue licenses
for loading platforms which not to extend be-
yond the stoop line The licenses would be grant
ed yearly and the fee would be 81 a year for each
foot Of platform.
The COMMITTEES making the report consisted OF Al
fred P. Boiler. Robert c. ogden. John Clahn. Cen
ersl Francis V. Greene and Charles T. Wills. The
only speaker against the report was L. J. Callahan
who has personally conducted a crusade against
sidewalk distractions for about fifteen years Hs
read list OF commercial houses IN the dry goods
and provision districts on the lower West Side OF
Manhattan. and declared that they had each saved
from $4,000 to $4,000 year by using sidewalks
instead OF hiring space for their merchandise.
Speaking Of sidewalk. he said:
mo man woman has walked It IN rftsen or
twenty years Il has been occupied all that tina
by business house"
Charles A schieren. while not opposing ths r.
port spoke OF a commercial building In Ferry
St which has inner curb yard TO avoid using ths
sidewalk
Robert G. Ogden. Of The COMMITTEES. asked tina
adoption OF the report the ground that ths com,
nittes had been careful thorough IN It's tnves-
tgation. and in its recommendations had carefully
conserved the greatest good OF thu greatest num-
Der.
Police Commissioners McAcoo said last evening
that he heartily IN favor OF the recommsrda-
tons Of the Chamber OF Cornmerce. but he thought
additional legislation needed in order that
additional Deputy Police Commissioners could be
appointed TO have charge OF bureau of street
traf1o- He added:
The question OF regulating street trafic has bsen
electric cars and autOuObfIss and fba sfdervaIlx
distractions also are becoming serious with the
I have taken deep interest in Carrying on the
worK OF TsslisIinS frame At contested street cor
sioner Piper I'm the last administration believe
and Twenty-third-st. and Chamosrs-st ana Broad
way are doing as good work as could be done by
any police in the world. There are some faults IN
traffic away from the corners. however that need
attention sadly. Truck drivers are constantly GET
ting deliberately IN the way OF streetcars and
light vehicles and holding them back showing
that they doing il maliclously By insulting tho
motOrmen and carriage drivers who ask them to
drive TO one side. | am taking the advice OF the
Corporation Counsel steps the police can
take 70 punish such drivers or compel them keep
out Of the way OF cars and Hight vehicles
had personal experience with sidewalk OBJ
structOns the other day when tried TO pass be-
tween two high piles Of packing boxes on the side
walk in front OF a wholesale store on the lower
West Side. The lane was that I had
fairly to squeeze through Il. and a projecting nail
In one Of the packing boxes caught my rain coat
and tore a hole In II a foot long. I into the
store to make protest The people there treat Ell
me with abuse at first, and then fell over them
selves in trying TO make apologies when thew
found out was the Police Commissioner As
walked out OF the place noticed a man who had
out with a hammer ard was busy extracting
the nail from the packing box destroy possible
evidence that had not been at fault in tearing my
coat.