The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17

1871 GIVE you to-day an interview
Isl with a man who represents the
ks2A1 biggest city. combination OF cap
A6GIS61 ital and labor on this hemi-
sphere. 1t is hardly a talk on cap
itaI and labor. but rather on the product
thereof. New York grows in spite of cap
ital combinations and labor organizations.
1t grows fast il has not time TO theorize
why it grows 1t is like a great green boy
who plunges along doing what is before
him. and only stopping now and then TO
double up his arms for a look at his
muscle and to show his fellows how big 1t
is. 1t was to inspect the great muscle of
New York that I came here, and to get its
accurate dimensions called upon the mayor
in his office at the City Hall.
Gen. George b. Mcclellan was lovingly
called Little Mac" Still he was big
enough to be one of the great generals of
our civil war and candidate for President
Of the United States. The mayor of New
York is the son of that Little Mac" and
in many respects he resembles his father.
He looks like a boy, and he is still in his
thirties. although he has been an editor.
business man and a representative in Con-
gress. He is now mature enough and
strong enough to act as the ruler of the
second city of the world, and there are
those who say he yet may be the Demo-
cratic candidate for the presidency of the
United States.
About a year ago 1 met the lord mayor
of London in his palace across the way
from the Bank of England. 1t took letters
of Introduction, much preliminary CORE
spondence and interviews with flunkies in
livery before / came into his presence.
got to the mayor of New York with my
visiting card, which was taken in by a
policeman with a brass badge on his BOSOM
His Honor received me without ostentation,
and like most of the big business men
have met he seemed to have leisure 10 talk
The conversation was rapid The young
mayor knows his own mind and there is no
one better posted upon the great city of
which he is ruler
NEW YORK IN 1904.
81 have come from Washington" said l.
for talk about New York. What is the
condition of the town. and how is it get
ting along in its struggles with capital and
labor?'
New York is having no struggles just
now" replied Mayor Mcclellan. 1--WE had
some trouble with the building trades last
year. but to-day the condition is thoroughly
healthy. and. barring some temporary an
noyances to our theaters, we are at
peace with ourselves and all the world.
Our labor is in good condition, and it
promises to remain So
rs the city growing"
Yes replied the mayor at grows so
fast that we must be always on the alert
or II oversteps US. Our chief trouble now
is as to the schools. We have not enough
buildings TO accommodate all the children,
and at present there are $4,000 who can go
to school only half the time. We have al
| ready about 100000 children in the schools;
and the natural increase for the next year
will be something like 5000. and for the
| year following $4,000, so you see we have
10 build far ahead"
How many people has New York;
LUST about 100000 rpplied the mayOr
| How does that compare with the other
cities of the wOrld?'
ut is exceeded only by London" was the
reply. New York is now mere than a
million in advance of Paris; it is twice as
big as Chicago, Berlin or any city in Asia.
and three times as big as ST. Petersburg.
There are only four States in the Union
| which exceed us in population, and we
have one-twentieth of all the people in the
United States.''
Twill New York ever equal London?''
Il think there is no doubt of it, an
| swered Mayor Mcclellan. London is al
most full grown and New York is Just be-
| now in proportion to our poulation than
| London, and London is gray-haired COM
pared with New York 1t was a city in
the days of the Romans, although later on
| it's population dropped. New York is only
$50 years old When New York is as old as
! London. what may 1t not be-?
A CITY OF FIFTEEN MILLIONS.
but has New York room for growth Mr.
Mayor" L asked "Have you available
space here for many more people?"
Yes, indeed replied the mayor. eve
| can accommodate five time as many peo-
! pie arc in the New York of to-day. We
can house fifteen millions and give them
| plenty of room. The Island of Manhattan
| is pretty well covered. but we have Brook
lyn. Long island, Staten island and pos
| sible suburbs in every direction. We are
| now making rapid ferry system for Staten
] island. 1t will be owned by the city and
/ it will cause that region to grow. There are
only seventy thousand people there now
but there is room for millions. The Will
| liamsburg bridge gives us another outlet to
| Brooklyn, and the tunnels which the Penn