The San Francisco call., 1905-01-03
GREAT PLANS
FOR NEW YORK
Mayor Shows That the City
Has Grown Faster Than
Provisions Made for 1t
MORE WATER NEEDED
New Schools, Bigger Police
Force and Light Necessary
to Keep Up With Expansion

NEW YORK, Jan. "A funded in
debtedness for New York almost half
as great as the national debt. and q
yearly average growth and expansion
so immense that every effort to keep
abreast of it in necessary improve
ments has failed. is shown in the an
nual message of Mayor George B. Me-
Clellan, which was submitted to the
Board Of Aldermen to-day. In all the
great departments the necessity for
immediate extension is shown. In
this connection the Mayor says:
The numerous evidences Of the city.s anax-
ing DEVELOPMENT. which give so much salts
faction to the people at the same time sug-
sest important plans for the future. Elk
penditnres in this direction now win, 1 feel
sure, be regarded q judicious and econom-
ical investment when the city Of four million
shall have attained ten million Inhabitants.
The present system of water sup
ply. which has capacity Of 357,0o0,>
600 gallons per day in the boroughs
of Manhattan and the Bronx alone, is
inadequate, and a plan to expend im>
mediately $S0,000,000 in acquiring
water sheds and building aqueducts
and mains Is approved.
Although twenty-five new school
buildings, among them some of the
largest in the world, were completed
and many additions to existing build
ings made during the year, affording
accommodations for more than $1,000
pupils, many thousand children are
obliged, to attend part-dme classes.
Contracts have been let for nineteen
new school buildings and twenty-nine
additions, which will provide 1880
new sittings at a cost of nearly
$6.000,000, but in view of the average
yearly increase part-time classes will
be in order next year.
OF the police force. which Is now
made UP of 1921 officers and men, the
Mayor says:
The police force of the city is an inferior
organization only in point of numbers. The
force has not increased proportionately with
OF the five boroughs. 1t is almost impossible.
therefore, to afford the people of this city
to which they are Justly entitled. Any ap-
plication. therefore for an increase in the
city's patrol force may be regarded as timely
and most reasonable
There is an urgent need also for an
extension of the paid Fire Department
system, in spite of the fact that 419
firemen were added to the force dur
ing the past year.
The rapid transit system planned
but four years ago already has been
overtaken, says the message. and the
city has been put to new projects to
keep pace with its expansion.
In favoring municipal ownership
and operation of an electric lighting
plant TO light the streets, parks and
public buildings Of New York, the
message says:
1 do not believe that the Government should
engage in any service which can be done
better or as well by private enterprise or
should invade business fields in competition
with the legitimate trade of the citizen. The
prices which the city is compelled to pay for
gas and electric light, however. are so out
OF proportion with the charges in other cities
that they must be extortfonate.
A statement of the city's financial
condition, which was included in the
message, shows a gross funded debt of
$558,265.51 Against this there is a
sinkink fund of 7,330,352, leaving
net funded debt of s400,935. 165. The
present borrowing capacity of the city
Is s6S326,725. The total national
debt on December 1 was S1,2S2,-
585,575.