The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-03

l NnifhNInINTfN VRIfFN UNIV hT''NVl w w
~ thickly populated IN France and Bel.
CHM Tho a'Prets ara sil carefully planned
beforehand, civic rights corning hefore
frlvate ownership,
'tn ihla country however, public slfuo.
tufal development ~ cities IL colucident With
enormous private real estate OPERATIONS,
and according % our lawsa property holder
cannot lie inteffefed with. A f%avorlts way
over here n 10 buy up n lot ~ land, ott II
~ Into parcels and all 70 ~ M many men,
maybe eaoh ~ whom holds widely dlveraNrs
views "a 10 the Improvement ~ hla ~
efty.
"The character ~ many ~ the buildings
In The BfonG Il discouraglng to the lover
Of beauty. each builder going ahead inde-
psndentIy, with the RESULT that there Ia no
uniformity In height, In tho materials used
or In architecture.
CHANCES TO BEAurfFf NEW YoRE
'The Concourse In The Bronx and the
FlatbtHh avenue extension. both now Under
way, are among the achievements In which
the Municipal Art Society has had a hand;
and the proposod Manhattan Bridge and the
purchase by the city Of the property oppo-
site the City Hall on the north aide Of Cham
bers street west % the Hall Of Records are
enterprises which the society Ia working
hard to further. knowing the artistic posi-
bilities In both for the city.
"The Hall Of Records ought to be eH-
tendedto Broadway. and the acquiring of the
land in question by the city would furnish
the key 10 the artistic development OF the
city, I think. II the city gives up the idea
of finally acquiring this property 1t loses ore
OF the greatest chances know of to beautify
New York.
Nearly two years ago this society urged
upon the Mayor the individuality OF o
senting TO another proposed radical change
In the plans for the Manhattan Bridge.
pointing out that we did n OF believe our
citizens wished plans for pubic improve
ments changed with every administration,
in spite Of which the plans were changed
and contracts entered for new designs. In
January last we again recommended the
prompt appointment Of an impartial ex-
pert to pass on the relative merits OF con-
ficting designs and made other suggestions
which we hoped might hurry along the
much needed work, but without success.
We shall keep on, though.
The widening Of Fifty-ninth street.
made absolutely necessary by the near COM
pletion Of the Blaokwell's Island Bridge, Is
another project to which we are giving
much attention, because Of h commanding
position of the street and the aesthetic
possibilities 1t suggests
sWe feel assured that once structural
errors in the planning Of the city are cor
reoted, It will be easier to gain the public ear
in respect to the decoration of public build
ings-a subject now viewed by the general
public with supreme indifference.
MINOR ACHIEVEMENTS.
"Here are some Of the minor achieve
ments Of the Society: Last year it insti-
tuted a taxpayers suit to prevent bill board
advertising on the temporary fence around
the Public Library and, as a result, the
Park Commissioner had to abate the nui-
sance.
Our prot ests against the extension Of
elevated railroad structures, in the Borough
Of Manhattan, have been effective.
Our recommendations that there should
be no bridge terminals, that bridges should
be considered as sections of continuous
streets, seem likely to be realized.
"The presentation to the city Of the cleo
trolier and isle of safety at Twenty-third
street and Fifth avenue, which led to the
erection Of others at the Erie ferry and in
Long Acre Square, is worth remembering.
"The vast increase in the number OF win
dow boxes, trees, shrubs and vines used to
beautify houses and streets in this borough,
followed upon the establishment OF the
Block Beautiful in Brooklyn, in which
every house wa adorned with window
boxes and vines. In Manhattan at one
time trees were boldly declared a nuisance,
and a window box too impractical to discuss,
whereas in the last year or two trees, vines,
window boxes and shrubs have been multi
piled.
There was held a separate exhibition
last year calling attention to comparative
art in street advertising, the object being to
minimize the Objectionable features Of this
kind of display by discriminating against
bad color and design.
Cooperation between this society, the
Borough Presidents and Others resulted in
provision for suitable signs at street cor
nes in Manhattan and produced similar
results in other boroughs.'
PROF. HAMLIN's TASK.
In order TO work more effectively on the
problem of decorating or attempting to
decorate public buildings, the Municipal
Art Society appointed about three years
ago n committee on the decoration Of public
buildings OF which A. d. =. Hamlin, pro-
fessor OF architecture at Columbia Univer-
sity, was made chairman. Late in 1908; the
committee held its first meeting and a year
later issued it's first report,
This report began with the declaration
thatits first years record was chiefly a record
of failure to accomplish what it started
out to do. That was one year ago. Prof.
Hamlin is still chairman of the committee.
and brought up to date his comments on the
difficulties which have beset the committee
from the sta 1T andpra ~ctically wrecked plan
after plan for fastening the development
of a city beautiful, are much the same as
those he made twelve months a go. In the
interim the public attitude has changed
little, he ga VS..
AN ART MISSIONARIES Observation-Disclosures.
Fortunately for the real estate papers
prediction referred to. Prof. Hamlin is as
vigorous in action as in speeohand not easily
defeated. Although a trihe discouraged