New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-01
MORE TAuuANY ,"HOnE RULE"


Mr. John c. Hackett, member of Assembly
from the 18th District of this county, is a
faithful Tammany Democrat. He has doubt
less sat in Tanmany Hall on what are called
patriotic occasions" and heard the unalien-
able right of "home rule" proclaimed and the
wicked Republicans who attempted to manage
this city from Albany denounced. When have
we Tammany administration which was
not eloquent over the outrage of mandatory
legislation" Yet here we find Mr.. Hackett in
Producing into the legislature and pushing one
of the most objectionable forms OF manda-
tory bills, by which he would have the State
of NewYork command the Tammany officials
of the city of New-York to buy some land,
whether they want to or not THE Red
Books" biographical. probably autobiography
ical, sketch of Mr.. Hackett relates that for
some years he was interested In the contract
ing business land after that embarked in the
real estate business, in which line he has met
with considerable success" We should think
So indeed! 1t takes true, case hardened real
estate success to give the cheek outdoing the
triple brass of the book agent to make city
official under orders from Albany buy some
thing which you want him to buy and he will
not buy in the exercise of his own official dis
cretiOn, and do il in the name of ''home rule"
Mr.. Hackett's bill provides that the Park
Commissioner within thirty days after It's pas
block in extent between 31st and 44th sts and
10th and 10Th ayes, and that the Corporation
Counsel shall condemn lands for the same.
Pleasant compliment to the Tammany officials!
Mr.. Hackett must either lack confidence in
them or in his plan, and we suspect II is In
them, for no man so successful in real estate
could lack confidence in the land which was
the subject of his ambitions for q deal Ordi-
narily the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment considers such questions and approprates
money to buy such sites as it approves That
board has before ii now several plans for small
parks, some of which are most enthusiastically
urged against heavy odds by persons who will
be delighted to learn from man so success
full in the real estate line Mr.. Hackett that
the way TO preserve their outlook and prevent
The erection of buildings adjoining their own,
and generally improve the value of their prop
erty, is to leave the Mayor and Controller alone
and just 20 to Albany and order the Park
Commissioner 10 fix matters up
lust why Mr. Hackett has SO carefully lin
tied the area within which his mandatory mark
must be located is a matter for speculation.
There be those who say that Mr.. Hackett is
just friend Of the downtrodden or rather the
rundown people of 11th-ave Perhaps he thinks
that the SAKE bills vision Of track removal IL
only mirage, and 1t is up TO him 10 provide
some other playground than the car tracks for
the children Of the neighbOrhood since the re-
mOval of the tracks may be far distant Others
are more suspicious. not necessarily of his mo-
yves, but of the pure, unadulterated philan-
thropy of the suggestion OF which he is made
the legislative exponent. They point out that
within and close 10 the area named by the Hill
the Consolidated Gas Company owns several
pieces of property, which will be upon the
market ms soon as the Astoria plant is in onero-
Hoh The city could be forced kindly IN
lake block AT figure between $1OO0OOO and
s2.60o.O0O, it would be great boon to the gas