New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-02
ruF y0R's MESSAGE.

The municipal lighting plant, SO ursenu - az"
rocated by Commissioner Monroe Ill 49,!
oyv.s administration. is in falr way Vi
achieved Mayor Mcclellan gives tue suuJ'o,
chief Mace in his message; reports ,h"'' go
u,,der the law allowing such pl"ii'' -
did not exist in Mayor Lows tlile' '"I -
of Estimate has authorized the purchase Vi
e,.o1 co., stations in Manhattan. The Bronx,
Isrooi,l,-n and Queens and the Department Vi
~ SUNNY Gas and Electricity Is making
plans for the system. .ho on
The Mayors estimates OF the cosI " -, %
+arnrisa give a most attractive prolni'e
municipal economy. 1t is hgured ui"' . 80
70 light by electricity all the streets. pa 60,
nuhIic offices in Manhattan ana ln .ool 10 90
1pouId effect an annual saving OF @4o7'oUO 60
give better light. 4 similar plant ioi -,
Iyn and Queens would increase lho - E,b+
mol exnense there by 5000, but as more HSh'
% roo,,irad tbis loss would be lesseneu NE
,,s+ Of tho Rrooklyn system would ne gre"'i!
cyaIIed nv the necessity Of building conuulls a
on eynense of S2226.O00. The estlLhdteS ~
This side of the river are based OF lne S'u--ip
tion that the city has the right 70 lhe i1oe 70"
of tho existing cOnduitS. mat ma! ne -
b,,+ # will lie surprising if the private corpor"
tions do not contest that right or n leisl 'l y"
such obstacles in the way of It's exercise hS ~
odd considerably TO the citys bills II WIZ
estimates of profit for city work always cosIs
more than is expected City property Is rarels
oc we'll cared for as private 50 repairs are
likely 70 be costly and depreciation more rdplu
+hon tbe engineers calculate. How much pIonl
therefore is 10 be made from the CT! p'Ai,4
inp what would be q mere lighting plaHt -
pToblematcal AZ;
The experiment of DR. Woodbury. IN the as
nosaI of refuse on which the Mayor owens az
length. suggests. however. another helu Oh use
fitness and profit. The little plant for lighting
the Williamsburg Bridge by burning re1use
saves the city $4,000 a year and mas excess
electricity. which might be used elsewhere or
sold if the charter allowed. Only one-nfth OF
tbe light refuse Of Manhattan and The Bronx
is so burned Al present the d1sp0sal o. tillS
waste entails large expense and all us poteh-
tiaI energy is lost Any municipal lighting ar
"a ngement should utilize all this material IN an
the boroughs thus not only saving coal hlllS'
h,t the cost of otherwise Kidding the city OF the
waste
Other steps in the direction Of municipal
ownership mentioned by the Mayor are the new
ferries The city has acquired the line to 39th-
ST South Brooklyn. but will not have lis new
system in operation for about q year. me
Staten Island ferry is running at what appears
to be an excessive cost, but the Mayor does not
mention that phase Of the question A thorough
discussion of the reasons for the hgh cost anu
of ways to reduce it would have been useful,
but Mayor Mcclellan perhaps does not care TO
dwell on that unpleasant feature of the i'm
provement TO which he owes his small plurality
The troublesome question of uncollectible
taxes receives special attention and the plan to
clear things up by issuing bonds against the ac-
clImulation of bad claims and to wipe them off
hereafter each year by including the deficiency
in the next tax levy seems to be reasonable
Progress is reported in the building Of schools,
but the Mayor is as silent about the thousands
Of part timers whom he promised to provide
with full days schooling two years ago as he
was in the recent campaign. a new fire alarm
system is recommended for Manhattan and The
Bronx at cost of 81 ,625, coo The purchase of
beach land for recreation and institutions for
convaIescents is suggested at Long Beach or
Rockaway Beach No review of department
work is attempted in the message, but the Mayor
promises to communicate further with the Al
dernen concerning the work of the city gov
pTnmpnt