The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-04
SECOND SECTION.
BALTIMORE BEING MADE OVER
NEW cry OF WIDE STREETS AND
MODERN BUILDINGS.
The Great Fire Of Two Years Ago Turned
into n Blessing CIty's Map Changed
A New Dock system Municipal im'
pro, Millions OF Dollars spent

bHtU IN hiVooihb Nv " ~"
A New Dock system Municipal Int
pro, ements- Millions Of Dollars spent.
Baltimore Is hard at work showing the
world how a municipal phoenix should rise
from its ashes.
When the great fire of two years ago
destroyed $4,000, 900 worth OF property III
the city it seemed an unmitigated catas-
trophe. Baltimore has been able to turn it
into a blessing.
Streets were widened and extended,
right in the heart of the city, so that eight
acres we're added to the street area OF the
downtown district. To effect this, says the
Reader, it was necessary to wipe out 700
lots upon which, before the fire, business
buildings had stood.
At the sam e time a scheme for modern
,2lng Baltimore's great but a~ntiquated dock
system was adopted. The new piers will
have a water frontage of Il. 900 feet, or more
than two miles.
Down the centre of each will extend a
20 foot street, and there will be $50 900 square
feet Of space available for rental. The depth
Of water alongside each wharf at mean low
tide will be % feet. and the water surface
within the dock area will be increased by
seventeen acres.
Most remarkable in the entire achieve
nent, no viewer, is the fact that neither the
widening, regarding and repaving OF the
streets nor the modernization of the docks
and wharves will cost the taxpayers OF
Baltimore so much as a single penny, I'M
desire Of the Gould interests to reach the
seaboard with the Wabash railroad system
eventuated in the sale to them of the citys
share in the Western Maryland Railroad.
For many years the money invested in
that enterprise by the municipality had
been counted az lost. The sale of the city's
ehare for 81, 600 600 was, therefore, like an
unlocked for bequest that leaves the recipi-
ent richer, without subjecting him to any
obligations in his turn.
While something like So 500, 600 will ave
to be realized from a public loan to COM
plete the dock improvements, so great is
the demand for space on the new piers
that the municipality will receive from
rents an annual sum In excess OF that re-
ouired to paw interest on, and provide a
sinking fund against this loan and to main
tain and manage the piers.
The municipality adopted a modern
building code under which the height OF
structures is limited to 175 feet. Lot owners
agreed upon building plans which give to
and harmony. The burned out banks and
trust companies agreed among themselves
to build low structures, of simple, massive
design. "
things. Baltimore had no sewerage sys-
tenn. Why not build one? Why not eX-
tend the park system?
The municipality owned water plant was
deficient in that the municipality did not
own the source of the water supply, the
uatarrbal Twin north nf the City. NhV
not buy that watershed and perfect the
water system?
The city was sadly in need of improved
streets, her cobbled pavements long having
more and modern school houses, and a
bigger and better fire fighting equipment.
Why not provide these essentials?
Streets in the Annex, a suburban district
which was taken into the city some fifteen
years ago, existed only on paper. Why not
district to residential utilization?
These were daring suggestions. Balti-
more listened to them with amazed ears,
but the Mayor had it all figured out.
The sewerage system could and should
be made self supporting sby assessments
against its users, its use to be made COM
~pulsory: and its construction should be
extended over a period OF ten years, with
an annual expenditure limited to 81 100, 600,
so that the burden of it might never be eX-
~cessive.
The revenues of the Water Department
we're ample to care for the purchase OF
the watershed. There could be nc ex-
pense to taxpayers in that project.
One million dollars was the sum required
for the extension and improvement OF the
park system. In Baltimore the street
railway monopoly pays into the city treas
ury 8 per cent. of its gross receipts This
revenue is set apart for the maintenance
and improvement OF the parks and can
be touched for no other purpose. 1t was
more than sufficient to carry the proposed
park loan. No burden upon taxpayers
from that direction.
Under the law by which the Annex was
Incorporated with the municipality the
city may not, so long as there are not more
than seven buildings on a block, assess for
taxation any Of the property on that block
at a rate in excess of the county rate at
the time Of the annexation-60 cents OF
each 500 of valuation.
When more than seven buildings stand on
a block, however, all the property in that
block pays the full city tax rate.
Why not, by opening streets and i'm
proving them and by providing all city
comforts and conveniences, force a quick
development of this suburban district,
thereby adding hundreds of thousands Of
dollars, all paying the full city tax rate,
to the taxable basis, argued Mayor 1imanus.
He needed but to suggest, and, when each
proposition had been celebrated, there
came with virtual unanimity the peoples
decision:
at is good business; We will undertake it,
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