New-York tribune., 1907-04-19
TRYING TO MOVE CITY
REFORM'S UPHILL FIGHT.
" 0sh'ngtOn Square Association
RAILS to Fill Holes in Pavement.

'Oi SQUARE Association. will soon be in a frame
u Inihd to take the rostrum and speak What
Know About What City Oficials Don't but
ought to, Know"
MT Whitridge. in heroic and fatefu hour, ac
cepted the job Of being president of an association
MHose chief aim in life is TO keep things tided
up around Washington Square. Now, he is up to
ms neck in experience
Inc Washington Square Association is an organ
!1a'.oh to be considered. Mayor Mcclellan belongs
70 II That fact does not seem materially TO
- the efforts of Mr.. Whiridge and his aide,
=. IA hlddle in getting things done by city OFF,
tials VINO are paid for doing them glance at
-e 'ist OF officers and executive committee Of the
washington Square Association is like looking in
y" m d chamber of Commerce dinner. Here is the
's'' r W. Whitridge. president; c. B. Mitchell,
NIee-president; Pierre MALI treasurer f. r. Biddle,
secretary: DR.. John W. Brannan J. S. Auerbach,
1ohh Clafiin Eugene Delano, the Rev Dr. Duffield,
George r Crane, Amos F. Emo. David B. Ogden.
lhomas +. Ryan. Albert r. Shattuck, Z. l.. Par
uldge and Robert w. De Forest.
with the Mayor living on the north side OF Wash
hgton Square and belonging to the association. 1t
Iely seems as If this association ought TO have
potential pull with the city administration. 1t
seemed that way to Mr. Whitridge and his friends
until they tried to get the governmental machine
TO do few simple things.
Ihe peans of victory arranged by the association
Ior their expected quick triumph remain unsung.
MI "hitridge has substituted for them that good
old stauZa:
No. fight II I would reign;
Increase courage.
words to that effect Reading the CORRESPOND
ence conducted by Mr.. Whitridge and the heads Of
oeParIments prompts the conviction that Mr.. Whit
ee Ildee Is a man of tenacity OF purpose, and With
.Housh's TO burn, for in very fact OF his
fences seem TO burn. He wrote Borough President
-Hie''h about watermains around WashinEton
square Tor instance. and got back one OF those
not IN my Jurisdiction" letters-the sort that has
sent many a good man to a retreat
While the subject was hot Mr.. whitridge sent the
following TO the Borough President:
We note with the greatest satisfaction that your
power to remedy the conditions Of which we com
them forthwith refer you to Sa sections m SO s3 Snd s
0l o me GhareT which define your duties and give
formation. that in all the streets OF Washington
for the deep water trench has violated his contract
every single day since last October and also that
ine streets are now ful OF holes which require i'm
mediate attention. and in particular that there
street sevantae,, bo1es ar5 jr Jo,b straot Sorty
seven holes in the pavement. on the blocks between
street between Firm avenue ana University Place
ings. in front of my property, gor the repair Of
pavement over which have paid you $50 in each
airy 15 last.
Not getting satisfaction from Mr.. Ahearn, Mr..
whitridge sent letter TO Corporation Counsel
Ellison. who previously had assured the president
of the Washington Square Association of his dis
tinguShed consideration with the vision OF torn
UP pavements still in view. Mr.. Whtridge wrote
Mr.. Ellison. in part, as follows:
That contract for deep water mains. as YOU are
perhaps aware. has been termed an organization
contract and while have no intention OF taking
brewing between tho President Of Manhattsn and
addresssd TO Mr. Ahearn and venture 10 express
the opinion that nothing could be more absurd
% the Mayor s beWal2F their naby or the in
capacity OF the other 20 remedy the conditionss
frag1 of vha ig nj
a modicum OF pluck and common sense by either
OF them would put the streets in order
With the ditches yawning at him. Mr.. Whtridge
addressed a letter TO a Tammany district leader,
George F. scannell Superintendent OF Highways.
George is known in Tammany Hall "hrst
class con man" This gem is from the pen of
George:
In connection with the repair Of the pavemen;s
] IN a 09%sh 6g 20 s8e eo na yedps 5Rs
When the washington Square Association got its
aroused collective eye on this IT arose in It's wrath
Before Mr. Whitrdge looked at the ticker that day
Cdarch % he wrote Nj scannell thus:
We should be Obliged II you would give US the
date on which The entire asphalt surface OF any
was renewed since II first laid down: or. 3
fiction. / should be obliged II you would let me
know precisely what you mean by the statement
have quoted.
OF course. George couldn't answer this. The best
he could do this:
I beg to say that the statement was intended to
be general one, and why II
should be applied by you to specific street.
The pamphlet containing the Whitridge epistles
TO the Philistines indicates that April Presl-
dent Whitridge took a vacation for Secretary Bid
die on that date took up the cudgels for unmal-
odorous civic righteousness, as follows:
,,..,,oao,,o, Washington SQUARE. April g. 1907.
ment OF Street Cleaning No. 1S Park Row. New
Dear Sir: The corpse Of a cat hattened by pass
in University Paee ss few i3c e tos from s
curb. just north of the entrance to Washington
pied by the Mayor Of tais town. Even though
prevail IN that vicinity. II is offensive. and you
will confer favor on the Washington Square
very truly, E. r. BIDDLE.
The corpse Of that cat remained where it had
been "iattened by passing wheels' until President
Whitridge returned 10 the charge April 10. He
wrote Mr.. Craven on April 10 follows:
The body Of the cat concerning which our secre-
at o'clock this morning. still in the roadway OF
University Place Just above Washington Square.
that street for some days last week and possibly
under the eircumstances. you viii pardon my sug-
subordinates 70 the danger that II this dead cat
efficient. and even worthless and that YOUR whole
department may before long be brought into some
discredit Yours truly, F. w. WHITRIDGE
Pussy was smuggled away the same day. but
its ghost or brother back. for Mr.. whitridge.
writing to Health Commissioner Darlington on
April H. says:
This association has called the attention Of the
Street Cleaning Commissioner 70 the fact that
Place just above washington Square for nearly
a week until II was removed yesterday afternoon.
block in i2th street opposlte No a. sI1ce Mondsv
at least, and is still there.
Bulletins from the field Of conflict yesterday In