davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
MR. AHEARy AND THE STREETS

The announcement of Borough President
Ahearn that he will take personal charge OF the
pavement repairs. together with the intmation
that he may turn his political subordinates out
Of Office, creates the hope that we shall soon see
an Improvement in the condition OF the city's
streets. II Mr.. Ahearn viii go entirely out of
politics. it is reported he WILL and follow the
advice of the bureau of city betterment in the
selection of men TO aid him in restoring the
streets we shall have new era in their manage
ment It is impossible 10 obtain among the dis
tr1ct leaders OF Tamamny Hall men fitted by
training for the technical work of keeping up.
the streets or to maintain any real discipline
among such subord!nates for they consider that
they owe their first allegiance to the boss who
protects them in their jobs.
Such reorganization as Mr. Ahearn is said
TO have resolved upon will mean much for the
betterment Of the streets, but 1t must go further
TO be completely effective, for however excellent
bis new appointees may be they cannot accom-
pllsh all they set out 10 do If they in turn have
10 rely upon lot Of political hacks and incom-
petents TO carry out their plans. 1t is said that
Mr.. Ahearn, who is honest and well inten-
TONED man, is the victim of System" the
Tammany system. &c. too. the new men whom
be may appoint, whatever their skill and how
public spirited their intentions. will be the
victims of the same system if the subordnates
on whom they must rely think that their allie
glance is due TO Tammany instead of TO the
city. The service needs reorganization at the
bottom as well as at the top.
For the upkeep Of the city's streets an ade-
quate force OF honest and capable inspectors Is
absolutely necessary. The city has no such
force. The present force probably would not be
adequate even under vastly better discipline
than now prevails In the service and II GER
tainly is neither capable nor honest How i'm
mt {o e. -x,ll1
Let the heads Of the office draw the contracts
end the specifications with whatever skill they
may and With an eye no matter how single to
the cffy's interests there is no way of holding
tie contractors up TO the terms of the contract
except by thorough and honest inspection while
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
PREMIERs AT DORCHESTER HOUSE
Dinner and Concert at London Residence Of
the American Ambassador.

London, May 13-Ambassador and Mrs. Reid vel
coined this evening At Dorchester House, which has
been the of so many notable entertainments
since it's occupation by the ambassador a dlstln-
Cished company representative of various parts or
the British empire. The dinner was given in honor
primarily OF Sir Wufrid Iaurier the Premier OF
Canada. and the other delegates. from Americas
nelghhor on the north 20 the imperial conference
now session I'm London In addition to the Cana
dian Premier and Lady Laurter and l. p. Brodeur.
Canadian Minister OF Marine and Fisheries. and
Brodeur. there were present at the dinner the
Premier. Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman; Sir
Frederick Moor and Miss Moor. Sir William Lyme
and Miss Lyme. Sir Joseph and Lady Ward and
Miss Ward Miss Deutre Miss Melvin Jones, Alfred
LytteIton and Mrs. Lyttelton. the Earl and
Countess Of Dartmouth tne Marquis and Mar
chouess OF Londonderry. Lord and Lady Mount
stephen. Mrs. James Lowther, Lord EIgin. Lord
Kintorc Lord Tennyson, Lord and Lady Tweed
dale. Mr. and Mrs. CORVALLIS West. Mt and Mrs.
Douglas Robinson. Miss Corinne Robinson. Mrs.
Seward Webb. Mr.. and Mrs. John r. Garter, Craig
Wadsworth and James Appleton.
After the dinner large number Of guests
in enjoy the concert. which was followed BY a
dance and buffet supper. For this part Of the
evening some four hundred Invitations were sent
out and a great majority We're accepted Among
those who came in were members Of the Cabinet
and the diplomatic corps and large number of
Anglo Americans and American visitors in London.
Among those who contributed the musical pro-
gramme were NJ de Reszke Waiter Kirby and
Mile, Suzanne MorivaL pupil OF NJ. de Reszke.
who accompanied the piano by Hamilton
Harry.
Dorchester House Respondent with flowers
the halls and stairways being decorated with GRIM
rambler and Philadelphia roses and the tables
with Mamaison carnations.
Mr.. and Mrs. Reid will give large weekend
house party at Wrest Park over Whitsunday in
honor of Mr.. and Mrs. Douglas Robinson
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14

the pavement is being laid. No one can insure
the use of the materials called for by the speci-
flcations except the inspector. Take a common
Illustration. The best guarantee of lasting
pavement is a proper concrete base. Yet it IS
almost an axiom among street paving contrac-
tors that the profit Of contract is in laying the
base. The thinner the base the more the profit.
If the contract calls for six inches Of concrete
the contractor will try TO lay two inches and
have ii passed by the city. The city has to
trust to the inspector to see that the specfca-
lions are fulfilled Then with regard to repairs
the city has to depend upon adequate inspection.
With pavements especially with asphalt, which
now covers about half the citys streets, stitch
In time saves nine" AS soon as a break begins
to show 1t should be repaired. and that the
city may know of the holes as they form inspec-
ton is necessary. Inspection of the repairs IS
imperative to see that contractors do not use
poor material for that purpose.
The street pavements IN extraordinarily
BAD condition, and it Is going to cost a great
deal of money to restore them; indeed, from
neglect some Of them have probably got entirely
beyond repair But what is needed more than
anything else is an adequate system of street
maintenance. We need wise selection of paving
materials, adapted TO the traffic Of the streets
where they are to be laid. ..- need contracts
and specifications drawn in accordance with
some sensible and we'll considered policy. We
need, hardest of all to obtain. honest and effec-
tive inspection of paving it is being done. and
frequent inspection of pavements In use so
that repairs may be promptly made. If Mr..
Ahearn apprOXimates the formation of an eff
fective system of street maintenance he will
deserve well of his fellow citizens.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
HOUSING.
and Jefferson

The formation of an American branch OF
the International Congress for Improved Hous-
ing and the announcement that the eighth
yearly meeting Of the congress will be held in
London in August next are reminders of the
practically worldwide extent of the housing
problem and Of the Importance which it has
attained through the enormous increase of pop
ulatiOn in cities and the concidental efforts Of
sOciologsts and humane legislators to improve
the standard Of material life. When population
was scanty the housing problem was small
AT the present time there is no exaggeratlon in
saying that it is one of the foremost questions
OF Its class to be dealt with by municipal adj
mlnlstrators, and even by national legislators
1t has long been a matter of common re-
marx mat some parts Of the Borough of Man
haitian are more densely populated than anv
other spots in the world. In the last genera
uon many reforms have been effected. through
the operation OF Increasingly enlightened build
ing laws, tenement house laws sanitary meas.
ures and what not. Nevertheless the state Of
affairs is still very bad perplexing to socioIo
gists and driving some to the verge of douht-
Ing whether 1t will be possible ever to get the
congested population properly housed There
are special conditions here which make tha
problem In New York more difficult than In
other cities in America or Europe-more than
in other American cities because OF the amor
nous influx of impoverished aliens and tho
persistent settlement OF many of them in the
slums OF this city. and more than in Erronean
cities because the government does not hero
exercise the paternal control or the arbitrary
power so effective there.
Nevertheless New York has still left 10 IL
one advantage over European cities which
might be improved by prompt and judicious
action. That is the possibility OF securing
suburban housing for large part Of its con-.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14

so skilfu q word manipulation as Mr.. Wells is
victim of the dilemma habit He finds the human
race moving in one of two directions. That a
third fourth or even fifth path of progress ex-
lists is nconceivabIe to him. And naturally, too
for who ever learned "polylemma" in school or
out? Whatever is not ruiz of the masses
must be rule of the classes, and Utce versa.
Mr.. Wells has so little faith in human nature
that he denies to every property owner the
ability to be fair and honest And he is sure
that public ownership of everything makes
everybody fair and honest. Between Il subtly
selfish plutOcracy and pure altruiStic socialism
there is nothing. In all his flights to Mars and
into future ages, Mr. Wells has never encoun-
tered race Of beings among whom highly cen
traliZed industries fiOurished without conCen-
trating all social and political power in the
hands of a small clique against whom the vast
majority could not prevail, however skilfully
they might frame laws against mergers. rebates
and the abuse of minority stockholders No
where in time or space can general happiness be
secured by having the bulk of stocks in all large
enterprises widely distributed among many hun
dred thousands of citizens. Nowhere can the
blOated plutocracy in charge of affairs be ousted
upon failure to give every plebeian his due
We have a charitable suspicion that the poet
Of socialism has conducted his researches by
telescope and horoscope alone Could he be
persuaded to inspect at close range an insgnf-
cant but interesting planet whose orbit lies be-
tween those of Venus and Mars he might there
discover large middle class growing in
wealth. culture and power; working class
earning enough to keep the piano and phono
graph factories working overtime and powerful
enough to have a great deal to say about its
own hours of work and rate of pay and finally
wealthy class whose good members are chang
ing the face Of the earth with their public gifts
while the bad members are being bounded 70
repentance by legislators. comic papers and
preachers. Should our astronomical and astro-
logical author see all this, however. he would
probably declare it to be an optical illusion, as
the canals on Mars are now supposed to be.
So great is the hypnotic power of the balefuI
Demon Dilemma!
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
THE DEMON DILEMMA.

II poetry be defined as a pleasant wov oP
talking about things uncomprehended nv tho
speaker, much of the literature on economic and
social problems must be catalogued along with
the Divine Comedy and I'm Memorian ;. Tho
uehnitioh nus very well the latest fancy OF that
highly imaginative writer. Mr.. Fl g Wells
poet or Mars and the SEVENTEEN century u
Mr. wells has just published a Paradise Lost "
dedicated TO the middle classes In which ,,os
poem he explains to the readers of the curren+
issue of The Independent" how small shonlkaan1-
ers private schoomasters. farmers md arorr,
body willing to be called n. member y, +bo+
vaguely demarcated middle class" are hair
ground to nothingness betwixt the unner mill
stone or tax lodging plutocrats and the nether
milestone of an untaxed proletariat .Tbe
change or scale going on in most human affairs"
is, Mr.. Wells asserts, responsible for rho ex
pusion of the middle class from its industriol
TaFueh or Eden The vast commercial and
manufacturing organizations which have arisen
IN late years cannot be broken up, the poet sor-
rowfully admits: they are the workings of an
economic Nemesis, and the poor middle closs
mans Paradise can never be regained Ono op
two things is surely coming saws Mr. wous
either Plutocracy Socialism and rho ,,iddI
class must choose between these Mr. Vou
advises 1t to pick the latter for nlntocracv
means that the bulk Of the people will no or
gained out OF sight in a state of industraI and
productive congestion, and wealthy IeisureIv
ana refined minority will live in snacsors
MONIES. and so on. The middle class will he
come nigh grade servants. while the masses
VIII De red with sort of careless vigor and
considerable economy from the Chicago stock
yards and by agricultural produce trusts hi,
Dreweries, fresh water companies and The
like" '-io
one great fault with the English language Is
that it has relegated the words .'tremmar and
poiyiemma" TO scholastic obscurity. The aver
age man. IN trying TO find alternatives. Is slav-
ishH confined TO the use Of the dilemma Even
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
NO COLONIAL PREFERENCE.

The desire of the British colonies for some
! general system of preferential tariffs through
! out the British Empire has was expected
| been denied by the home government Sir
Henry Campbell Bannerman's ministry Is so
/ strongly committed against anything savOrng
! OF protective policy that 1t foregone
conclusion that il would not approve even the
most moderate tariff proposals which might be
made by the colonial prime ministers Never
theless, the colonial statesmen had their say,
and again made it quite clear to the world
/ that practically all the British Empire outside
of the British Isles Is in favor Of fostering trade
within the empire and OF protecting imperial
trade against outside competition.
Such indeed has been the policy of the colo
MES for many years as set forth at the former
colonial conferences. Thus, at the first such
meeting in 1881 Mr.. Hofmeyr of Cape Col
ony urged the imposition of a small tax, per
haps only fraction of l per cent on all for
eign goods landed at all ports of the empire.
the proceeds from which should be applied 10
purposes of general imperial defence That
proposal failed. But at the next conferences
In 1903, Sir George Clarke of Australia. nd
Vocated the laying of such II tax the Dro-
ceeds or which should be turned over TO an
imperial representative council for use I'm the
Improvement of the maritime communications
Of the empire. That plan, too, failed of adop-
uOn. AL THIS years conference various schemes
were proposed, perhaps the strongest being
that Of Mr.. Deakln, of Australia which con
templated n per cent tariff on all foreign i'm
ports into the empire, the proceeds To be used
Tor the development Of trade within the en-
pire; but this and all the rest were vetoed bv
the home government
We must regard II as significant however
that the colonies not only persist in but ma
terlally strengthen their demand for sucb
system. and it would seem as though such nm
attitude and course on their part must I'm time
alIect opinion and even official action i'm
Great Britain. 1t is not without Significance
that' despite the overwhelming victory OF the
tree traders in the last general election and
the abStenton- enforced by the state of his
health-of Mr.. Chamberlain from furtber rro
motion Of his tariff reform propaganda Mr.
Balrour, who formerly hesitated to declare
himself, has come out squarely for n protective
system, and, as our London CORRESPONDENT has
reminded us in Illuminating letter that
veteran protectonist Mr. Chaplin who was
once 4 mere voice in the Wilderness has re-
entered public life with vastly increased nres-
uge. 1t might be rash 10 DroDhesy En9land's
conversion TO the protective system under
which her greatness was establishments rosh
almost as 1t was for Mr.. Golden TO pronhesv
The prompt conversion of all the world IN froo
trade; but there are signs of the times which
1t Is impossible for the observant 10 ipnor,
History has seen the realization of far mora
improbable things than reversal Of this thrice
made refusal of colonial preference
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
IN WASHINGTON SOCIETY,".

From The Tribune Bureau
Washington. May 13.-Mrs J. Franklin Bell will
go TO Tuxedo the last of this week to visit Mr.
and Mrs Edison Bradley. After another visit in
New York Mrs Bell will return to Washington
and join the general for Western trip They will
spend some time in Kentucky and Illinois. and do
not expect to return to the capital until Septen-
Der.
Miss Katherine Elkins has returned 20 Washing
ton from visit to Mrs Kernocban. in New York
She Will attend the Baltimore horse show with Mrs
kernOchan.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gibson Fahnestock. OF New York
who occupied a house in street last winter. have
closed II and gone New York.
Rear Admiral and Mrs. Converse and the Misses
Converse will close their Connecticut avenue house
the last Of this month and will go to their summer
home in Vermont.
Captain Richard Rush. L. s. n. and Mrs. Rush
will close their house in Jefferson Place tomorrow
for the season and go 10 their summer place at
Catskill- Hudson.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
From The Tribune Bureau.I

Washington May 1S,-The President this after
noon received Don ]. A. Arrange. the new Minister
from Panama. Assistant Secretary of State Bacon
made the presentation In the absence of Secre-
tary Root.
committee representing the Pennsylvania Bible
Society. headed by E. Y Hin, called at the White
House to invite the President to attend the cele-
brauon of the Tooth anniversary Of the society.
which is 10 be held in Philadelphia in the spring
or 1908. The President said he would be pleased to
attend If he could arrange the trip. but did not
care 10 make any definite promise far ahead of
time.
Secretary Taft had short conference with tho
President this morning Other callers at the White
House included Senators Bourne and Overman
Representatives OlcOtt and Bede. Assistant Attor-
ney General A w. Cooley. Civil Service Commits
sioner Henry F. Greene and Arthur B. Farquhar
of York. Penn.
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14
The oIPLoMATIc CORPS.

From The Tribune Bureau-I
washington. May 13.-The Brazilian Ambassador
is arranging for the hospitalites be extended
Rear Admiral Quartz HUet de Bacellar and the
other officers under him, who are now with the
Brazilian fleet at Hampton Roads The officers
VIII arrive here tomorrow afternoon. and the pro-
gramme for their entertainment. official and other
wise. Will he completed then
The Japanese Ambassador will 60 to New York
on Wednesday. The Count and Countess HAITI
feIdt, who have made prolonged visit to the Am
bassador and Vscountess Aoki. left WASHINGTON
to-day and Will sail from New York for Germany
tomorrow
The Mexican Ambassador and Sonora CreeI
VIII entertain at dinner on Wednesday night in
hohor OF General and Mrs John W. Foster. who
are soon to sail for Europe attend the peace con-
ference at The Hague. where General Foster will
represent China
After some days spent near Boston looking for a
summer legation headquarters. the Minister from
norway and Nine. Hauge returned 10 Washington
the last of the week. and to-day Nine Hauge left
the city to visit friends In Chicago
New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-14

gested population. There are extensive tracts
of land in the metropolitan district available
for such purposes. They have been largely
abandoned or are ready to be abandoned by
farmers, but may be purchased for building
purposes at prices which would put them
within the reach OF thrifty laboring men, OF
course much depends upon transit facilities,
If city artisans are TO live in the suburbs but
these are being supplied in certain directions
at rapid rate, and even now there are places
easily accessible of sufficient capacity TO make.
If they We're occupied, a gratifying difference
in the condition of the crowded quarters of
New York.
1t is noteworthy that some of our foreign
born residents are awake to this fact and are
taking advantage Of it. Extensive companies
OF Italians are settling at various points In the
suburbs, occupying with their little cottages
and gardens some of the finest building sites
imaginable-sites which rich men may some
day be eager to acquire at ten or twenty times
their present cost. beautiful farm is pur
chased, not more than an hours time from
New York, close TO a railroad with cOmmuta-
ton rates OF 10 or - cents trip, and with
macadamiaed roads. trolleys, free mail delivery,
electric lighting, municipal water supply, etc.
The promoters of the enterprise pay 800 or
$3.50 an acre for it, They cut each acre into
sixteen lots, and sell the lots at from S25 to
$50 each, thus making from 300 to 900 per cent
profit. The purchasers are delighted to be
come Independent freeholders ut so small
cost, and they soon build little cottages, cult
vate gardens, raise chickens and live far more
cheaply and far better than they could in
crowded city tenementS.
That sort of thing is being done a
considerable scale. but the scale could be
tended hundredfold The advantages of the
plan so far as the material welfare of the
people thus housed is concerned, are obvious.
There corresponding advantages to the
community in the development of RESPONSE
bility and consequent good behavior in Cit
zenship which generally come to men who thus
acquire stake in the country" OF course
such enterprises must he conducted chiefly. IL
not exclusively. through private efforts But
such efforts should not be lacking Philanthropy
and pecuniary profit alike should be incentives
TO them. Back TO the land, in a modified
sense, may yet prove TO be an important means
of solving the housing problem.