New-York tribune., 1910-01-10
TALK ON SUBWAYS
mANENY'S VIEWS.
rnr,ors Plan of Assessment on
Benefited Property.

s,rwavs built with money derived
-. or in part from ass 4ssments on
A.sted property in districts served by
p..s..o,sl TRANSFORMATION facilities as
assibIe Alternative TO taking the neces-
-, @ynds from the city treasury was
-.eetea bv George McAneny. president
= ,be Rorough OF Manhattan and former
-ss,5ent of the City Club. OF New York
a. ar address Yesterday before the Good
r,i-;zenship Forum OF the Unitarian church
,s the Messiah. 34th street and Park ave-
nue..
I'VE are facing situation IN whlcn
definite lack Of funds for the making or
tetter city must be taken into onsloera-
ton" said Mr.. McAneny. Ihe city mas
-.schA6 nojnt where we find something
IN TIE nature Of q stone walk aheao or US
tn the new constitutional debt limit MY
,Iss wonld therefore. be for patience
,,non the part Of those who may feel that
We do NOT accomplish all that ought TO be
accomplished
.esIany betterments, a greater portion
of which are needed. have been proposed.
h,,t al an expense of many millions Of
collars. which the city has not in hand to
snerd. and because we are near that limit
~ borrowing capacity all OF the money
needed 10 Go all that we want TO do prob
oily cannot be borrowed. We cannot pro-
6,,re ideal conditions Therefore I ask
to1erance and indulgence in viewing what
ue are about 10 try 10 accomplish.
There is every evidence that the Board
o4 Estimate and Mayor intend TO work in
rerfect harmony, and we are determined
- work along business lines. We also are
determined 10 look ahead 10 the wonderful
c,r1 New York is to become in ten or
Va 70
With something in the nature of q chart
as definite guide in spending money for
eacs object. with relation TO its compare
I'VE relation 10 all other objects. Here
tofore the city has had a haphazard way
of spending its funds that has taken little
account OF millions or OF the relative i'm
portance Of things.
PLAN OF ECONOMY.
zone OF the first steps taken by the new
administration viii be TO call for a cor
porate stock budget so that we may look
ahead and compare all future expenditures
with relation 70 their parts. We have also
called for accurate figures as 10 our re-
sources. With these TWO sets OF figures at
hand we viii cut according TO our cloth
and have definite plan 10 work by with
our eyes open. We will also have a guild
snce for economy along certain lines. We
cannot go wholly on credit. We must
meet some Of our pressing needs through
taxation and through economy in the mon
eys raised through taxation.
Our idea Of economy is not 10 rush in
and cut salaries and 10 make z temporary
show OF saving. BY standardizing the pur-
chase OF supplies and working toward a
central purchasing agency system we be-
lieve We may save millions Of dollars e
year. In the past the buying has been
done indiscrimina by seventy different
agencies; as one result, for instance. the
prices paid for coal Of The same grade have
varied as much as 81 q ton.
= found il the Borough OF Manhattan
-ha- tae city Office employees were working
from 3 O'clock IN the morning until
O'clock il the afternoon. with an hour of
for lurcheon-six hours a day. 7 have
changed the hours 70 until 5. am told
that IS the last hour wears on some find
difficulty il keeping busy OF course, there
viii be some looping of
SCHOOLS AND Fairgrounds.
When We call all the world 10 send its
men and women and children here, il be-
comes the duty OF the city to show them
how 70 live, even show the men how TO
work and the children how 10 play.
therefore believe in emphasizing IN our bud
getary allowances those provisions that will
make for social betterraent, for proper liv-
ing conditions, adequate schools, more baths,
more small parks and Fairgrounds.
With 4 proper allowance for the Tene-
n-en- Department IL will cost very little
more 70 have II in the future perform all
the furctions il should perform. The
school buildings should be made 70 serve
r,S -rT1-
day instead OF during only a part of the
day There is some opportunity, too, in
the plan OF roof Fairgrounds. Such things
nay all be carried out with trifling appro-
rriations additional 10 what has been spent
II we apply the saving from wastefulness
70 points like these
8Ir. AlcAneny told ot many suggestions
he had received, notably one 20 place clocks
al over Town so that the citizens might
ger the right time. He spoke Of improving
TIE paving. and then went into the ques-
rion Of subways.
The upperuaost need is, Of course. as II
has been for years past, more subways, .,
he said "The routes approved by the
courts, gridironing the city IN various di-
rections, but al eventually necessary,
would COST 100000. 600. Those that are
now urged as an immediate necessity in
c-lLe l1S BSOaOHay y-L6Sle1SLOn avenue l1IlS
ana the new lines in Brooklyn These
would COST $l4e 900 900.
The amount released for subway pur-
poses by the constitutional amendment
adopted az the late election WIN be less
than s50.000.000 at the present time II
seems very clear. therefore, that with
other current needs TO meet as well every
locality that wants q subway cannot get
il al once. The people must keep that in
mind
CITY CLUBS PLAN
II may be well, too. TO keep in mind
the possible feasibility and the plan TO
build some lines either wholly or in part
through assessing property benefits The
City Club last year promoted the pas a age
of z bill that viii permit the city TO fol-
icw that method if il wants TO- There is
more than one advantage in that plan. II
ould not only go q long way in furnish
ing the money required. but il would settle
automatically the question Of which routes
are TO be taken up first. The various in
teresIed localities would. in short. in a
sense, determine that question for them
selves.
I believe that some organization OF
property owners in Queens and Brooklyn
have already expressed their will to fol-
low this method and practically asked for
lt--that is, 10 meet assessments prorated
according 20 benefits on each lot in a pro-