New-York tribune., 1911-10-15
BASSETT FAV0RS AMENDENT 7
Would Give City Power for Ex
cess Condemnation.

Buffalo. oct. 1L-Edward NJ. Bassctt. Of
New York ex-Publlc Service Commissioner
of tho 1st District spoke before the Cham
bcr Of Commerce and Manufacturers club,
Of this city. this afternoon. Hc urged the
proposed constitutional amendment I'm this
state designed to permit excessive condem-
nation. AR. Bassctt said, I'm part.
New York C'hicaso. Boston and Philadcl-
uhia- although increasingly conscious OF
tho need of new internal streets. have
opened very few and the cost of those has
hecn almost prohiDtivc. When the new
internal street has been opened the aDUt-
ting property owners insist that IL IS q
benefit 20 the entire city and not 10 them
alone. ana therefore demand exemption, ana
usually succeed M inducing tne clly az are
20 root the entire bill. Conc ceWnatlon pro
Cocdings then take place Each property
owner who loses q corner o. slice OF his
land claims a large award II part Of his
building has been taken he usually claims
a total loss. Tho awards arc generous, tn'
aggregate is enormous and the general
funds st3gger under the load.
Whom the street is Constructed and i'm
proved, what DO we see2 Tho abuttlug
owners contend among themselves I'm the
Strengthening OF lot lines. The buildings are
misshapen aud ugly. Such Increment as
comes from the Improvement rs absorbed bv
tho private owners, although the city has
paid the entire cost.
But the Increment under our method r.
not onc-haf what n ought u be, because
of misshapcn buildings and heterogeneous
Development
IN Mauhattau. Elm =treeet and Delaney
street. M Brooklyn, Grand avenue cXteu-
sion. Livingston street and the Brooklyn
Bridge approach. all newly opened thor
oughfares. are maITed with poor improve
mente, although the outlay by the CITY ran
into the millions. Livingston street. Br0oK -
ly1. was recently Videned from fifty tp
eighty feet The increase OF width was OBJ
tanned bT taking thirty feeet Of private
propert, along the southerly SIDE. It's loca
ton ie 'n the business centre OF BROOKLYN.
and thHre ls little doubt that If entire plots
and buildings Oh the sCutherly side OF the
street could have been taken by the city
the remaining land could have been =old n--
tho city for enough, or neari- enough. 10
pay for the entire improvement.
ThC new street, however, took the fronts
OF the huildines. The awards were there
fore large. and the entire cost viii probabl'
ultimately Doe borne by the taxpayers at
ldrg'
Tho taxpayers get tho hoa-v end of the
burden. They pay very high price Tor thc
land Iu order to create 60 public improve
men,. The admitting property reaps the
financial benert resulting from the CITY
Wunif"en'e. The process i- such burden
ON tine general fuuu that it ~ 20 " wonder
that So leW o. these much needed improve
merts arc carried through.
What Is the remedy Simply to a'tcr the
law So that tuc citvs business can hc done
az economically as the business of other
Corporatious-. o.. give the CITY power 20
buy or take by condemnation the land abuf-
ting on new streets This means 20 alter
Tie constitution So that the Legislature may
allow municipalities 20 go this. To-day tho
legislators cannot allow th;s. because the
constitution prevents. \ concurrent reso-
iltiOn has passed the last TWO ieglS ature~
of this state amending tlc constitution SO
that "yvhon private property shall be taken
for public use bv q municipal corporation,
additional adjoining or neighboring property
may DE taken under conoIupns 10 De pre-
scribed by tho Legislature by general law.