New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-27
CITY NEEDS SHORE FRONT
Commissioner Tomkins Would
Buy the Bush Terminals.
so. BROOKLYN ADVANTAGES
Growth of 50 Per Cent in AS
sessed Valuation, or So,
100 Shown in 5 Years.

Attracted by the growth Of the Bush
Terminal Company plant. in South Brook
Ign. the city purchased during Mayor Nc
Clellans administration from property
owners a large amount OF undeyeloped
shore front on both Sides Of that plant ana
began the erection Of piers. on the ground
that it would ne a sound. economic policy
for the city TO encourage industrial deyel-
onment I'm boroughs outside of Manhattan,
where ground is less costly. insurance rates
lower where adequate shipping facilities
may he provided and where the traffic con-
ditions arc less ntolerable. Calvin Tom
kins, Commissioner Of Docks. has sub
mittsd TO the Mayor recommendation
that the city should negotiate for control
of the Bush Terminal Railway and also for
the acquisition Of its piers and hulkheads.
III this property cannot be advantage
ouslv secured by purchase" SAYS the Com
nlissioner's report, the city should acquire
title by eminent domain The city must
eventually obtain this waterfront, and IT
can be secured now cheaper than AT later
date The revenue which the city may eX-
pect 10 derive from these properties may
reasonably be expected 10 maintain the in
yestment in the self-sustaining class Of
municipal enterprises and il this be true
the acquisition will not he b.rdensome, but
rather mutually advantageous TO the ter
minal company and the city. since the COM
panv will avoid the dangers Of unequal
competiton with the city and the city Will
hc enabled tn connect its unimproVed prop
critics onaboth sides of the company. COIN
cidentally bringing under its control the
marginal railway. the extension Of which
- tho north * essential 10 the proper dc
,elopmeut Of the entire shore front
Lease $4,000 Mase than City Gets
The tao, that the eHy's new pier az 3lst
street. South Rrookyn. IS leased To
steamship line AZ an annual rental If only
f3s $50 -. while the Bush company has
leased ltg adjoining piers, not 50 we'll con
structed for 5000 or about 10000 a year
more for the same space is indicative. says
Commissioner Tomkins, of the value placed
upon supplementary warehouse. railroad
and car storage facilities, which the Bush
| company possess
One reason. therefore VIII the city could
| not obtain more than the sum mentioned
for the first pier (which u completed In
! South BROOKLYN was the fact that " re-
| npires the cooperation of the terminal
! cor,rauv ~ furnish railroad facilities and
warehousing for the piers which the city
| is building 70 increase the revenue which
| il may obtain from them and properly TO
| serve commerce
In 1906. the assessed value n the lands
! and buildings back Of the Bush conpanys
waterfront bounded by First and Third
avenues and 18th and sd streets as shown
| by the records in the Tax Department was
| So SEQ 10" says the report. In 1911 the as
sessed value Of these lands and improve
montn was SllsSaSso IN increase of $,
! 2lo 100 or 80 per cent in five years. the
| largest part Of which may bo said to have
arisen through the development Of the
terminal IN this district"
Continuing. the Commissioner says: The
| CITY should recomend the Brooklyn water
front-whlch is the front door OF the Dor
oueh Of Erooklyn-with the same foresight
tina, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company is
giving to the planning Of its numerous
freight terminals along the line Of It's CON
Meeting railroad in New York which Is
the back door Of the borough"
The New York Dock Company occupies
rha waterfront between the Catherine ferry
and Red Hook-more than two mies-al'
most exclusively. Tho Commissioner says
II ig desirable that several public piers
should be established In this, TIL now pri
yatclv controlled district, and that the docl
company IS willnS that the city should ac
ouire nv purchase or condemnation severa
Of its piers
The taxes imposed upon the Bush Ter
minal Company have increased, II is IN
derstood, from less than $4,000 az the he
ginning OF the enterprise. in 1905. 10 ap
| IL toog O1n an