The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-24
THINK KLINE's ALWAYS AS THE MONEY SAVING STORE
YOU'LL PAY LESS FOR KLINE'S EgzsEEszEgszEz

torn down New York would lose a
cherished possession. The fact that
the garden was liable to be destroy
ed had been intimated before and va
rious organizations had urged that it
be saved and used as a civic and rec
reation center. Mrs. J. Borden Harri-
man called a meeting of all interest
ed to consider the best use to which
the building could be put and plans
for raising the money necessary. Com
mittees have been appointed and are
now at work.
The plan to make Of Madison Square
Garden an industrial, civic and recrea-
tiona1 center was preached by Will
liam r. Wilcox, chairman of the well
fare department Of the National CIV
ic Federation in December 1908. For
the past two years the federation has
pared an outline of the uses to which
the building could be put from which
most of following suggestions are
drawn.
The workers in the department.
stores and In other great industries
which employ thousands, have assos
Citations which need an enormous hall
such as the amphitheatre in Madison
Square Garden for their annual en-
tertainment. The thousands of en-
ployes Of the street railway lines give
each year a remarkable vaudeville
show with their wives and children
enjoying the performance.
be used as recreation center for Ia
Dor. Recently a labor ball in the
arena was attended by 1850 people,
Trade Unions, associations Of employees
In private enterprises and beneficial
organiza lions of postmen, policemen
and f1remen abound to make use of
the garden for vaudeville entertain
ments, dancing parties and balls. One
of the most dramatic scenes the gar
den has ever witnessed was when
.Dowie and his army of religious en-
thusiasts tried to win converts in New
York by storm. Most saw merely an
eccentfio petulant and corpulent old
man with a waning following baited
each day by the mob. But others, who
heard the choral singing by thousands
of drilled voices wished that the gar
den might be used frequently by the
German Saengerbund societies.
About three years ago the unem-
ion Square. The police disbanded it
by force for obstructing the traffic.
but not until after bomb had been
thrown and one man killed. The
arena in Madison Square Garden Of
fers place where New York could
hold its town meetings of dissatisfac-
ton. Would not New York benefit by
under cover.
For smaller gatherings such as lodge
meetings, women's clubs, theatricalS,
entertainments for children and lee
lures Madisan Square Garden has
handsome concert hall There is also
an assembly room that could be made
library, smoking or game room.
There is already a restaurant which
could be made a model factory lunch
room. The theatre in the building
could be used for good moving picture
shows. In the tower. are eight floors
Of rooms for women's clubs and on the
roof is splendid roof garden. A gym
nasium could be arranged and a SWIM
ming pool built in the basement. An
employees welfare exhibit mas been
suggested and the city could hold
drills for firemen and policemen, bud
get exhibits and civil service examina-
lions there during the slack season.
Prominent city officials are inter-
ested in having the municipality pur-
chase the building either by itself or
In conjunction with private citizens
If they can be assured that the pros
pect can be made to pay. But can it
be made self supporting as a. peoples
palace. Almost certainly yes, though
the plan is as worthy of subsidized
support as the opera or the New
Theatre. Certain expenses could be
saved by using the garden for similar
purposes for a longer period instead
Of having dance one evening, fol-
lowed by athletic games as the next
event with a ball few evenings af
ter. The city by using it for purposes
for which 1t now rents space could
make the problem easier.
Across the river from New York in
Jersey City there is Peoples Palace
that cost $500. 900. 1t has been self
supporting from the day it opened. Tt
offers for Jersey City just what Madi-
son Square Garden can furnish for
New York. City ownership would en-
list the interest of hundreds of or
ganiza lions and be advertising of very
great value. If New York avails it
self of the chance offered Father
Knickerbocker will be able to show a
more profitable use of a strategic To-
cation than can Philadelphia which
allowed the old Pennsylvania Rail-
road station to become the home of a
department store.