New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-27
Estates Of Long Beach a2s Fifth .,.,..
no,s,nr.r "''' Brunswick 8uidin,
T"toiOI'' NEW YORK
To the Editor OF the
Nh. VI. II

Sir.
AS rule I refrain from replying =,
articles concerning the conduct of my
business affairs which occasionally ar.
pear in the press, for the reason that /,
seems futile TO give attention % matte,
hurried into print without even extend,
ing to me the courtesy Of considering l.
in advance.
In departing from what has been nv
invariabe custom | am actuated chleey
by my conviction that in this era d.
commercial and industrial unrest. bust.
ness chaos and the like, men who hays
made what money they possess honestly.
through legitimate business methods.
are making a grave mistake when they
permit newspaper articles Inaccurate
and grossly unfair 10 themselves and the
interests they represent TO go unchal-
lenged
i have now in mind the article when
appeared in the World under date O,
June >, under the following caption:
"Dreamland Now Offers Street !,
Grabbed For Sale" This distorted and
untrue charge | do challenge most en-.
phaticalIy. and rely upon your fairness
to give what I shall say upon this sub.
ject as great prominence as you gave
the original attack upon myself and the
company Of which | am president
Now. as to the charge that the Dream
land Company grabbed from the city
street in Coney Island known as West
Eighth Street. West Eighth Street was
never legally opened by the City Of New
York. the old City of Brooklyn. or Ire
Town of Gravesend. The procedure q
opening a street legally is 10 have a
commission appointed 10 condemn III,
desired thoroughfare and 70 pay the
property owners fair value for the land
taken. This done, an area is hxei
around the new street and the owners
in that area are assessed 10 an AMOUNT
equal to the award in the original IL.
stance.
The amount of award 10 property
owners for land taken seldom exceeds
the amount Of the assessment for tire
improvements. At SOuthweald, one o.
my developments. for instance. Fiat
lands Avenue was taken by the city and
the amount Of award was less than tho
assessment Thus my company had ID
pay the difference and also lose the land
for the street. In the case Of West
Eighth Street there was no award maas
and no assessment levied, the street be-
ing merely laid out on a map. II ran
short distance south Of Surf Avenue.
and in the line OF the street stood the
old iron pier that we had purchased. u
the street had been legally opened ths
pier would have had TO be condemned
and my company would have Ieceiiei
compensation.
As TO the Injustice Of the article in TIE
World of June > / may perhaps give u
greater emphasis by citing early facts IN
the history OF Dreamland. When my
company purchased the old John J. Nc
Kane estate the unsightly fighting pa
vilion stood in the middle OF the prop.
erty. which was miserably lighted ara
poorly paved ways led 10 Gisrcputdo'e
iron pier. When | went 10 the proper
authorities 10 seek permission 10 Cos
West Eighth street the request met WIZ
no objection. II was approved BY ule
Board of Estimate Of Mayor Lows az
ministration. and all agreed that u.
building of Dreamland was work u
public spirit. inasmuCh as II tenQed No.
terially TO improve rather sOtdld pla''
and 10 put amusement and rocfeauo.
there upon a higher and more aiusu,
plane. All who ever visited Dreail.aht
know that we did: how we rooted our
the rookeries and dives and squa 10 W!
ways and replaced them Win pnil',ns,
well built and beautifully designed. AZ.
the sum of money we spent IN so Gums
is matter of record.
h.. oh
used city water without paying the c.y
for il. That is an absolutely false sta.'.
ment. Wherever We used city Nsu
there were meters. and our water ~ ~
paid to the city year by year ainoun"T
70 between $1,000 and 5000. Ana
wish 10 state strongly that where mos
water was used. in the shoot me cnu'a..
Hell Gate and the like. no city "dp,,
was taken at all. the water bein5 49,
and pumped I'm from the ocean.
/ write at this length because fssn,
the insinuations contained in the ~
referred 10 i'm the foregoing. ana le ;,
sense of obligation To my asSo'las \,
refute them. All my life l nave n
no money by sharp practice. Nnst -,
cess | have attained has come lll.r,,
the development of unimproved prop ~,
and the construction Of homes anu a,
returns acCruing therefrom lhNo's' "a,
my opinion. the cleanest money tna'
be made
Very truly yours.
WILLIAM II. RENNOLp'
7. S.-Enclosed please find clilths,
from the Springfield Union. when s 70 :,
been sent 10 me and which only 'ena"s-ei
show how such an article as appr"nsn
in the World may he carried 10 ns,-
further extreme when copied py ""''
paper.
Enclosure.