The evening world., 1912-03-25

w ATAS
AID and significant ar the words with which Borough Presi-
dent McAnenys Commission for Improving Fifth Avenue
introduces its report.
1t is already TOO LATE, say the commissioners, to make the
ciys most famous street the equal in beauty and dignity Of any
of the splendid avenues of Paris or other great cities abroad! All
that can be done now is by regulating the height Of buildings, by
planting trees. and by keeping out certain kinds Of business to save
the street from losing what impressveness it already has.
TOO LATE! Is it not appalling that this great city, with the
finest metropolitan site in the world, with its stupendous buildings
commercial and public, with is superb library and art museum, with
its incalculable wealth, has to admit that it has left ito prize street.
whose name the whole world knows, the approach to a public park
unsurpassed in any city Of Europe. to the mercy Of greed or chance
pnti-TOO LATE?
Those two words should a; least set every citizen Of New York
to thinking hard about a host of improvements for which it is NOT
too late.
IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO HAVE DECENT PAYMENTS.
Some Of the downtown streets and most Of the cross streets b.
tween Fourteenth and Fifty-ninth show stretches Of pavement that
any fourth-cass city in Germany would deem disgraceful. Directly
in front Of ono Of tho newest and most fashionable hotels in Forty.
sixth street traffic bumps over a ragged hole in the asphalt. Visit
ors to New York declare thoy would rather walk to theatres than
be iounccd and jolted through tho cross streets Of the amusement
district.
waves and holes again? Is it possible the city does not have the
best work, tho most expert sdvos' Shall we admit once and for
all that WE can NEVER have streets a. smooth and clean o. those
Of Paris or Berlin' What reasons ahall We givs3 For whose ad-
vantage do We pay high prices for work tht turns out faulty9
1T IS NOT TOO LATE FOR CHEAP TAxICABs.
We are glsd to see the commissioner lay extra stress on the
utterly "INDEFENSIBLE" PRESENT TAXICAB RATES. They
think these high tariffs are due IN part TO the fact that the taxicab
companies now pay large prices to hotss for stand privileges. They
recommend. therefore. that the city establish public stands where
no such excuse coMd serve. Al the Commission we'll puts it:
ITO ay sss u . ~Us-Nr " emosss ssastasaesy to tn.
10 . FAIR hNcas rMs tv Ne Y~A WA1s ss rus for the
same disAs~os u 10 CENTS N LeaSo~ u PRSPosTpRoUs.
s"ss"soA - Z" Lo"Aos ~ eT+etHe' cot Of building ta~caas
u NOT ~ScA ts tAs ANS: ts oAsGktssrs aW a. UsU " not i
better PED sAs" mere waa' ossoa~s u more ssse.ssvs there
~ than Aers"
1T Is ABSOLUTELY ABSURD th.t . man Of small income
should not be able, here in New York, to give himself and his wife
from time to time the simple comfort Of going from train to train
or from home to the theatre in . cheap, saSe, noiseless taxicab. Hun
drsds Of Thousands are doing it in London. Paris and Berlin. Why
not hss'
1T IS NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE CROSSING THE STREET
SAFER.
'm The iAs Of safety and He low street lamps mreexed bv the
getting about our automobile ruled streets. Again. every other great
capital has these thing.
e, 1T IS NOT TOO LATE TO PLANT TREES.
Trees and flowers are disappearing from the streets to find their
eoy refuge in the paris and squares. What would the ayeuQe resi.
dent Of New York think Of . srsas city whore trees are ev~eryxhere:
whsre, through endlNs ranks Of modest spsrtmsnt horss-oorre.
spoDding to our uptown and Harlem quarters-aruhxects have con.
trived that every apartment Shdl have is window balcony. and
where ON each balcony from May to November bloom oersnium,
Gestures OF Berlin. Every spring the city government offers prizes
for the prettiest window gardens.
II is too late to make Fifth avenue what it deserved to be.
Let the fact he q sharp reminder that it is NOT TOO LATE
to have smooth, we'll kept streets in which thousands of ea.v running
cheap taxicabs shall offer their comfort to many who cannot now
afford them.
1T IS NOT TOO LATE TO MAKE THE FINEST STREETS
OF THE CITY SAFE, PLEASANT AVENUES AND PRONE.
NADES FOR THE CITIZENS INSTEAD OF MERE TRADES
MEMS ALLEYS OF MARBLE AND PLATE GLASS.
Affarc fr0m the pno~1> 3