The chronicle=news., 1914-10-03

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catch thief. the convicts at Sing
Sing have organized novel society
known as the Golden Rule Brother
hood. one of the PURPOSES of which
will be to aid in the recapture of es-
capped convicts. The organization
was established by Warden McCor-
mack and thrown open to all who
cared to join. AS a matter OF fact
almost all of the 1.5OO convicts at
Sing Sing have Joined. Those mem
bers who subscribe to the rules of
Saturday and Sunday afternoons in
the big prison yard playing baseball
or doing almost anything else that is
respectable 10 long as they do not at
tempt to escape. After joining the
convicts went SO far as to appoint
their own monitors to see that no
one was careless enough to wander
away. and raised fund Of $l75
which was given to the warden to be
used in the recapture of convfcts who
, should escape. the Spokesman OF the
brotherhood explaining that Its
, members were opposed to attempts
at escape and hoped that those who
made them would be recapturcd. AL
together the new organization marks
one OF the most novel steps in the
history OF convict handling In this
state.
In spite of the fact that 1t Is at
tempting all possible economies. New
York is not slowing up in the work
on its 1ublic projects. This is strik-
ingly evidenced by the fact that more
than 81 $1.65O.O00 "a month Is now he
ing spent by the city and the rapid
transit companies in building the
new dual subway system. One day
this week contracts amounting to
over. $2,250,O00 were let. Large as
these sums are. however. they be-
come relatively small when 1t is re-
membercd that the ultimate compile
tiOn of the rapid transit system will
involve the expenditure of $3.50, ,OOO,-
900. or this total. contracts amount
ing to about $l40.OOO.oOO have al
ready been let and the rest will be
placed from time to time as the work
progresses. New York. 1t would
seem, has reason to congratulate it.
self that the whole scheme was ap-
proved when it was. despite the op-
position which was raised to It.
While the alan now Is considerably
advanced and the work going ahead
rapidly. 1t is easy to imagine that If
its approval had been postponed for
a year to await referendum, its
financing would have been prac-
ticable impossibility under present
conditions, and that there would
have been practically no prospect
for any development of the rapid
transit system for several years at
least.
Father KnickerDocxer is now
planting trees for any property
holder who cares to apply for them
and pay only what the trees then-
selves cost the city. All that has to
be done is to fill out theapplica tion.
and these are already coming in for
trees to be set out next spring. The
Park Department furnishes the tree
with everything else that is needed,
such as SOIL tree guard and the like.
and performs all necessary labor,
such as cutting through concrete
sidewalks where that is necessary
digging the hole, planting the tree
and watering 1t. So far indeed has
this cooperative tree planting scheme
been developed that guarantee Is
given to replace the tree II It die,
from natural causes within 1eriod
of three years. In order that plant.
ings may be made which will most
nearly conform to the needs of any
locality. the Park Department re.
serves the right to select the kind OF
tree to be planted and decide upon
Its location.