New-York tribune., 1916-07-17
Public Service Institute
Advises Against Any
Hasty Action.
10 REASONS SENT TO
COMMITTEE OF 1O7
Administration Accused of Using
Methods Tammany Hall Has
Long Abandoned.

The Institute for Public Service yes
terday Joined the ranks of those who
oppose immediate action on the West
Side improvement plan, by an appeal -
the Committee OF 107. to use its iniiu-
ence with the administration against
rushing through the project at the
Board of Estimate meeting on July q.
Ten reasons why immediate action
should not be taken were sent the com
mittee. through its chairman, Norman
Hapgood. by William II. Allen. director
Of the Institute for Public Service. In
an open letter members Of the or
canization were asked TO use their IN
fuence as sponsors Of the fusion-re-
form administration in obtaining time
for the public 70 understand the plan.
eff this project is pushed through az
the July meeting in spite Of appeals
for time to understand, nothing IN the
world can prevent hundreds Of thou
sands of voters from believing that the
fusion-reform administration acted
either with gross stupidity and weak
ness. or with corruption, or both" the
letter reads in part.
No Time to Anayze.
"As sponsors for the present admins
tration and AS citizens interested in me
general welfare. will you help a maiorl-
" Of the Board Of Estimate and Ap-
portionment to see what n minority is
affirming that the board has not given
itself time TO explain its position TO the
public, or to analyze the public's oD-
jections?"
Among the ten reasons why action
on July 81 would be precipitate and
inimical to public policy" are:
/. The public has had less than ten
davs to study the model Of the plar
and less than 100 days the reports and
the arguments for and against 1t,
which took the city officials and inves-
/ tigators / 1000 days TO formulate
2. Within forty-eight hours after the
| final citizens hearing. the Board OF
Estimate committee distributed an
swers to all protests and questions. and
this time was obviously too shcrt for
adequate study.
MANY Issues Not Mentioned.
Although issues Of enormous con-
sequence are involved, affecting Land
ownership. land values, franchise val
nos and provisions for other railroads,
| landscape features have thus tar al
| x.ouo.oti1od a4foutiOn
4. The provision of the agreement is
utterly inadequate for restoring Rlv-
erside Park. and the city must pay
/ further sums. which should now be es-
/ timsted.
/ Z. The model now on exhibition throws
no light upon the cost Of restoring the
park. and is silent regarding financial
ownership and franchise questions.
/ g. No use has been made of TWO o.
/ the country's most noted authorities
on hermit and franchise problems, who
are now in the city employ and whose
services can be obtained for the asking
-Delos +. Wilcox and Milo b. Malt0le.
No Report from Appraisers.
7. The special appraisers Of real es,
tate have not yet made a report, and
Z no report - UibnllNNA " 'N''f
g. The Citizens Union special com
mittee. headed by julius Henry Cohen
takes fourteen pages to list reasons
for changing the agreement. which the
rublic should have time to consider.
Q. Even the Merchants Association
has actei upon insufficient information
in its reports
10. MANY persons sincerely believe
that the city is not sufficiently pro-
tecting Riverside Park; IS allowing me
New York Central money Tor lana
which the city now owns; is giving
monopoly rights where officers say no
mononoly rights should be given; has
assumed the attitude Of begging favor
where it had the power to exact rights
from the railroad. and has dealt witt.
public and railroad by methods and
undue haste. which Tammany Hall long
since abandoned.