New-York tribune., 1918-01-06

house, where their "pedigrees" we're we're
taken and lodging provided for not
more than three successive nights. The
lodgers were asked to chop wood for
an hour or two each morning.
~ non-partlsan city planning COM
mission was formed after the Common
Council appropriated 100000 for park
lands. The issuing of bonds for parks
by the Socialist aldermen, and DR..
Lunn regarded the final passage of the
ordinance as his first great success in
ol'lce. The planning commission was
created and John Nolan. widely known
park designer, was employed to deter
nine the location of Schenectady parks
and roughly to plan their development.
The Lunn administration created
Schenectady's only station in Crescent
Park. 1t is fixture, although political
opponents have criticised the cxpendi-
ture of $1,000 for the structure.
Bonds were issued to bridge Cotton
Factory Hollow, and the bridge at
Hullet Street, which had provision only
for trolley cars, was widened to permit
vehlcular and unrestricted pedestrian
traffic to cross into Mount Pleasant
IRON the upper State Street section.
Well Equipped Schools Built
Five new school buildings, said to
be the most fully equipped schools in
the state, were constructed by the So
cialists. DR.. Charles 2. Steinmerz was
the guiding force in designing them.
They contain fresh air rooms, gym
naaiums, domestic science rooms, man.
ual training rooms, rooms for an&mic
children, assembly halls and many
other improvements not found in
school buildings a few years ago.
When ordered by the State Health
Department to rid the Mohawk River
of Schenectady sewage, the Socialist
administration started sewage dis
posal plant, designing one large enough
for city Of 10000 or larger and con-
structing enough of it to provide FOR
the needs of the city. An action is still
pending trial as the result of alleged
changes in specifications, putting the
contractor to added expense.
A garbage reduction plant was built
and municipal collections were insti-
tuted. 1t was believed that the receipts
from by-products would nearly pay the
cost of operating the plant, but diff
Guilty has been experienced in maintain
ing collection schedules and receipts at
the plant have fallen far below esti-
mates.
HIOuSuOut CHC 1OuI years u lIic
Lunn administrations efforts were made
to obtain the widening of a crosstown
thoroughfare, in order to relieve con-
gestion on streets leading to the Amer
lcan Locomotive Works. An ordnance
was introduced and finally defeated.
Tax Rate Forced Up
Tax rates of the last few years have
reflected the large expenditures of the
first Lunn administration. The tax rate
for 1912 was $233. This figure was
based on expenditures of 1911, the year
Just preceulng the entry of Socialists
into city affairs. In 1913, the tax rate
representing the first year OF the So
cialist administration, was $3.12, an in
crease of 70 points. In 1914, when ex-
pendtures of the second year of the
Lunn administration, were raised by
taxation, the rate remained $3.12. Sue
ceeding tax rates have been: 1915, 1911; ;
1916 1926; 1917, $3.05. T he figures of
the last two years show that economy
has been exercised in the second Lunn
administration.