New-York tribune., 1919-05-18


way the other day. 1t was to be
found nowhere else. 1t read: "Give
thought to Broadway" There was
nothing to indicate where it came
from nor why it had been put up.
Then it was learned that it was the
forerunner Of a project for "civilizing
Broadway"
Not that Broadway is barbaric, or
anything else than the best beloved
street in New York City. 1t is a good
deal like boy who has just passed
into long trousers, but hasn't learned
how to wear them gracefully yet. The
feet and legs supporting the long,
gawky youth are at the south end of
the street, the pit Of the stomach at
Times Square and the heart and head
in the home district to the north. Up
to the present time it has been pay
ing attention to growing, without Civ
ing much thought as to habiliments
and grace Of bearing. In some respects
its younger sister, Fifth Avenue, has
gotten the start and has acquired the
finished embellishments Of beautiful
womanhood.
Large Expansion Planned
With it's pavements settling down
into more permanent form, it's arteries
expanded, and it's body rounding out
into the shapes Of maturity, it is felt
by many that the time has come to
give some consideration to the needs
and future of Broadway, the most mas
culine of New York's streets. The
Broadway Association, the author of
the idea of giving thought to Broad
way, is preparing to do 1t adequately
through large expansion of it's facil-
tiles and activities.
The trouble with Broadway is that
it has been growing too fast. When
it was child, as it were, it followed
the habits of children and grew slowly.
1t acquired charm. No "Jake" Sharps
stirred it up with efforts to lay street
car tracks and to introduce jangling
car bells, and bribery of aldermen. One
could take sleigh ride in the win
ter time on Broadway, and run in to
see acquaintances without waiting for
a banquet at the club, or lodge
meeting to bring them together
Within the course of the last gen.
Grafton, Broadway has "shot up" 1t
has shot up in more than one sense.
Skyscraper office and hotel buildings
have torn up the skyline with the indi-
vidualstic glee of one with no sense
of responsibility for ones neighbors
Wholesale and retail merchandising, in
their search for space, have crowded
farther north, until now the Harlem
River at Inwood has been reached.
Broadway has been bored from end
to end with subways.
Beginning to Settle Down
At last, after a fifty-year adolescent
period, it is beginning to settle down.
Everyone knows now where the amuse-
ments and hotels are going to be for
the next decade, including the theatre
and hotel owners themselves. So the
latter have gone boldly ahead with the
erection of hostelries for the accom-
modations of thousands of guests, and
theatres for the entertainment of the
hundreds of thousands of visitors to
the city. The railroad terminals are
going to stay put. Investors in real
more thoroughly and develop them in
more permanent way. The boom
times are gone. SO now one can give
thought to Broadway and its interests
with the prospect of a maximum of
accomplishment.
What does good old Broadway need,
now that the period of sober maturity
is approaching?
More than sixty years ago, illustrated
journals, printed in this city, pre-
sented alleged humorous drawings
showing workmen digging up the
pavements of Broadway. Probably no
street surface in New York was ever
more vexed than that of Broadway.
1t has been plowed and narrowed and
excavated by builders and plumbers,
and telephone, steam heating, gan
lighting, electric power, and street car
corporations, and subway builders.
Undue Rapidity of Growth
While these numerous pavement
eruptions, like boils on growing
youth, may be signs of physical prog
ress, they are also evidences of un-
due rapidity of growth.
The pavement now gives promise of
shortly being at rest. No more sub
ways will 60 under it. Gas, electric,
steam, water and sewerage connec-
tions have been provided for large
proportion Of it's properties. So why
not give a thought 70 the pavement of
Broadway?
More different kinds of transporta-
tion have been offered to Broadway
than to any other thoroughfare in the
metropolis-one feels like saying in