New-York tribune., 1920-02-28
$3,1OO,O00 Bill
Held Up Until
Hylan Returns
Estimate Board Action on
Brooklyn Sewer Assess
ment Halted Because
Mayor Is at Palm Beach
Row Over Victory Hall
Craig Hints Influences
Are at Work to Back
Pershing Square Site

Mayor Hylan's absence ut Palm Beach
yesterday on tho question Of how the
assessment for tho proposed $3,100,000
Classon Avenue sewer system in Brook
lyn should be apportioned, matter
which has been pending for several
years and has been the cause Of bitter
controversy Broken promises of relief
made by past and present city officials
were referred to, and acrimonious dis
cussion as to whether the locality benc-
fitted, or the borough, or the city at
large, should share the burden Of the
assessment, marked tho two hours and
a half given over to it at the meeting
of the board.
The long debate ended between Comp
troller Charles L. Craig and Borough
President Riege Imam of Brooklyn,
when the former, believing that preced-
ent should not be broken by placing
the assessment anywhere but OH the
community benefited by local i'm
provement, declared that the con-
troversy should be closed and called
for vote. Mr.. Riegelmann immedi~
ately objected to any action being
taken in the Mayors absence, declar-
ing that the Mayor was particularly
of Brooklyn. The Comptroller insisted
that the Mayor knew all about the
matter before he left the city, and that
1T would come up for final disposition
by the board yesterday. The Brooklyn
Borough President moved that the
matter be laid over for two weeks, or
until the Mayor returned, and his mo-
ton prevailed by q vote Of nine to
seven.
Taxpayers In Protest
Representatives of various taxpayers
and civic organizations in Elatbush,
Manhattan and Queens appeared and
objected to any Of the assessment
being placed on the city at large, con-
tending that it would work a gross
injustice upon the property owners of
other parts of the city. Leonard NJ
Wallstein, counsel for the Citizens
some of the Brooklyn people, that the
sewer was built as a subway improve
ment, was wrong and he rccited the
history of the case and reviewed the
sewer history of Brooklyn from 1903 to
prove his argument Senator George
F. Thompson, of Saratoga County, who
appeared for taxpayers association,
contcnded that the assessment should
be levied on the city as whole as
the building OF the sewer was made
necessary by the construction of the
Fourth Avenue subway. He begged
the board to reach some final dc
clients he could take the matter to the
courts.
A hearing on the proposed erection
Of Victory Hall in Pershing Square,
at Park Avenue and Forty-second
Street, occupied almost two hours OF
the boards time at yesterday meeting.
he Central Federated Union had made |
application that members of that or
ganization and others who favored the
construction of the hall on the pro- |
posed site be heard.
The labor men asked the board to
join them and favor the bill now be-
that the Victory Hall Association NAV
take property on Lexington Avenue,
between Fortytrst and Forty-second |
streets, as part Of the site, by con-
demnatlon proceedings, as the associa-
tlon cannot come to terms with the |
property owners. The other part Of
the site selected, the old Grand Union
Hotel property on Park Avenue. is
owned by the city and the association
has offered to buy that at the city's |
price,
Hotel Influence Hinted
Comptroller Craig announced that
the property would be put up at pub
llc auction, as the charter provides, |
within thirty days. Representatives.
o. American Legion posts and Of civic
socleties and other bodies, who, either
we're IN favor Of the project or against
IT, also attended the hearing.
The members OF the Board of F,s-
innate gave everybody to understand |
that they were not opposed to the /
erection Of Victory Hall, but they |
cid want to know why that particular
ste was selected. The Comptroller
intlmated that the owners of the big
the scheme as they were behind tho
blll defeated in the legislature last /
year Tor the selection of the old hotel
site for public park.