EAL  iLSTATE







AND     BUILDERS'    GUIDE.





Vol. XYII.





NEW YOEK, SATURDAY, MAY 6, 1876.





No. 425.





Published Weekly by

THE REAL ESTATE RECORD ASSOCIATION

TERMS.
OWE YEAR, in advance___§10 00.

C   SV.   STVnBET,

Nos. 345 and 347 Bboadway.

UTILIZING  THE TAXPAYER.





"When the "Committee of Seventy" vras con¬
sidering a new charter for New York City, The
Eeal Estate Eecoed urged npon that body a
scheme by which the taxpayers could have some¬
thing to say touching the expenses of the me¬
tropolis. We argued at that time that it was
idle to give any direct representation to capital'
ists or taxpayers, as it was not only unconstitu¬
tional but unpopular, and any scheme to that
effect would be defeated. But we suggested tbat
a provision should be made by which tbe large
taxpayers would be charged with tbe duty of
auditirg all bills against the city treasury.
They were to have no power to stop any needful
work; but, as they bad to pay tbe bills, tbey
should be given the authority to see that tbe
work was faithfully done, and tbat tbere was no
overcharge. Tbe fraud and corruption of our
city government is not due so much to unneces¬
sary work as to wasteful expenditure and over¬
charges. Tbe objects for which we pay such large
bills are not in themselves objectionable. The
opening and curbing of streets, tbe laying out of
parks, the making of sewers, tbe care of schools,
and of tbe police, are all legitimate objects for
wise expenditure, whose abuse lies in its being
no one's business interest to protect tbe treasury
against overcharge, "We argued, why not im¬
pose upon, say, five hundred of tbe largest tax¬
payers in the city of New York, tbe duty of
examining every bill and reporting upon tbe
charge and quaUty of tbe work done ? Tbera is
a well-founded- dread tbat if taii-payers alone
were consulted as to improvements, very few
new works would be imdertaken."" Tbey are
necessarily a timid and selfish class, with not
a great deal of public spirit; but tbe object of
tbis "auditing board" would be to utilize tbeir
selfishness for tbe public good, and tbe saving
of tbe resources of tbe treasury of tbe city. We
trust tbat Mr. Wm. M. Evarts and tbe Commis¬
sion of Eleven, with wbicb be is associated, will
take this particular matter intp consideration.

Our project was brougbt before tbe "Commit¬
tee of-Seventy, "but it was so incongruous a
body that nothing could be done. Most of its
members .were candidates for ofSce, and about
fifty out of tbe seventy secured official positions.
Their charter was not quite as good as the Tweed
charter wbicb it replaced. We learn from ex¬
cellent authority tbat tbe commission over wbich
Mr. Evarts presides intends to propose a great
many amendments, and among them some,\fbich
look towards a more direct mode of government





of tbe city by tbe taxpayer; but it is safe to fore¬
tell tbe defeat of any measure wbicb will give tbe
property class a larger share in tbe responsibili¬
ty of government tban tbe class having no prop¬
erty. It will afford an opportunity for demagog-
ism wbicb will meet with ready acceptance. But
tbere can be no reasonable objection to tbe
proposition tbat the persons who have to foot
tbe bills should pass sentence upon tbeir val¬
idity. No hired Comptroller could have any¬
thing like tbe interest at stake in protecting
tbe city treasury . tbat tbe men have whose
pockets are made to suffer. It should be made
a public duty, like jury duty or military ser¬
vice, or serving on tbe grand jury. Perhaps it
would not be needful for tbe taxpayers them¬
selves to attend to these duties, but tbey should
pay for tbe auditors, accountants and investiga¬
tors who would be charged with tbe duty of ex¬
amining tbe accounts of persons wbo bad claims
against tbe city. There is no interest like self-
interest, audit is quite clear that no such scandals
could attach to the work done by tbe City of New
York if contractors and projectors of improve¬
ments knew tbat tbere would be a rigid account¬
ability exacted for every item of tbeir bills when
presented, Tbe question is, therefore, bow
much power should be given to this board of
directors ? At first, perhaps, their power should
be simply recommendatory; tbeir business
should be to report to the ComptroUer or to tbe
Board of Finance; and if the experiment suc¬
ceeded, in time tbey might be given authority
to refuse payment where tbere was clear evi¬
dence of fraud.

WlU not some of tbe property-holders wbo
read The Eecord and are interested in tbe fu¬
ture of tbe city and its economical administra¬
tion, call tbe attention of Mr. Evarts and tbis
commission to this very important suggestion?

Tbe taxpayers and commissioners may as
well understand first as last tbat any proposi¬
tion giving exceptional authority to owners of
real estate is not Ukely to bs incorporated into
tbe Constitution during tbe present generation,
but a measure such as we suggest would perhaps
be unobjectionable, and would, we are sure,
benefit any city government wbicb would utUiz.e
its taxpayers in tbis manner.





NEW YORK'S BUSINESS FUTURE.





It is not to be disguised tbat capitaUsts wbo
bave invested in real estate in tbis city and
neighborhood bave been disquieted by tbe facts
and statements put fortb, wbicb seem to indi¬
cate tbat tbe growth of, New York has reached
its limit, and that, tbe increase of population and
business in tbe future will not be so rapid as it
has been in tbe past. Indeed, there are people
wbo. argue with great apparent -sincerity that
the sceptre has departed from-the MetropoUs,
that we may expect a steadily diminishing busi¬





ness, and tbat a stationary, if not a retrograde
cbiiraeter wiU be imparted to tbe population in
numbers. Tbe reasons urged for tbis belief are
some of tbem plausible, aud a few bave no Uttle
weight.   Among tbem are tbe foUowing:

1.  Tbat New York is a seaport city, and tbat
as sucb she can never expect to maintain ber
position as tbe place of tbe greatest business
and largest poputatiiju. Tae great cities of tbe
world are without exception inland. Tbey are
tbe capitals of nations, tbe residences of courts,
and tbe money centres of the respective com¬
munities. London, Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Ber¬
Un, St. Petersburg, Pekin, Yeddo—in short, all
tbe great cities, tbe metropolises of tbeir res¬
pective nations, are remote from tbe sea-coast.
Tbe commercial cities proper—Liverpool, Glas¬
gow, Cork, Havre, Bordeaux, Cadiz, and tbe
like - are second, third and fourth rate in com¬
parison with the before-named great cities,
wbicb are tbe real metropolises of tbeir com¬
munities. Hence it is argued, that it is impossi¬
ble for either New York or San Francisco, to be
eventuaUy of any greater imxjortance tban are
tbe exporting and importing marine ports of
Europe. With tbis line of reasoning we must
look for tbe great city of tbis continent in some
interior locaUty, sucb as St. Louis, Chicago, or
even some uirrecognized point where population
and business wiU at some future time cluster.

2.  Tbe serious fact, tbat New York has lost
the greater portion of its jobbing trade within
tbe last few years, or since tbe passage of tbe
Immediate Transportation Act in 1870. This
act declared a great number of inland cities
ports of entry, so tbat it became permissible for
goods to be imported direct, without breaking
bulk or paying duty at New Yoi-k. Since tbat
ill-timed act was passed. New York has lost tne
bulk of its jobbing business. Inland cities bave
every advantage over us, as tbe appraisements
of goods under oiu- compUcated tariff are, of
course, in favor of tbe local dealers. Tbe busi¬
ness of appraising is so deUcate and responsible,
that it is impossible for it to be done honestly
by tbe cheap officials wbo occupy appraiser's
desks In inland cities. These $1,500 and $2,000
officials occupy posts which require tbe widest
mercantile knowledge of goods, prices and val¬
ues. Tbey are therefore necessarily incompe¬
tent, and escape criticism only by catering to
tbe local trade. A looseness of conducting
business and imposing duties wbicb would not
be tolerated in a large commercial port like
New York or Boston is admissible at tbese
inland points, to tbe great advantage of tbe
local haercbants over tbeir metropolitan rivals.

3.  Tbe statistics recently pubUsbed concern¬
ing tbe grain, sugar aud provision business also
give evidence of tbe decline in the commerce of
our- city. Tbe railroad rivalries are building
up Boston, Philadelphia, and especiaUy Balti¬
more, at the expense oftbis oity.   To sweU thQ