Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 12, no. 282: August 9, 1873

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AND BUILDERS' GUIDE Vol. XIL NEW YOEK, SATURDAY, AUGUST 0, Ko. 2.S2 Published Weekly by m REAL ESTATE RECORD ASSOCIATION. TERMS. One year, in advance......................$G 00 All communications should he addressed to Whiting BtnnnixG, 345 anb 347 Beoadwat. THE TELEGRAPH POLE NUISANCE. jSTothmg so defaces the aspect of our squares, avenues, and streets as the liori-ible telegrapli poles -wliicli obstruct the view of many a fine corner and of numerous palatial buildings. It is bad enough that New York should have the meanest lamp-posts to be found anj-^where in the civilized world, and that the barbers' colors should annoy our vision in our best thoroughfares, but why should a monopoly like the Western Union be permitted to erect poles where we don't want them—on, every square, in every street, in every avenue? Probably because it is a monopoly, and as such has the right to do what it pleases. Again, why should the Fire Department fol¬ low the bad example set by this monopoly, and do even worse by erecting still higher and still meaner poles than the telegraph company ? It is a shame that in a city like New York we are in this matter still so far behind many European cities, where the wires are all laid under ground, and where no telegraph poles obstruct the view. Our Common Council shottld take this matter in hand, and see if the Western Union and the Fire Department can¬ not be compelled to lay their wires under ground, or if they cannot find some other means for stretchmg theu- wires than the mis¬ erable poles now defacing our streets. MR. GREEN AND MR. VAN NORT. Ever since the new charter has gone into operation there has been a constant wrangling between Comptroller Green and Commissioner Van Nort, to the di.sgust of our numerous tax payers. It was hoped that with the inaugura¬ tion of the new order of things the municipal machinery would work smoothly, and now the citizens of New York, when they are not regaled to criminations and recriminations in the Board of Aldermen, are treated to long epistles either on the part of Mr. Green, de¬ nunciatory of the doings of the Commissioner of Public Works, or on the part of Mr. Van Nort,. abusive of the chief of the Finance Department. One day the citizens of New York, while imaigining that all is well under the reform regime, are told by Mr. Green that the operations of the Department of Public Works continue to be dictated by a policy as extravagant as it is nefarious; the next day they find Mr. Va^i Nort rushing into print, losing his temper, by holding Mr. Green's watchfulness up to ridicule, and by pointing at him as the municipal Paul Pry. Then again, if stationery is required, and the Comp¬ troller justly refuses more than is necessary, Mr. Van Nort writes a letter and takes pains to see that it is ptiblished in order the more to annoy Mr. Green, in Avhich he tells him that if he don't furnish what is wanted " he'll make him!" etc., etc. And so from one day to another there is bickering and wrangling be¬ tween the two leading city Departments, with a prospect of its becoming worse when the thermometer settles down to below the nineties. It is time that all this shotild stop, and on behalf of the tax-payers of New York who look to Mayor Havemeyer for the energetic, faithful, aud business-like discharge of all duties required from his subordinates, we appeal to him to make an end to this wrang¬ ling, and to see to it that the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Works co-operate harmoniously in the great work that lies under his immediate supervision, viz. —municipal reform. The proper government of the city of New York is not dependent of any one single man, and rather than permit this quaiTcling and inharmonious working to¬ ward a great end to continue, Mr. Green might be told that he is uot the only honest and effi¬ cient man in the metropolis; and Mr. Van Nort might readily be convinced that the tax- pa^'^ers have something to say in regard to his tenure of office, even if things have been pretty well " fixed'.' for him at Albany. Individuals are of no consequence in the great work of reform on which the citizens of New York have entered with unflagging determination, and if Mr. Green and Mi-. Van Nort cannot co-operate together harmoniously, it is Mayor Havemeyer's duty to consider what can be done to compel unity of action on the part of the two Department chiefs. WESTERN LANDS AND RUSSIAN EMIGRA¬ TION. ■ ■ The various Pacific and other Railroad Companies that have la,nds to sell should come to some agreement as to the inetbod and man¬ ner in wdiich these lands should be disposed of. The time has come when their land sharks and agents who, as runners after emigrants, pester the newrcomer, the; colonist, and the foreign investor w-ith their vari-colored state¬ ments about the great paradise each Western State possesses, and the relative prospective value of lands in their respective localities, should be discarded, and the land depart¬ ments of the various roads represented by au¬ thorized and intelligent agents, should alone control the business of selling their lands. Those desirous of purchasing would uot then act so suspiciouslj"" nor be' so over-cautions. They would consult the authorized sellers while studying the topography of the various States, instead of tiying to strike a sharp bar¬ gain with Western land speculators. The en¬ tire business shoukl be reduced to a system, as sure and unvaiying as is now the sj'.stem of selling the bouds of these various companies. Besides, the work should be intrusted to per¬ sons w^lio are well informed as to the move¬ ments of various populati ms in foreign coun¬ tries, and as to the causes that lead to sudden movements of large masses of human beings, their wants, and requirements. We say this especially'' now in view of a very interesting article which appeared in the Times of Mon¬ day last, where informatiou was given in re¬ gard to Russian emigration, which has set iu toward this country. We have reason to know from other sources tliat this information is quite correct, and that the Russians about to arrive here will bring from $10,000,000 to 112,000,000 in gold, most of which Avill go toward the purchase of Western lands. We insist that these Russians shall not be met by land sharks, but by the officers of the various roads or their authoriized agents in New York. If only one of them gets victimized the effect of it will be injurious to the country, as others will then be deterred from investing in Western lands. No fictitious prices must be put upon the lands offered for sale, for it will take years upon years to bring them at all up to the valtte which some enthusiasts are anxious to place upon them. Fair and direct dealing will go far toward settling part, at least, of our Western territory; and if this new Russian emigration does not assist in fertilizing a large tract of the waste lands out West, it will not be their fault, but that of the land sharks who are always ready to take advantage of new¬ comers. MECHANICS' LIENS. NEVr YORK. August 1 A.\. A, X. w. COR. 117th ST., 22x 118. (Cont'n to Aug. 21, 1874.) James Hamel agt. Mary E. Way- dell..........................■.... S3,13i 00 2 Broadway (Nos. 1420, 1420)^, and 1421). Patrick Fox agt. Cyrus Clark............................ 370 00 2 Av. D, sr. w. cor. 13th st. Patrick Carney agt. the Mutual Gas Co... .30 00 1 Eighth av. (No. 236), x. e. cor. 22d St. WUliam Sleight agt. Leonard Cook.....'i...................... 697 92 Eightt-fifth ST. (No. 225), n. s., ~| 2 325 e. 3d av., ext'g 25 feet.....[ Eighty-sixth st. (No. 228), s. s., j 325 e 3d av., extd'g 25 feet.....j Michael and Arthur J. Hennessy agt. Edward S. Innes and Thos. F. Sharkey....................... 400 00