Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 30, no. 764: Articles]: November 4-11, 1882

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November 4—11, 1882 The Record and Guide. 55 THE RECORD AND GUIDE. 191 Broadway, N. Y. KOVEMBER 4—11, 1883. PRICE OF RECORD AND GUIDE. Per Annum, . _ . _ - |5,0C With Supplement, .... 6.0G Record and Guide, Single Copy, . - .10 cents. With Supplement, - - - - 15 " . WHAT MAT BE FOUND INSIDE. ■Charles Bradlaugh explains to our readers the injustice done him by the British Parliament in excluding him from the seat to which he was three times elected. "Sir Oracle," in the Prophetic Depart¬ ment, predicts that Jay Gould's star is setting, and tells why he thinks so. The inside facts connected with the Nickel Plate road sale are given for the flrst time in these columns. The fatal blow dealt by Jay Qould at the New York Associated Press, and of which the New York public has been kept in ignorance till now, is also commented upon. Our special departments are full of interest, par- ticidarly that devoted to real estate. Building, it seems, is far more active this year than last, while the official transfers show very large sales of realty. " Fort Sherman," corner of Broadway and Wall street, is criticised by an able writer, and some of the facts are given of the new street to be built under the pavement of Broadway, VanderbiWs great railroad schemes are also dwelt upon. Mutual Union into the field as the competitor at aU important points for the business of the Western Union. It is understood that the action of the Mutual IJnion in breaking away from Jay Gould has been prompted by the large interest connected with the New York Associated Press, and the capitalists who are about to lay a new cable between this country and Europe. So two monopolies have conspired in spite of themselves to give the country a better and cheaper telegraph service, as well as to establish free trade in news. W. H. Vanderbilt, D, O. Mills and Trenor W. Park, have, it is understood, become associated with Mutual Union. But we still adhere to the opinion that the telegraph service of the country should be in the hands of the government. It is intolerable that our business and family secrets should be at the mercy of Jay Gould or any other speculative operator. No country on earth would tolerate the present state of things except, alone, the United States. The Great Press Monopoly Ended. Thanks to Jay Gotild and his telegraph system, the destruction 'of the New York Assqci^.ted Press monopoly has been accomplished ■during the past week. For the last thirty-five years the news of the world has been collected by seven New York journals and sold to the newspapers throughout the country. This service has not been satisfrctory of late years to the Western newspapers, many of which are abler papers than any published in Npw York, and far more enterpiising. Last week the New York Associated Press was notified that its news was not required by any newspaper publisher west and south of the AUeghanies. The press of the West and South, it seems, ihave made a a agreement with Jay Gould by which the New York Associated Press has lost its monopoly for ever. The interior •papers get their European, as well as their Washington news, ithrough the facilities afforded the Western Union Telegraph Com- 3)any and the Atlantic cables in the Gould interest. Of course the monopoly died hard. The New York papers offered :to bind themselves for ten years, and to permit no liberty of action •among its members, if the Western Union Telegraph Company ■would deal with them exclusively, and leave the Western and other newspapers out in the cold. This Jay Gould and his associates refused to do, as they had already promised the Western press that there should be a free field and no favor to any one organization. The New York press then begged for a truce of two weeks, which was granted, so that arrangements could be made by which the several associations could collect the news from all parts of the country. In the meantime, it is understood, that the Western Union is fur¬ nishing, free of cost, the news of the Western Associated Press to the newspapers on the California coast and in the Southwest. This is done with the hope of increasing telegraph business, as the news sent by the New York Associated Press to the outlying States has been poor in quality and scant in quantity. Jay Gould and his associates! argue very justly that it will be a great benefit to the telegraph system to allow free competition in news; the Western press permits its members to use the telegraph freely, while the New York association limited special telegrams to certain desig¬ nated points. Not a word has been said about all this in any •of the New York papers, and the readers of The Record and Guide will be the first to hear of this exceedingly important matter. One good turn deserves another. The Western Union monopoly breaks down the Associated Press monopoly, and now comes the. Suggestions for Citizen Next Tuesday th \ people of this State will elect a Governor; his name may be Charles J. Folger, but those who are wise in such matters are of opinion that Grover Cleveland will have the most votes. In either event, however, the State will be sure of an excel¬ lent Governor for three years to come. On the same day the people of the Empire State will choose an Assembly, that is, one-half the Legislature, the Senate holding over from last year. It may be that a Democratic Assembly will be chosen, but of this there is some doubt. One thing, however, is quite certain; it will be a body composed of very inferior delegates, and the votes of its members will be in the market for sale. The Governor, whoever he may be, is sure to achieve popularity, if he vetoes nine-tenths of the laws that will be passed by the Legislature which will commence its sittings at Albany next January. On the 7th of November, New York city will elect a Mayor, his name may be Edson or Campbell, but this much is assured, that the executive who takes his seat in the City Hall next year will be an honest and able man. He will do his best to serve the metropolis and leave a good record behind him. On that same 7th of November, New York will also choose a Board of Aldermen, which will be a disgrace to it. The majority will be composed of fellows eager to sell their votes. They will confirm no nomination of tie Mayor unless they are paid therefor in money or patronage. The above predictions are based upon the experience of the last half a century in this State. Our Governors have nearly always been men of mark and character; our Legislatures are always corrupt. During the last half century New York has had but three reaUy dis¬ honest or incompetent Mayors, while the present generation of voters cannot recall a single Board of Aldermen that was not a corrupt and incompetent body. The moral is obvious; let us increase the responsibility and au¬ thority of our Governors and Mayors, and limit the power of state and local legislative bodies. The only political object worth working for is to have local home rule in the form of responsible executives. Its good effects are seen in Brooklyn, in the administration of Mayor Low. It is perfectly idle to elect good mayors and then have them hampered in the appointing power ;fcy thievish Boards of Aldermen. The Record and Guide insists that it does not make the slightest difference, except to politicians, which ticket succeeds in the com¬ ing election. If there is no change in the confirming power of the Board of Aldermen over the Mayor's nominations, there can be no reform in our local administration, no matter who is chosen. Charles Bradlaugh, member of Parliament from Northamp¬ ton, makes a statement in our columns as to his relations with the British Parliament. Americans have known, in a general way, that Mr. Bradlaugh has been repeatedly elected to the House of Commons, and that his fellow-members have refused to admit him to his seat. But why, is a conundrum that we on this side of the Atlantic cmiiot solve nor does Mr. Bradlaugh's presentation of the case throw any light upon the mystery. He was, it seems, regularly elected under the law ; there was and is no contestant to his seat; he has complied with every possible require¬ ment, yet a House of Commons which contains a large Liberal ma¬ jority has so far refused to give him his seat. But he has precisely the same right to sit in Parliament as has Sir Stafford Northcote, John Bright, or Premier Gladstone himself. It is the theory of all representative governments that the constituencies are to be the sole judges of the qualifications of their representatives. That battle was fought by John Wilkes one hundre