Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 41, no. 1042: March 3, 1888

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March 3, 1888 The Record and Guide. 261 "S^vk-, ^^ ESTABLISHES■^/AWlpHSl'-i"' .__. DEV^TEIi'tO HeA,1- EsTAJE , ©UlLDlf/c 7^Jl.Ct(lTE;eTvJ[^E ,HoDSEHOLO DEGClR,AT10tJ.. Bi/5ltJESS aiJd Themes op GeiJer^I l;JT£i\Es-f PRICE, PER VEAU IN ADVANCE, SIX DOLLARS. Published every Saturday. TELEPHONE, - - - JOHN 370. CommuRications should be addressed to C. W. SWEET, 191 Broadway J. T. LTNDSEY, Busmess Manager. Vol. XLI. MARCH 3, 1888. No. 1,043 The building returns for Ihis month and the year, so far, justify the forecast we made in January, that there wouid be lesa money spent in houae construction during 1S88 than in 1887 or 1886. This check to construction is wholesome, for there were rather more edifices erected in 1887 than was justilied by the increase in popu¬ lation and bud'ness. Of course this will bear for a time hardly on builders and working people, but the halt can only be temporary. The metropolis ia increasing in every way, and with a new start in business will come renewed activity in building operations. The conveyances and mortgages also show a falling off compared with former years, and one specially bad symptom is the increase in the 6Um total of tho mortgages as compared with the consideration in tbe conveyances; that is to say, there is less cash paid proportion¬ ately in the new transactions than in the old ones. The statistics will be found elsewhere. "Why would not Seth Low make a good candidate of the Repub¬ lican party in the next Presidential election? He gained a deserved reputation when Mayor of Brooklyn. It waa as Mayor of Buf¬ falo that Grover Cleveland won his spurs as a popular executive officer. Ex-Mayor Low is a first-clasa man in everyway; he is a protectionist, but he favors the liberalizing of our existing tariff; he thinks also that the surplus revenae could best be spent in fos¬ tering our commerce and making needed public improvements. Although still young he would be classed as a solid man. It would be in his favor that he has not created any antagonisms in public life, while his persona! record is of the best. He speaks fairly well, and if he is not ao eloquent or witty as Chauncey M. Depew yet there is no danger that he would " shoot off his mouth," as the brilliant President of tha New York Central road some¬ times doea. We were not disposed at first to favor the State investiga¬ tion of the trusts, but the inquiries by the Senate Commission have brought out a great many interesting facts, a knowledge of which will help to guide public opinion in dealing with these great combi¬ nations. It does not look well for the Republican State Senate to try and cripple the investigation byrefusingthe requisite authority to ita own special commission. It will be noticed that the interests which are being investigated have little or nothing to do with the tariff, but it is remarkable how many and varied are the industries in which combinations to maintain prices are taking the place of unlimited competition. This State investigation may take the edge off the one authorized by the House of Representatives. Tbe latter was prompted by the belief that evidence would be forthcoming to show that the tariff had made these great monopolies possible; while it is true that great protective intereats have profited very greatly, the fact is now established that trusts were brought into existence by the necessities of our home business in industries not fostered by protective duties. The great engineers' strike on the C. B, & Q, road has caused not only inconvenience but enormous losses to hundreds of thousands of people who are not iu any way responsible for this dispute. As we have urged time and again, the only way to put a final end to all railway strikes would be to make the engineers, firemen, con¬ ductors and brakemen a part of the police force of the nation. They should do their work under government regulations, the com¬ panies of course to pay their salaries, but the pay, the hours of work and the discipline should be military in its character, as it ia for instance on the continent of Europe. Railway strikes are never heard of there. The fact ie, both the companies and their employes are servants of the nation. They are doing a public work and are paid by the public. It is simply intolerable that millions of people should be incommoded and suffer loss in money and time by such strikes aa have occurred on our railway systema and in the coal regions during the past two years. Government employes, be they soldiers, sailors or office-holders of any kind, have never been tnown to strike, yet they are often very badly treated. Making the railroad employes part of the police force of the nation would he almost a guarantee against a civil war at any time in the future. Then to carry this idea out further, the engineers, conductors and drivers on our city transportation lines should form a part of the police force of the city. ----------•---------- New Jersey, it seems, is to have local option and a high license hereafter. Each locality has the right to choose between the pro¬ hibition of the liquor traffic, or it can allow the sale of strong drink under a stringent license law. Thia compromise has worked exceedingly well in the South and Weat. When public opinion is favorable, the sale of liquor is prohibited. In tte large centres of population, where a prohibitory law cannot be enforced, liquor can be eold upon the payment of a license, which makes a hand¬ some contribution to tbe funds of the municipalty, Had we a similar law in NewYork, the liquor interest would he forced to contribute at least $3,000,000 annually lo our city treasury. This would more than pay the expenses of several of our largest depart¬ ments. By all means let us have a high license law, and so take away from the burdens of real estate taxation. The House haa agreed to appropriate $1,500,000 for Custom- House buildings and warehouses in New York. Really the nation will not spend anything under this appropriation, for the present Custom House site will when sold more than pay the 'cost of the new buildings. The House have also agreed to spend money for public buildings as follows: Charleston, W. Va.............S'iS.OOO AllenCowo, Penn................ la^.OUO Lancaster, Penn................100.000 LoiVr-Jl.Mass ....................200,000 BirmioKliam. Ala................30J,Oro CouEcil Bluffs, Il................ 10.000 Du'ulli, Minn.................... 150,000 Newark,N.J..................... 350,000 Chattanooea, Tpn............... 75,000 Buffalo, N.Y. (site).............250,000 Total................................ Omaha. Neb., (site)............ Si(JP,000 Bar Hdrbsr, Me................ S5,000 NewYork ..................... ],50U,i00 Charlestown, S. C.............. aoo.OOO Teiarkaoft ..................... 10',000 Columbus, Ga ................. 100,000 I ndia napoli a, lad............... 125,000 Bay City, Mich................ 150,0r0 Milwaukee, Wig ............... 400,000 .$4,712,000 Of course everyone in New York knows that we need new Custom House buildings, but this is a large country, and there are other places besides New York which require post-offices and court houses quite as mush as'we do a new custom house. A glance at the above list will show that they are all important and growing centres of population, yet our "fool editors" keep on bawling " pork" when an appropriation is asked for any other place than this city. If we want anything done for the metropolis we should at least be fair to other cities. This is a good year to erect public buildings, for there has been a check to the construction of private edifices, and then we have the money to do it without borrowing. Instead of less than $5,000,000, Congress ought to appropriate at least $30,000,000 for structures which will be needed before the nation grows older. It is evident that President Cleveland intends to be re-elected, aod that he will not scruple to use the party machinery and the spoils system to effect his object. His retirement of Commis¬ sioner Sparks, who had offended the Land Grant railroad com¬ panies, hia indorsement of Col. John R, Fellows, and now his proposed transfer of Ganeral Nawton to a government position, all bave the same end in view. The Board of Public Works of New York has the greatest patronage of any department of the city government, and undoubtedly an understanding has been arrived at with Mayor Hewitt to put an active politician in General New¬ ton's place. We do not say this in disparagement of President Cleveland, or to score a point against him. He is acting as ninety- nine out of a hundred would do in his place. We believe, more¬ over, that he is sincerely desirous of forwarding civil service reform, notwithstanding his indorsement of Fellows and hia pro¬ motion of General Newton in order that the Public Works Depart¬ ment may supply workers and means to help swell the Democratic vote next November. Surely from very shame Congressmen should not propose or vote for any more pension bills. They are the boss swindle of the age. During the war 2,300,000-men were enrolled in the Union armies ; it is safe to say that 500,000 of theae names included persons who re-enlisted, yet applications for pensions were made by 1,200,000 ao-called aoldiers. Of course one-third to one-half of these appli¬ cations muat have been fraudulent in view of the numbers wbo were killed and who have died since the war has closed. In 1879 there were 30,000 applications for pensions ; the very next year these increased to 110,000. We have spent since the olose of the war $883,000,000 for pensions; of which, of course, two- thirds must have beena pure steal that went into the pocketa of pension agenta and bogus soldiers. What wonders could have been done with $500,000,000 of this money if it had been spent in river and harbor improvements, in rehabilitating our merchant marine, in constructing a navy and furnishing us with seacoast defences and proper guns toman them? But the money has been wasted and the nation has nothing to show for it. And now another pension bill Is before Congress, with every chance, that it will pass because of the splendid organization of the G, Ai