The evening world. Newspaper, October 31, 1912, Page 6

{ | i — ; ’ next T All Other Questions Have Been Sidetracked in the Region North of the Harlem, Where a Fierce Contest Is Being Waged to Establish a New System That Will Make. the Borough More Independent of Manhattan. As a County Many New Offices Would Be Created Involving an Outlay of at Least $347,000 a Year, but Projectors of the Bill Say That It Would Be More Than Made Up For in Increased Facilities. Opponents of the Measure Point Out That the Main Supporters of the Bill Are Those Who See in Its Passage a Lot of Patronage on Which They Will Keep a Clutch—Referendum Vote Will Be Taken Tuesday. Happening to a:cost on the public atreets of the Bronx a registered voter, you might ask him what he thought of the chances of Roosevelt, and he would probably reply, “Roosevelt-—Roosevelt—he's the man who was wbot, isn't he?" And of Wilson or Taft sald voter would probably remark, “Wilson! Taft! Seems to me I've heard those names before.” He might know that Hedges and Straus and Sulzer are running for Governor, but he wouldn't be interested enough to mention it. However, he would be sure to mention the burning question in the Bronx. This question stares at visitors and residents from every billboard @nd shouts at all readers from every page of the Bronx newspapers. It is flashed on the screens of the moving picture shows and forms part of the emarks of every monologue performer in the vaudeville theatres. Here is the question: “Shall the territory within the Borough of the Bronx be erected into the County of the Bronx!” The high cost of living, the slowness of the Third avenue “L” expresses, the crowded condition of subway trains, building statietics and the al population, long the favorite subjects of conversation in the Bronx, are now in the discussion discard. The vounty matter dominates every assemblage of from two persons to 2,000 from Clason Point to Riverdale, from Willis Avenue Bridge to Woodlawn Gate. ‘The residents of the Bronx are to vote; of 500,000 the Bronx has only @6 police- Jay on the nvatter of whetner!mcn. Her residents are compelied to they shall become residents of a new! resort largely to the private patrol sys- county or continue as residents of New| ton of protection. York County. Polls taken by persons] AWAY BEHIND ON PUBLIC Interested in booming the new county Project show that tho vote in the affir:n- Lee ee in tha ative will win by about three to ore. prong awultiog school buildings and A newspaper poll taken last week ‘n+! :s.61¢ e¢hoot ohiktren in the Sirens on dicated a victory for the county prosect| jart time. by a@ vote of about three to two, Even 4 the opponents of the plan admit that! ,, 780 Conéourse, the park sywten and ,the boulevard system of the Bronx are the vote will be very clope. i Practically completed, but there {i ABOUT 80,000 VOTERS.CAN PASS | bir expenes in cleht for sewers’ wtrece ON IT. % openings, grading and curbing in the ‘The Bronx has a population of approx. | Undeveloped sections. ‘This letter, how- imately 500,000, There are some 4,00 | CVer, will fall on the property owners registered voters in the Borough and it| Whether the mew county is formed or “4s anticipated that close to 89,000 votes | POt- Will be cast in the election. Usually ‘not | DF¥ statistion are those eet forth more than ten per cent. of the remistered fsa bt i bein paigi ae nou Pha vote In any community {s cast on a begat of the astuation, it constitutional amendment. It !s es! {they show what the Bronx is, what it mated that the vote tn Bronx Borough Pays and what it ls worth in real prop- on the county question will approximate |*!‘y. The figures also ehow that the one-half of the total—an unprecedented Patle efdygarentgaaced Regge and has Percentage. 1adequate echo! prot . In addition There 1s organized non-partinan effort |{t may be stated that the Bronx ha to boom the Bronx County project and | been practically overlooked in the mat- organised nonpartisan effort to discour-'ttr of street cleaning and could easily age it. Numerically the active boomer a commodate @ great deal more fire pro- are away in the majority, but the op-! tection. ponition is strong in money and influence,| With the exception of the North side THE EVENING WORLD, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 81, 1912. Morris Schector, Republican; Albert J.| money and effort into the fight against Stillman, Prohtbitionist candidate for Assen‘blyman; Charles J. Meck, Repub- Noan-Independence League Assembly- man from the Thirty-fourth District; Senator Grifin and Senator Griffin's Hepubican opponent, Paul C. Hunter, Jerome F. Healy, Democratic can- didate for Coroner, Of the ex Temmany district leaders in the Bronx three are actively for the pian and three are against ft. The Re- Publican district leaders are divided the fame vay—theeo for and three against, although the opposition of the latter three has not been strenuously exerted. Edward Polak, a big real estate man, 4s Preetdent of the Bronx County Voters’ League, Dominic O'Reilly is Secretary and Herbert H. Retlly is Treasurer. The First Vice-Presiient is Olin J, Ptephens, who has the biggest wholesale and retadl coal business in the Bronx and ts @ Ufelong Republican. Other vice-presidents are Thomas J. Dunn, Jewelry manufacturer, a Demo- crat; Carl Silberman, dry goods mer- chant, an independent in politics; John H, Behrman, real estate, independent; Max Deutsch, shoe dealer, independent; A. Becker, wholesale provisions, inde- pendent; Edward McDonald, lumber, Democrat; Frank 8. York, livery, Re- publican; Frederick L. Moaser, M. D., ine dependent; Wilbur L. Varian, real es- tate, independent; Frederick Wursbach, president Bronx National Bank, Pro- gressive; D, Baumann, furniture, Re- being largely made up of extensive prop- erty interests, Briefly ataed there are Just two points of opposition to the plan to make the Borough of the Bronx « county. Firet—That it will result in an imezease im the tax rate and raise create hundreds of county offices Whieh ead politicians have ar- Pasiged to annex to their own profit, All minor’ considerations are covered these two objections, Primarily the Question of cutting 44 square miles of territory off the northern end of New York County and forming of that terrl- tory a new county ts one of expenso to (ax payers and ren.ers. There is a political side to the con- troversy between the advocates and op- Ponents of the pian, but the main issue ie one of money, Will Bronx Co: cost more than Bronx Borough? Figure: to prove that it will and to prove that it will not have been shot back and forth unt!l the people of the dlsirict tween the Harlem River and the eatchester Une are dizzy. FUSION ALWAYS DOWNS MANY THERE. The Bronx ts a big, growing, hustling division of the City of New York, In Population tt {# exceeded by only three counties In the State-New York, Kings and Erte. Normally Democratic, the mmany ticket has al in the Bronx by Fusion persons. who Harlem from e moved beyond the the lower these changed in economic station trom rent payers to property owners when) 9 they crossed the Harlem. The change made them Independent tm politics and TAM ‘8 been beaten | | The population {s largely made up of! CONSUMPTION end and the! West side of Manhattan. Thousands of | 1m Board of Trade ail the civic associations {u the Bronx of any strength or stand- ing are in favor of the Bronx County Project. The Taxpayers’ Alliance, com- Posed of the various property owners’ Be@ociations of the borough, has come out for the county project, ae has the Bar Aesoctation. ‘The most active force in forwarting the movement for @ #ep- arate county t@ the Bronx County Voters’ League, which has offices in the A-Re-Oo. Building, at One Hundred and Forty-ninth etreet and Third avenue. In this connection it may be stated that the A-Re-Co corporation, which has lorge hoklings in the Bronx and thousands of tenants, 1s opposed to the county plan, ALL CANDIDATES BUT ONE IN FAVOR OF IT. WIth one exception all the candidates for the Assembly and Senate on all cketo are for the county project. The exception is Ernest E. L. Hammer, the Democratic candidate for the Assembly in the Thirty-ffth Diststot. Among the candiGates who are working hard for the auccess of the county movement are Senator Stephen Stilwell, who intro- tuced the County bill in the Senate and ssed iti Senator Stilwell's opponents, liam J. O'Gorman, Bull Moose, and ‘THE CURABLE STAGE Do not go away from hom eur rent elim: Just and can be cured In You be cured be cured at wht! lense if you improve in publican; Frank Habeck, plumbing, Re« Publican; George E. Ryan, electrician, Independent ichael J. Lahey, contra tor, Progressive; Henry Ruhi, M. D. Republican; John B. Malatesta, contrac- tor, Democrat; William Fiyna, plumbing, Dmocrat; John J. Fox, un- dertaker, Democrat; John W. Duncan, atevedore, independent; J. J. Walsh, M. D., Republican; Charles E, Blaney, the- trical manager, Democrat; Edward L. Corbett, M. D., Democrat; James F. Donnelly, attorney, independent; Jules Valois, 0 manufacturer, Republican, ahd Louts Rernstein D. Progressive. ‘HARDEST WORKERS FOR IT ARE NOT POLITICIANS. These are some of the men who have put up thelr money and are putting in their time working for the Bronx County cause. The list appears to de- moliah the statement of the opposition the movement is @ partisan polit! cal affair, set under way for the sole Purpose of creating offices for a clique of district leaders and ofMfce holder As a matter of fact the men who are working the hardest for the county scheme are not in politics at all and have businesses which will not allow them to hold public oMe About a week ago men of this stamp met in the rooms of the Bronx County Voters’ League and got up a fund of $1,000 in five minutes. This money was immediately put into printing and post- age. The League is flooding the Bronx with Hterature calculated to make voters think Bronx County would be « Good thini The opposition has no headquarters !n the Bronx. It is being financed by biz Teal estate corporations 4 the man who {s directing most of the campaign work ia Cleveland H: Doda realdent of the Riverdale section. The guaranty @nd trust companies are o against the county plans for reasons best known to thelr managers, but their opposition may have some basis in the fact that if the county plan goes through they will have to open branches in the Bronx. ‘The Cleveland H. Dodges, the George B, Cortelyou, the George W, Perkinses and practically all the wealthy residents of the Riverdale section are ardently the county plan. All the big corporations and Private owners holding vast tracts of unimproved Bronx property and paying taxes on farm valuations are putting heavily gilt. Its charming design makes it an /- especially attractive value. at $4.50 | valuation of the property in the Bronx | you return to your home by tho Interest that J# the most potent MY to have the disease break out again | they are generally influenced in voting | {nother clima\ : in @ more virulent form than before. with the tax payer—what is the cost of et eee eee ew take pene tis, that or the other public project! iprowgh tts ouratie steee, which te etten and how 1s this cost to affect the tax! of @ year's duration—plenty of time to rate. be cured, if the disease is only recognised At the present time the Bronx, as alkee properly treated before the incur Borough and a part of New York Coun. | stages overtake the patient has the New York County tax ra He 2e0, Ses kha. there, Bi The rate In Kings County ts $1.75, |* ‘ely et Pella ie ns County, $1.78, and in Richnond t ty $1.81. It is claimed by tax payers of the Bronx that they are assessed at & higher percentage of the value of] expert in heir holdings than are the property | amination, aeraee of Kings, Queens and Richmond. ey ot “a rf ie oe while Both the advocates and opponents of |" “Cte you nothing to. find eut the county plan agree on this, acy part The Bronx has about one-tenth of tho | examination © given without population of the clty and pays about) Dr. Anderson, Specialist, 50° W one-ninth of the taxes, The sed (between Sth and 6th yw York, Hours. Friday ndays, diagnosis by special whereby he discovers for use office consultation and charg te approximately $421,000,000. ‘ro patrol her forty-four square miles ehings til & o'clock; 11 to 2, Valuable book on Tu- of verritory and protect ber population perculosie seat to any address, ¥* 4 * (INTERNATIONAL SILVER COMPANY, 49-51 West 34th Street, Through to 68-70 West 35th the county bill, Hundreds of landlords |have announced to thelr tenants that if the county bill goes through rents will be raised at once, The Bronx is daily inundated with Iiterature from the op- position, mostly unsigned. This litera- ture has been checkmated to some extent in ita ef recently by the fact that Its recipients have generally been held up for from one cent to two cents excess Portage on each plece delivered. BOARD OF TRADE DIVIDED ON THE QUESTION, An for the Nérth Side Bo: with its five hundred members it ts split on the county question. J. Harris Jones, the president, has lined himself up with the opposition and has been do- ing effective work. Members of the association who are in favor of the county plan ate preparing an attack on Mr. Jones on the ground that he hai kone beyond his powers as president o: the North Side Board of Trade in com- mitting that body against the county plan without a vote of Instructions from | the members. George W. Perkins is against the county idea. In this connection the men who favor the plan assert that George W. Perkins is on record as not knaowing where he lives. “Mr. Perkins in an interview about a month ago said he had registered in the city of Yonkers when as a matter of fact he had registered in New York County. The Riverdale and real estate corpora: tion opposition has been active ever since the project first came wp in deci- ve form. At the Joint legislative hear- ing in Albany tast winter Robert E. Simons, a son-in-law of Henry Morgen- |thau, whose holdings, unimproved and j!mproved, in the Bronx are enormous, jgpoke againat fhe Stilwell pill. Mr. Simons mild he represented the quailty, not the quantity of the Bronx, and he hasn't been any too popular with the “quantity” ever since. On the question of expense the fight- ing forces are widely divided \figures. ‘The opposition brings jto show that the expens of Tra, i run along just the same with the ex- Denaes of the county government to be dorne in addition by the taxpayers. The Stilwell bill, creating Bronx County, which 1s to be indorsed or re- ted on Tuesday, provides for clals with salaries amounting to $197,500, but makes no provision for clerks, sten- ographers or help of other kinds to be supplied from the Civil Service lists, It is estimated by the Senator and his fellow boomers that the additional ex- pense will not exceed $150,000, which would make the total pay-roll from the ;Start—or January 1, 1914, when the new oMciain are to take thelr jobs if the Dil! passes—total $347,500, ADVOCATES SAY IT WILL COST LESS THAN IT DOES NOW. The advocates of the bill claim that Fronx County at the present time is contributing $48,600 toward the expense \this payment would be cut off and a aving of the difference Between $108,500 and, $347,500, or 961,000, would be accom. plished.| The opponents of the bill boldly claim, and say they can prove ft, that the $37,600—which they do not admit will nearly cover the direct px- penses of the new county—will have to be added to instead of subtracted trom the present expenditure of $408,500, On this particular, point the ardent advo- | cates of both sides froth from the| !mouth and call each other fools. | | ‘The advocates of the bill point out that the law provides that all public | building improvements, such as court- wes, jails, halls of record and the| like, shall be paéd for by the whole olty. | The Bronx will pay her share, they | claim, of the cost of the new ‘court. | ;house tn Brooklyn and of the new mu- | | nictpal office building and the new) projected court-house in Manhattan. ot running New York County, and that| “SHALL THE BRONX BECOME A COUNTY?” EVERY BRONXITE ANSWERS “YES” OR “NO” and Kings and Queens and Richmond chip in and.thelp pay for the new cour house that will be necesary if we ovr Bronx County? ‘The county plan boomers admit that may go up a trifle when the bill goes through, but predict ¢ under a county form of government taxes wold go down. They also predict that rents would go down instead of rise, for rents in the Bronx are higher now than in Queens or in Richmond. Here is the argument of Fdward Polak and W. Bergen on that point. Mr. Berger. ‘one of the heaviest taxpayers on {m- Proved property in the Bronx, and hi built nearly 1,000 houses in that te: or: THE SMALLER THE UNIT THE MORE ECONOMICAL. “The smaller the unit of government, the more economical its administration With our local officers right here under our eyes we could enforce economy, “Our State tax remains the same whether we are a county of our own or part of New York County. Our pr portion of the expense of running the entire city remains the same, except & Bronx County we cut out ent upon us for our share of running the County of New York, with {ts army of Supreme Court judges and clerks and attendants, its immense District-Attorney's office, with its Thaw trials and Molineux trials and Patrick ja and Becker trials, its extrava- gantly expensive County Cleek's office d Sheriff's office and its intricate and ‘sand Regi tax conduct our affairs as taxes can't go up, unless taxes go up ail over the city for city Improvements, And rents have nothing to do with tax rate. “Richmond County has the highest county our tax rate and the lowest rents in the oity, Queens tms the next highest tax rate und the Renta are regulated by the law of supply and de- mand. The iandiords don't fix the rents. If they Won't pay or can't pay the rent demand- €d by one landiord they will rent from xt lowest rent rate. Renta are fixed by the tenants. another landlord. “When there ie a surplus of renting accommodations rents go down and a accommodations brings rents up. That is all there is to ‘Taxes in the Bronx are Scarcity of renting the question. going up and rents are going down. During the boom days taxes were lower and rents were higher. The political side of the question is of importance. men who favor the Bronx County plan admit that and say that even though the county will create many new offices, the benefit will accrue to the people and not entirely to the officeholders. FEW PLUMS HANDED OUT IN THE BRONX. ‘The Bronx was first annexed to New York County In 1874, and has been a part of New York County ever since. In those thirty-eight years but three Bronx men have held a county office. Henry D. Purroy was County Clerk, John Ron- ner was Register and Frank Gass was Register. ‘AS a county the Bronx would have Senators, instead of five Assemblymen and two Genatore. And the Bronx as a county would count as a unit in the selection of candidates for office instead of being the tail of the New York County kite, as at present For instance, the Bronx, as a political in position, by makin, combination with Manhattan as against the othe: counties, or with the other counties a against Manhattan, to demand a nomi- nee on each political ticket. Bronx cannot demand it. Bronx County could demand the nom!. or President of the Board of Aldermen. Each of these officers has three votes of the sixteen votes in the Board of Es- timate. At present the Bronx has but one vote in the Board of Estimate—that of the Borough President. As a county she would have a total of four votes and be !n @ position to form some com- ‘binations for the Bronx. The opposition submits figures showing Balance 8. 1.75 Fifth Avenue | “Why not?" they ask, “let Manhattan | BONWIT TELLER & CO. WILL CLOSE OUT AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES of Stock Imported Austrian Velour Hats FOR WOMEN, MISSES AND CHILDREN. Formerly 12.50 to 15.50 50 A large variety of tailored styles all of this season’s importation, Children’s Plush, Velvet-& Velour Hats Formerly 3.50 to 8.50 4.50 Smart shapes from the Bonwit Teller & Co. millinery work- rooms, all appropriately :rimmeg. THIS SALE WILL BE HELD FRIDAY AND SATURDAY IN THE TAILORED HAT DEPARTMENT ON THE MAIN FLOOR. at 38th Street UR “Ancien Regime” Goldsmiths’ work is not only an absolute novelty—it is appealing in its beauty. Its makers were inspired by the marvel- ous examples of the art of the Court Gold- eight or nine Assemblymen and threo diviion of the Greater City, would be Now the ||} nation of a Bronx man for Comptroller smiths of 18th Century France and you will be astounded when you see how they have contrived to rival these masterpieces of the old craftsmen. You will see the most delightful of boxes for your Gloves and Handkerchiefs, your Jewelry and your Trinkets in general, Photo- graph Frames too, of all sizes and all ne- cessary shapes and swinging Mirrors for “My Lady’s” Toilet Table. They are decorated with miniature re- productions in relief of Pictures by Teniers and Sculptures by Clodion and they are finished in delicately colored gold. ‘The MERIDEN Co. SUCCESSOR) Silversmiths Street, New York that the cost of a District-Attorney’s office and a system of county courts and Supreme courts in the Bronx would be enormously expensive. The advocates of the plan admit that there would be some expense, but cialm the expensi would be more than made up by the conveniences the residents of the Bronx would enjoy by having their courts right where they live. NO REPRESENTATIVE ON THE; IMPORTANT TAX BOARD. The Tax Board is at present made up of two members from Manhattan and one member each from Kings, Queens and Richmond. Under ghe county plan, the Bronx would have a member of the Tax Board on the job all the time, and this Is admitted by the opposition. ‘The condition of the Bronx with the election only five days away Is pretty concisely set forth in this article. It Is up to the voters to decide. A great mai meeting was held in Niblo's Garden to ‘orward the county movement last n! Gnd the boomers say the meeting Is attorney and other officers at that absolute indication that the bill will go] But she will still be @ growing an through with a whoop. Inasmuch as tne! portant part of the clty of New ¥ public tn nine cases out of ten votes tn the affirmative on a measure dealing with , auch, things as constitutional | amendments or special laws, the chances vor the passage of the bill, but the opposition is putting up a sift battle | and the feeling among a representation | of the big property owners In the Bronx je very bitter aguifat the Inflovatign. As a matter of fact, the Bronx « county now. Senator Stilwell’s,<bill, passed on April % formed the County ot the Bronx, and provided that the county offers of New York County. gi have jur the Harlem pending the indorsem the bill by the people. If such indoregs ment {!s forthcoming the County of ti Bronx will at once come Into full egy ; istence, but without any officers. ‘These officers must be chosen at a gep- eral election. The next election wil LA held in November, 1914, and if the secedes from New York County and awas sheriff, register, surrogate, gest Popular Price Garment House in Ne IN NEW YORKS SHOPPING CENTER 6 Ave. COR. 18 St. The Coat Sensation of the Season 5,000 Stunning Coats Great Half Price Sale Actually Worth $11.50 COATS AT $8.95 Actually Worth $17.50 COATS AT 43% Actually Worth $25.00 All sizes for women and misses, 14 to 44. COLORS: Black—navy—blues—gra: e—browns-—tans ° —oxfords—mixtures, mae FABRICS: MODELS: Chinchillas—montagnacs—two-tones—ze- bra stripes —broadcloths —-boucles — zibe- lines—serges—plaid backs. Johnny Sport—braid trimmed—velvet trim- med—ulster— semi-tailored — Robespierre— velvet throw—convertible collar. As Usual, Expert Alterations Free WLLL Free With Next Sunday's World Words and Music - of the SONG HIT The Woman Haters ::: New Musical Comedy Now Appearing at the Astor Theatre y, & Published by Permission of T. B. Harms, Francis Day Hinter, Owners of the Copyright.