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rate ; so that, unless New York shall speedily absorb all 

 the southern towns of Westchester, or unless some unfor- 

 seen check shall be given to our progress, we must expect 

 to gain yearly upon her until we shall become the larger 

 of the two cities ; an event which, in the ordinary course 

 of things, must occur before the close of the present cen- 

 tury. Such a demand upon the respiratory and sanitary 

 resources of our City has never yet occurred in the history 

 of any people, and should convince us of the immense im- 

 portance of securing Parks and open planted spaces of 

 every description in advance, and wherever it may be prac- 

 ticable, as lungs for this great population. 



But the question with wdiick our City as a municipality 

 is more immediately concerned, at this time, is not so much 

 the numerical increase of her population as its character, 

 chiefly in reference to its ability to pay taxes, and make the 

 improvements we require. One of the chief difficulties un- 

 der which we have labored, and still do labor, consists in 

 the comparatively low valuation of our property. A house 

 on 2,500 square feet of ground, worth perhaps only a thou- 

 sand dollars, costs as much for the repair of streets, for 

 lamps, police, and the other machinery of City government, 

 as the house paying taxes on $20,000. Our constant 

 aim, therefore, should be to increase these valuations, by 

 holding out such inducements to men of wealth and taste, 

 in the way of improved streets, increased Park accommoda- 

 tions and other social advantages, as will make Brooklyn 

 a more desirable place of residence for them than any 

 other City. 



It will be remembered that the present Park Commission- 

 ers, with two or three exceptions, were appointed in 1864. 

 Upon their accession to office, they found that a fresh im- 

 petus had been everywhere given to Park enterprise by 



