By Alexia R.

Lord Acton, the English historian and libertarian philosopher, once said, ãPower tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.ä This is most true in the case of Robert Moses. During his 40 year ãreignä as Parks Commissioner, Moses gained so much power that when he became over ambitious it took a President to attempt to stop him. When Moses career was just beginning, he was a man who was focused on reform that would be beneficial to all citizens. However, as he began to accumulate more power, his ambitions and plans became ones that would hurt the common people, the opposite of his original intentions. Although Moses helped to shape New York City into the metropolis that it is today, creating numerous parks that provide enjoyment for many people and created a highway system that inspired the nation and the world, the means by which he achieved these ends were immoral and cruel. As a result of the many highways and parks that were built around our city, thousands of people were evicted from their homes. We have also come to question the landscape of projects, highways, and slum clearance that Moses bequeathed to us. This is the great paradox that surrounds Robert Moses: whether or not he should be exalted as a great leader or condemned for his ruthless acts disregarding the people he most immediately affected. The issue concerning the thought of whether or not Mosesâ name should be associated with infamy is not one that is clear. Moses can easily fall into both categories as a great leader or a heartless individual. How one chooses a side depends greatly on their perspective of the career of Moses. To those who look upon his career from the perspective of the victims of his various slum clearances, he was horrible human being who cared little about anything or anyone except himself and the large quantities of money that he would be able to make as a result of the highways. If one looks at his career with blinders to the mass evictions, he was a great person that revolutionized the city into the great metropolis that it is today.

Robert Mosesâ entry into politics suggested a well-intentioned reformer bent on improving the government for the common people. The beginning of his ascension to power was marked by an offer given to him by Henry Moskowitz to reform the civil service system. While working for the City Service Commission, Moses was approached by Moskowitz, the chairman, to create a plan that would organize civil service. In administrationâs current state, many offices were very crowded with various secretaries and clerks. Because of the numerous administrative employees that were in these offices, many supervisors were unable to find work for many of them. As a result, many secretaries receiving the same amount of work would receive different salaries, ranging from $25 - $47 per week. Other occupations that required physical strength gave ã ring the gongä tests that were similar to the popular amusement that is seen at many carnivals today. These tests were arranged so that only the tester could see the results. The outcome of this was that often the tester was bribed and the mark that was recorded was one that was based upon the amount of the bribe, not the actual strength of the person. Mosesâ solution to these problems was to reform the efficiency ratings system. Efficiency systems were used by supervisors to determine whether or not the candidate ought to receive a pay raise or promotion. He then broke down each job into different sections and allowed each part to be graded. Through this act, Moses restructured the work force of civil service and made things run more efficiently overall. He also created a common standard upon with all employees would be hired. No longer would the wealthiest applicant get a job because of their ability to bribe a person. This gave all people an equal opportunity to receive the same employment. Impressed with Mosesâ work, Moskowitz intended to promote him to commission secretary. This marked the beginning of Robert Mosesâ ascension to power.

The beginning of Mosesâ change from reformer to practitioner began in late November 1918 when Belle Moskowitz [sic B Moskowitz], the wife of Henry Moskowitz and the executive head of the commission, called Moses to inquire about his interest in a job as chief of staff and the head of the work force behind the Reconstruction, Retrenchment, and Reorganization Commission, a commission recently created by newly elected Governor Alfred E. Smith, a Tammany politician. The goal of the commission was to completely reorganize and reform the administration of the state for social and welfare reforms. One of the reasons that B Moskowitz hired Moses was because of the astounding work that he did under the command of her husband. In this new position, Moses was taught by B Moskowitz the importance of practical politics. This was interesting because in the past, practical politicians destroyed many of his ideas that were geared towards helping the common people and regarded them as rubbish. After six months of ãtraining,ä B Moskowitz decided to give Moses complete control over the State Reconstruction Commission. As a result of this political awakening that was caused by B Moskowitz, Moses began to wander away from his original ideals of reform for the common people and began to set his thoughts on landscape reform in the form of parks.

Over the years, Robert Moses became good friends with Governor Smith because of his work with B Moskowitz on the State Reconstruction Commission. Because of this friendship, Moses begun to set his sights on bigger projects that before were just dreams. This friendship would prove to be a great advantage to Moses, being that he would now be able to manipulate the Governor in his behalf. The pair would prove to be an unusual one that could compare to Felix Unger and Oscar Madison from ãThe Odd Couple.ä Smith was a Tammany politician, the exact opposite of Mosesâ ideal politician. Smith represented everything that many reformers at the time did not like in a politician: he was uneducated, ill mannered, and he followed orders from Tammany without demur. In spite of this, Moses and Smith became great friends. It would not be surprising if Moses pursued this friendship with the Governor with thoughts of increased power and to use Smith as the means to which he would increase his power so that his plans would become a reality. Because of his relationship with Smith, many of Mosesâ dreams finally received a chance to become a reality. Smith had a lot of respect for Moses and supported many of his plans. With the Governor and the power that comes along with the position behind a plan, there was a greater chance that it would become a reality. At a meeting of the Senate of the State of New York, Robert Moses kneeled down beside the chair of one of the senators. This was an extremely symbolic event in the of Mosesâ power climb. Even though he did not belong in the Senate, he was not a Senator, his presence in the chamber marked that he was still a ãkey figure in capitol maneuvering.ä Many of the Senators greatly respected his opinions in matters and Moses was able to influence the Senators into passing many of his bills as well.

During this power ascension, Moses was beginning to test the boundaries and limits of his power. One of his first ideas following his acquisition of this power was to create several parks on Long Island. Because Moses was testing the waters concerning his power, he did not begin the mass evictions and slum clearances that would later become an infamous part of his career. Instead, he regressed to his original ideals of pleasing people but this time with practical politics, the twist that separates this from his original intentions. Because of the use of practical politics, Moses acknowledged that his creation of the parks would be a matter of quid pro quo. By giving the people a park, he would receive their support and more power to achieve larger endeavors from which he would be able to receive a profit. Long Island, as seen by Moses, was a vast area of unused resources and land that ought to be converted into parks for the public. Moses understood the importance of parks to the people of New York City. Parks represented an escape from the stress and troubles that were brought by the city. Although Central Park had already been created by this time and was an escape for many people, it lacked the facilities for sports besides running. The vision of the parks that Moses had on Long Island were to be parks that had not only paddocks and gardens, but baseball diamonds and golf courses as well. Moses understood the need of parks in the summer. During the hot, sweltering, humid days of the season, people sought ways to leave the city for places in the country. Long Island provided the perfect escape from the crowding of the city and the extra heat generated from the vast numbers of people. The Island was home to many lakes and ponds. Moses believed that these ponds and lakes ought to be used for swimming as well as admiring. This would provide yet another relief for the public from the city and the summer. This would also be a help to the fire department and the threat of fire in the city. If the children of the city were given a lake where they would be able to cool off, they wouldnât have to open the fire hydrants around the city and waste the water that ought to have been used to stop fires. Because of the vast amounts of land that Long Island provided, there would also be enough of a surplus of land that would remain untouched to serve as nature hiking trails. One of the tactics of practical politics that Moses learned from B Moskowitz was the importance of pleasing voters. Parks always have and will continue to be a place of happiness and enjoyment. They are public places of merriment and are an escape from the hassles of everyday life. Parks are always a way of pleasing people. As noted by Caro, in William Shakespeareâs ãJulius Caesar,ä one of the ways that Mark Antony was able to convince the plebeians to take his side against Brutus was by telling them that Caesar left them his gardens to be used as parks. As a result of this, the mob then turns on Brutus who won their support moments earlier. Moses, like many other politicians, was aware of the unproblematic to move people through the presentation of parks. Moses used this knowledge to his advantage when obtaining more power during his power climb.

The early development of Mosesâ parks reflect the positive side of the paradox that demonstrates his actions as part of a common good, something that would be enjoyed by all. As Moses began planning the development of his parks on Long Island, he studied various maps of the area. One problem that Moses recognized was the lack of transportation available to the area and the difficulty many people would find getting there to enjoy their splendor. While studying the maps, Moses realized that there were a series of water reservoirs in a straight line. If the reservoirs could be built there, Moses concluded, then a road could be built there as well. This location was perfect for the park that Moses envisioned because of its proximity to the water reservoirs to provide a place for the public to cool off. The road that Moses began to map out would lead to Jones Beach, a beach that had not been used since the 17th century when it was inhabited by a man named Major Thomas Jones, a man whose activity was like that of a pirate, but legal. This was the beginning of the highway known as the Southern State Parkway and the transformation of Jones Beach from an abandoned beach to a park open to the public. The idea for the parks and the Southern State Parkway was well received by Governor Smith. In fact, the idea was so well received that Robert Moses was appointed Parks Commissioner of Long Island so that he would be able to carry out his plan.

This appointment to Parks Commissioner marked the beginning of Mosesâ greed for power and Machiavellian attitude towards his plans. One of the first things that Moses did once in office was to draft the Long Island State Park Commission, a piece of legislation that granted him much power. At an earlier time, Moses was a great supporter of open debates concerning bills that were to be passed and the information of the public of such happenings. However, Moses knew that should this bill be openly debated amongst the politicians, it would be crushed almost immediately. In order for the bill to be passed without question, Moses began to think creatively when composing this document. For example, in section eight of the document titled ãGeneral Powers, ä Moses describes the power of the Long Island State Park Commission over land. The power as described by Moses seemed innocent and not detrimental. However, in later clauses the amount of power granted to the Commission tends to expand greatly. According to this document, Moses would be able to remain in office for a term of 6 years. He could not be removed from office by any Governor should he not adhere to orders from the Governor. Along with a series of other powers, should the document be passed, the Long Island State Park Commission would be able to not only write its own laws, but would be able to hire policemen to enforce them as well. Moses would have virtually every power that is given to New York City. Because of Moses close friendship with the Governor, the bill was approved in a short amount of time, making Moses one of the most powerful men in the city.

With the absolute power that was given to him as a result of his legislation, Moses begun to build the infamous part of his career and the negative side of the Moses paradox by beginning the eviction of lower class people from their homes. One of the tactics used by Moses to obtain land was through Section Fifty Nine of the Conservation Law of 1884, which dealt with the issue of appropriation. According to this law, Moses had the right to walk onto someoneâs property and tell the owners that they no longer owned the land and that it now belonged to the state. This law had only been used in rural areas where there was nothing but forest and such a matter was easily negotiable. It had never been put into effect around a city. Virtually none of the members of the Legislation read this law, which accounts for the fact that it hadnât been repealed. Appropriation under such terms was included in Mosesâ bill however; no one looked it up because they all assumed it was in reference to receiving funds. Using this law, Moses was able to legally evict several people from their homes and build parkways. Because many of the people that Moses evicted were the members of the lower classes and often uneducated, there were not very many legal battles fought in regard to this appropriation of land.

An event that ought to have curved Mosesâ hunger for power and began the questioning of his authority was a legal battle between Moses and many wealthy, elite residents of Long Island. The proposed plan of Moses for the Northern State Parkway was to run through the estates of many wealthy residents. Because they were wealthy, the residents were able to legally question the legitimacy of Mosesâ power to run a parkway through their properties. This led to the research behind Section Fifty Nine, which legally allowed Moses to obtain land in such a way. An event like this was bound to receive attention from the media and Moses was prepared for it. Practical politics taught his the importance of being a ãmaster propagandist.ä Moses was able to manipulate the public through the media on his behalf concerning the issue of the evictions. A headline for an article of the New York Times read as follows: ãA Few Rich Golfers Accused of Blocking Plans for State Park.ä Although Moses lost the legal battle, he won the battle concerning the public opinion by addressing their desire for parks.

The immorality of removing so many people from their homes is one of the only things that mark Moses as a man with few ethics and very little regard for others except under the pressure of public opinion. The eviction of the poorer residents of Long Island from their homes was only the beginning of the many evictions and slum clearances that were to take place under the reign of Moses. Many of Mosesâ highways and parks were built in locations where there were slums. The Cross Bronx Expressway was one of the greatest examples of slum clearance as a result of the development of highways. Seven miles of people were evicted from their homes. Since this area of the Bronx was filled with slums, the eviction was a lot easier than if the residents of the area were wealthier. Because the area was filled with lower class citizens, they were unable to protest this act, unlike their wealthier counterparts on Long Island that protested the construction of the Northern State Parkway. Another ãalarmingä statistic concerning the removal of people from their homes was their racial and economic backgrounds. A majority of the people that were forced to leave their homes were from either and African American or Puerto Rican background. Very few whites were evicted from their homes. Also, the income of the evictees was below the city average. In order to maintain a household of 4, the standard income was $4,083 according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1951. However, only 25% of the people that had been evicted earned this amount; 20% earned less than $2,000 per year. Moses reported that many of the people that had been removed were placed in homes that were clean and decent. Nevertheless, the Planning Commission, when looking for the files of the evicted persons, found that over a third of them were reported as missing. If these people were missing and their whereabouts unknown, there was no way that Moses could have possibly known that the new homes of these people were clean and suitable for living if he didnât know where they were living as a result of his evictions.

The darker side of the paradox that depicts Moses in a harsh light leaves one to believe that Moses cared little about anything or anyone else beside himself. In an effort to show a sense of morality and humanity, Moses pushed for the Legislature to give each of the residents that were being evicted $100 per room and another $100 for any moving expenses. This was a major issue being that there was already a severe housing problem in New York. However, no one ever bothered to find out exactly how many people were being evicted from their homes until 1953. Prior to this, the eviction statistics were always accepted. Because Moses refused to actually count the numbers of people that were evicted, there was never an accurate number. Moses preferred to count these numbers by counting the number of apartments in the building and then multiplying this number by a number that was an unrealistic figure for the number of people living in the apartment. By doing this, Moses was able to keep the recorded number of people evicted a low one. By recording reduced numbers of people that were forcefully removed from their homes, Moses appeared to be a more humane person. Although there is no actual number recorded for the many people removed because of Mosesâ highways as a result of his unique way of recording such data, the estimate is at about 170,000.

This act of relocating several people from their homes was a very immoral and cruel one. However, it is rather hard to judge Robert Moses and characterize him as a horrible man or as one that used hideous means to achieve a common good. Many people enjoyed, and continue to enjoy the various parks and highways that Moses built. This remains to be the great paradox that surrounds Moses and his career even until this day. However, the way that Moses is judged by any individual depends greatly on their perspective on Mosesâ career. If his career is judged based solely on the negative aspects that include the slum clearances, Moses is bound to be seen as an evil man. However, if one considers the positive side to his career, the creation of the many parks and highways for the enjoyment of the people, he will be seen as a good man. There is hardly a single New Yorker that has not either driven on one of Mosesâ highways, or relaxed inside one of his parks. The good generated from the happiness of those people when in the parks is able to balance out the destructive part of the paradox so that Moses cannot be categorized in either light.