The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-24
ahe Brooklyn Ferry Monopoly.
AUGUST 20, 1861

MoGoPOIy, INC nnoceht PuOHc really Delleved tina
the b snble.tIee was about TO produce grapes. Ar
rangemehts consistent with this new fast in natura
history, were forthwith oonfdingly entered into
Brooklyn lots were bought. Brooklyn dwellings
erected, and, not the least anon the consequence,
Duititudts Of poor laboring pen and women, tina
choice ajmeht Of monopolies, were induced to do.
miciate in Brooklyn, relying, Of course, in their
little plans and estimates for the future, upon the
perpetuity OF the cent ferriage. The credulous
and docile public ia short, performed their part in
the speculation to extent hardly calculated upon.
The fold was soon full; and the sheaeing process
has begun. The Astounding fiat hiss gone forth
that 1.-THE fenisge to footrassengers in future will
be two Gems ~
The burst of general indignation with which this
announcement was received, somewhat disooncsrt-
ed the ploiters OF the treachery, and in tie unea
Dess OF the moment, an anonymous commun ;a,ioa
escaped TO ihe ipefs. puroor,lng to emanate from
noIe OF the managers, defending the ncIe Assd fer.
rage as wise aud "necs ssary" measure. A doca
msnt from such authority must OF coarse be salts
factory aid conclusive eth the simple minded pub
lie; especially as the truths it aet forth very
apparent Said document opened It's burdea by de-
caring that 'the ecens action OF the Union Ferry
Company, in advancing the ferriage for foot passen-
gers to two cents has proved as it was supposed ii
would prove, very disasteiul' (mGk the word) ito
Now there are beth truth and poetry in this mag
rapimOus sentence. Tastes differ; AID there are
those in all communities aho will not, or cannot,
fancy what often is very pie asng to taer superoIs
case Ia point occurred ut the Sou.n ferry when
this unexpe cted tax was first exhibited to linked
public:"-A poor woman Was in great pefplexity
She had carefully reserved Of her slender funds the
"il.pared enn, . for the ferisse. and was 10
hurry home; for time and opportunity are AZ valus-
BILE 10 the poor as to the ii b. It was ap Ealing,
wten burryirg 20 lay down the toll, Gin son for
Il . boat, to hear the rude spo novel demand, "two
were Of no avail; the alternative was - unlocked
for as It was ppcasant. Alo0e in the city, with
out money or friends, and trouble at homs--ber
dee air Was zeal, AID she wept. Excessive indul
genoa, probably, had rendered this poor creatures
ia-te extremely isstdous for it was the opinion of
the gentle man Who erceived aud relieved hee
dilemma, that her misery for the moment was
caused solely by the Improvement In the feriage,
which, III fortunately for the synpathies OF tenAsr
heaitsd ierymeD, had "proved- -aw-dis,assefu" TO
her. SO unsccountable are tie fancies Of "lnxed
public"
II 9 soft and geptlemanly assertion Of Zone OF
the maasRtrs" Is therefore abundantly verified.
Bavipg declared bow slight the in onvenienoe
(tffant ed taste merely the additional ferriage
creates, he Dtxt uDfcds the reason add necessity for
the II creased charge. ut cost" says "Oce OF the
managers" "sG2 G88 So more than was received TO
run the ferries tor the year ending the first day OF
May last, and, owing TO the advance in the p.ce OF
coal and Ut er article it will cost, and above
the receipts, at the psesent rates, $50 600 more
than last lear to run the ferries for the current
year" OF course, after this statement, not ono
further word Of objection can be uttered, as it
would be unreast nable to question statistics -
carefully defined and clearly proven as these,
appearing, as they do, in print, over the words,
Zone Of the Managers" The cos. is here stated,
even to the Factions Of q dollar. 1t might have
been merely Appropriated, and nobody had been
the wiser; but when tae very units, tens, hands
and thousands OF the deficiency are given, doubt
cannot possibly remain IN any ones miui Yet
ere may be some SO unreasonable as TO demaud
the items 10 detail, and over the proper signatures
Of me managers before they viii take 70 geaatsd
that The $62,62S 5S deficiency was absorbed purely
by Ihe ne sssry r. PAIRS, labor for runnng
the ferries aid not by new boats, fat salaries, or
sDy such like expti ditures.
The necessity" for the increased ferriage beiog
mace 80 clearly apparent, our mans ger proceeds to
bis gre ateht triumph in showing the justice % OF
the arranc ement. '"Wuo" he asks, ought to bear
this loss of mt re than $l0O, 600 per aDnuml Toe
stockholders the .pnbiic!r Les. acme "distls'e-
full reply s'ould be given to these queries, our
mapager rushes to the rescue, and inself supplies
their true ion, to the folio wing effect Not
the stockholders. for they receive bat eight per cent
per ura FOR u cir moDe, Not rich passeng in
pleasure Carriages nor well paid wagopt rsor ,reo;
for il no increase OF fcrr age on yen les OF any
description. Not The foot passenger who Ia able 70
commute by investing five or ten dollars In Terry
tick ets fer such, by com plyig with that regulation
i'll be charged but usual. Even he or she wno
can efOIo to expend but twenty five cents az any
ole time N ferry tickets, will be treated with pro
potionstc consi1e atom, and will be charged only
q Lalf G. nt more than richer Travellers. Who,
tbs oua ht to bear this loss Of more than $500 900
per aDnumlo fbe nsgeri IL unavoidable, accord
ing 10 this nssers'' showiog, to wit: Ehe poor
ftct passei ger who could i'll afford even the one
cent heIefofo daily distracted from his or her
hard sarned pittance. The public will at once sec
the justice ID Of this Arrangement. What jasti ,e
and consideration ihiied 10 TINS Llacng this
tax where It viii be 50 little felt in the commnnty,
az was the boast of another " Ono of the Mana
gers II Ia hoped. therefore, there will he no far
ther noise about this trife Of one cent seeing that
the tax hurts robody but the extremely poor, wbo.
being used TO sta viog, can - easily st,ve ont the
covftd sl00, goo for years to come, as-ees take
skiILing. WALL STREET.
TO TEE EDIToR OF THE NEW YogE HERALD.
New YoRg, Aug. 81, 1854.
Your article on the Union Ferry Comoany Is
than just TO that highly respectable MONOPOLY
You omitted one thing which they have generally
rendered their BROOKLYN customers-thsy have Is
sued a prospe ctus, (hand bll,) agreeing 10 allow
yearly subscribers-commnters-th privilege Of
tickets, at $40 per annuta for adnlts--the pice OF
twenty years bsck--with the condition that the
ticket holder shows bis ticket always on crossing,
aud that it shall only be good ut one ferry Ia other
WORDS, our $40 compes you to cross always at the
same ferry; It wD not DO recognized at any other.
TIE principal manager stated to the writer that
these clogs were placed to prevent parties from
committing, ard II The PEOPLE would let them alono
they would fix II ali right" No doubt Of it. Please
take the hint. Respectfully yours, K.G.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK HERALD.
Thanks for Jour expressed opinion In relation to
our monopoiziDg Union Ferry Company. 1t seems
TO me that in tbjs particular the HERALD Is alone.
Has the Ferry Company brided the mouths Of our
dsilies?
The managers say that they are unable to sus-
tain themselves even under the most rigid econo-
N.Y. but they do not hint their entire lack OF eco
nomy and good judgment in purchasing 81 n ferries
as the Cath crime and Bridge street, which were
never attempted to be supported at less rate than
two cents fer foot asseDger, and at that rate
they bad to content themselves with miserable old
boats poor accommodations at ferrs, &C., showing
clearly that the travel on those ferries was not suE
hcienf, even with rigid economy" and two cents