New-York tribune., 1867-03-14
THE LEGISLATURE AND THE FERRIES.

The people of New-York expect from the
Legislature, before the end of this session, q
reformation of our Ferry system. The Legis-
lature might properly, while accepting as
basis, the report of the Committee on
Commerce and Navigation, go outside OF Its
recommendations for though the Committee
think it impossible to frame any bill for the
government of the Ferries, the abuses they
enumerate show that such bill is necessary,
and if the Legislaturre has not ability enough i
to make one, it might as well adjourn. AN
" the details of rates of fare, communication, fire
"and life, saving apparatus, the management
" of the boats, the time of running, the ac-
commodations of the boats, &c" may not, it is
true. be included in bill, but general
rules could and should be made. We object TO
the report of the Committee that, while 1t
furnishes abundant evidence of the inconyenl-
ences and dangers of the Ferries, it recommends
no direct legislation for their removal, but
merely proposes to give the whole management
of the Ferries to the Metropolitan Board OF
Police, with power to appoint Ferry Superin-
tendent This might be an excellent measure,
but alone would not relieve the Legislature OF
its responsibility to the people.
definitive and regulative bill, we may refer to
the defense the Committee have made OF the
Union Ferry Company. While the manage
ment of the Hoboken Ferry Company is de-
clared worthy of great censurc, that OF tie
Weehawken Ferry. disgraceful, and that
of the Wiliamsburgh Ferry utterly re-
gardless of the public wants, that OF
the Union Company is said to deserve more
praise than censure. The report AYERS that
| most of the complaints against this Company
are unfounded, yet comedies that its boats are
greatly deficient in lfe-saying apparatus that
| in case of fog nL boat could depend upon
getting assistance from others, and that It's
practice of withdrawing boats without any
notice to the public is of such
great inconvenience that it should be
stopped. To us, and to the public, 1t
seems that this catalogue Of offenses might be
much extended, yet it is sufficient to show
that certain abuses can be removed by the
Legislature. A bill can be made to require
life preserving apparatus on every boat,
and to prohibit the Union Company ana
all others from stopping their ferries with
out just reason and without notice. a
| bill can be made which shall require
each company to run Doats wihch Gun
not be sunk, which shall be fitted with ample
machinery for the putting out of fires, which
shall be strong enough to break through
broken ice, which shall be clean, comfort
able, and well ventilated, and in Other
respects shall be worthy of the cities
which depend upon them for inter-communi-
cation. And though the Committee believe
that as only one person in one million loses
| his life through the fault of the Ferry Compa-
nes, and as any method to prevent passengers
from jumping on or off the boats would he in
convenient, "persons must be left to the risk
"of their own lives we think the Legislature
might wisely differ from this opinion. also
| The rights of the one person are as much to be
respected as those of the million. Proper police
regulations should be prcscr:hed. and the mobs
on the slips and the. boats should
not he abandoned to their own rude
| ness and rccklessncss. The bill which
notwithstanding the incrcdulity of the Commit
| tee, we hope the Legislature will pass this
session, should remove all danger all inconven-
fence, all nusances, and that cannot be surely
obtained by the mere appointment of Ferry
Superintendent. II is law to regulate the
Ferries that is first wanted-then an officer
TO see that il in obeyed.