The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-10-20
THE CITY RAILROADS.

History Of Each Road from tho Date Of Its
| Charter 20 che Present Time-Hsw and by
Whom tho Roads Arc ControIIed-The Prin.
cipnl Holders of Stock-Tho Causes Which
Lead TO Monopoly. and How tho Travelling
Public Are Imposed Upon.
The vast importance attached our city railroads BY
ali classes OF citizens renders occasional notices OF
their condition progress and improvements both nscss
sary and imperative II is also the duty Of the press
while records from time 10 time the operations Of the
various roads TO WELD its influence sndeavoring TO
check II Il cannot entirely remove. the bad effects or
monopoly and sxclusivencsS
There be no question to the many advantages
they offer in the way Of accommodation in transporting
passengers and from all parts OF Manhattan Island
and beyond far Fordham, yet on the other
hand must be considered that the public who are
benefited by this accommodation pay for it, and pay.
too considerably than they should when the
ings and cash receipts OF the several companies are
taken into consideration.
BY reference to the following s.atistcs, which
carefully compiled from sources and which pre-
sent in the concise manner complete history,
with full data, OF each road, II will DO clearly
demonstrated that the older principal roads
can afford TO run their cars, charging
fare OF four cents instead OF their present exorbant
charge OF six cents, with additional cent added
enriching themselvos and pocketing yearly thousands
upon thousands at the expense Of the public who have
contributed build up their roads and who maintain
them by their patronage.
During the time that the various companies charged
Eve cents faro there complaint; the travel
ling public transported to and from their homes
and paid thor fare willingly. Then in
temal revenue tax upon the fare equal to
one-eighth Of cent for each passenger; the
fare then forthwith raised TO cents.
and when the public, with good reason. COM
planned Of this imposition and represented to the on
Gers OF the several companies that such charge
direct violation OF the charters these companies
nounced concession to tho public interests that
they prepared to sell tickets not less
than 81, 1t 51so. Whom application Is made il must
be within certain hours Of the day in Park row, the
downtown once Of Of the principal companies the
"tickets just out; call again" When tickets
had at few OF the uptown depots the conductors
fuse TO take them from Harlem intermediate
points down to the depots, even with the
additional added. Tho conductors leaving City
BALL. when they do take tickets charge two
for all points above their respective dcpots, thus val
Jung them at FIVE cents, and enailing . loss Of
eighth Of cent on each ticket to tho holder. When
questioned to the OF this proceeding, their
rep that they instructed do ~ tho Super.
lut0noeuJ Vi tuo TOlu, passeuBbrs 30 Lnu5
cluded from all redress No possibly pal.
late this disregard Of the obligations which
railroad companies 10 the public, and which every
hour OF the day coutravention and palpabe vo-
lation OF their several charters.
The time has arrived when the public should become
awakened aud impoS.tiops and 10 ADOPT
remedies therefor II Is all moonsnne for these
companies to reply when complaints made that high
prices OF hay and fodder horsclesh and saiarles
drivers and conductors nocesstatc these illegal and
orbitant charges glance al the following statistics
will toll It's own story: ngures cannot lie From these
statistics the evidence Is conclusive that almost all Of
tho companies controlling tho street lines afford
handsome dividends the stockholders II that
while these companies exercise oppressive
holders who 10 many Instances hold majority OF the
company's stock those particular directors being d.
rectors and officers but this signifies nothing TO those
who bear the brunt Of this oppression II does not
the public whether Mr.. Hart Mr.. Sharpe Mr..
Law, Mr. Weed, or hr. Anybody Else, controls immense
amounts OF stock IN this or that railroad company
cept to show how individual influence may be welded
for gnoble purposes. The mass Of our community, be-
sides an immense floating population. who continu
the knowledge that they ovsrcnarged
through monopoly created By few share
know that they cveraxed In railroad fares and also
10 know that some speedy action on their part
dressed
The Legislature In granting charters to street railroads.
well all other railroad companies makes IL obiga
tory upon them to make out report 81 their entire
operations yearly which report must be TO before
notary public Of the city and county through which
the several roads run, and presented to the State En-
gincer and Surveyor At Albany. In the majority Of
these reports in their general statement OF expenses
lumber and other material bought for additional work.
shops 10 improve their paat al od0ces horses,
ears, engines harness. purchases OF real estate,
appears among the expenses and Sl2l 600 in another
which amounts are with numberless other ITEMS
called expenses and deducted from the earnings OF ths
company. II Is . well known axiom that can't
spend dollar and have the dollar thus SPENT but II he
receives the Qud quo for that dollar and uses II In
his business that which the money buys repre-
senu 80 much money in stock; and 50 IL Is
with corporations. III they invest . certain
Witch represents the amount invested and
which, in many instances, stains enhanced
value Why, them should tho money thus invested DO
much the real and personal estate Of the corpora
tions Is TO throw dust in the eye Of the people, that
thai this companies are 90 blind Themselves that they
cannot that money thus expended represented
with lis stock real estate and transfer Of charter would
not bring At public auction tomorrow more than It's
actual cost 20 eager would oe .ns demand Of capitalists
fact that they coming money and that the fortunes
thus attained made from The hard earnings Of the
classes.
The statistics appended Of zach city railroad company
the complete operations OF each road for tho
past year. emitting fractions and items OF interest
the public.
cars have been added to the llues, the monthly cash
receipts have bceo considerably augmented in others
the receipts average OF the preceding year. In
the following list OF roads s principal lines rst
mentioned.
THIRD AVENUE RAILROAD
Directors Robert SQuires, William Remsen. Henry
Hart s. g. Rker, MAltby q. Lane, John n. Hobby WIN
A. Darling Henry X Remsen. Wihon q. Hunt Clark
500 NJ Potter, Peter hcAarten, VIM. l. Valentine.
George g. Waters.
Oaeas.-Robsrt Squirss, President; John l.. C,ero
Treasurer samuel B. Isaacs, Secretary; Ed 8. Dcken-
son, Superintendent.
Length Of road, miles; number OF cars, 10: rate
OF fare aud cents; chartered IA 1851 commenced
running July T. 1854 Accidsnts-0 killed; Is Injured
Capital STOCK 600 all subscribed for and paid in
Of road 81 400 504; expense Of operating road
s692. 544 expense Of repairing rnd SO 0l3; funded
and floating debt 81 10000; earnings and cash re-
following reports payments for personal properly
are deducted Number OF passengers carried over tho
road 10000. COO Car route City Hall, YoxkviIls and
Harlem
| FOURTH AVENUE WV YORK AS0 ARLxx RAILROAD
Directors --Cornetus Vanderbilt, William g. Wstnore
Augustus Schsl, James H. BANKER, John NJ Tobiu
oliver Cbarck William II. Vanderbilt Horace ~ carl