The New York herald., 1870-05-11
Tho Governor and tho Arcade Jeb-whs
Will He Do with Its

Tho Governor and tho Arcads Jeb-Whst
VIII He Do with Iss ~.
The Broadway Arcade job with the Governor
seems to be hanging. like Mahomet's cofin,
between heaven and earth. s'What win ho do
with 1t ?" ID becoming very interesting ques-
ton. The Standard says that "the suggestion
Of Vie HERALD that Governor Hoffman can
win immortality by vstoing the Arcade Railway
Is very well 20 far a. II goes" but that ''this
people will not look kindly upon any Governor
interposing against cheap transit through the
island; !" that ''the prayer Of the three hundred
millions Of dollars that there shall be no inva-
sion Of Broadway would have some emphasis
II those who represent this vast capital would
only make small contribution and build q
road on Fourth or Eighth avenues" that If the
Governor does veto this bill he ought to ''exact
from the rich men thus served q promise to
build road that will not be Objectionable,
and that unless we enable the workingman
to 60 from the Battery to Spuyten Duyvil in
twenty minutes we might as well consider
New York at a standstill. )"
This, then, is the argument In favor OF
this Arcade job-cheap and speedy transit
from the Battery to Spuyten Duyvil. But
when-assuming that the Governor has
signed this bill, and that Broadway Is turned
over into the possession Of this Arcade COM
bination-when shall we have this cheap and
speedy transitp Let us see. 1t has been
pleaded in behalf of this Arcade undertaking
that it will occupy not over month to
complete the work over the space between
any two blocks. Considering the work to be
done-the excavation Of the street to the house
walls on each side, to the depth of twenty
two feet-the removal of vaults and the sink
ing Of gas pipes and water pipes under this
excavation-the side walls to be built, the
flooring for the railway and the rails to be
laid, tho iron columns to be set up for the
Arcade, and the roofing for the upper roadway
to be laid--the average Of one months time for
all this labor from cross street to cross street
is short enough At this rate, let us see how
we shall get on.
From the Battery to Union square there
are, we will say, throwing out some of the
shortest ones, thirty-six blocks. This, upon
the companys estimate, will give us thirty
six months or three years for the compile
ton of this Arcade from the Battery to Union
square. At this rate ten years would be
required to carry the work over Harlem river
But three years to Union square is enough for
our present purpose, which is to show that
this scheme, while destroying our principal
business street, will not give the relief
of cheap and speedy transit desired by the
city. Indeed, from the loose and liberal con-
and privileges given to the company, we ap-
prehend that the real design is q Broadway
and Fourth avenue surface railway for steam
trains from end to end of the island while the
company are building the Arcade. But what
ever the design may be, Governor Hoffman has
certainly had time enough to reach decision
concerning this bill. As simple matter of
justice to the property holders. banks, insu-
rance Offices, churches, shopkeepers, hotels,
&c., directly concerned, he should put an end
to this suspense concerning this Arcade job
The general impression seems to be that the
Governor cannot possibly approve such job
of deception and Wholesale spoliation and rob-
berry. We cannot think that he will but why
this delay in announcing his judgment? 1t
involves doubts, apprehensions and losses to
our citizens directly affected, which ought to
be ended at once. We therefore cali again
upon the Governor to proclaim at once his
disapproval of this bill. In the short space of
six months two or three elevated railway lines
may be built, whereby the trip may be made
from the Battery to Westchester in half an
hour. This is our proper mode of relief. We
cannot regard this Broadway Arcade scheme as
anything else than monstrous humbug and
gigantic swindle.