New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-06-17
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
THE VIADUOT RAILWAY.
DISCUSSION ON THE DOWNTOWN TER
MINUS.

TERESTING DEBATE-L0CAL FREIGHT CHARGE
THE FUTURE PROSPERITY OF THE CITY.
About 30 leading downtown business men
and propertyowners met yesterday afternoon at the
rooms Of the Chamber of Commerce, to take action In
favor OF the extension of the proposed vauct Railroad
to the Battery and the transfer OF the Custom House TO
the same locality. The meeting called to order by
Edward Matthews, who named A. A. Low Chairman
and Paul ~ Spoford Secretary both OF whom were
unanimously elected. The Secretary read the circular
settlng forth the why the meeting had been
caed Mr. Low said that personally he had not studied
INC question OF the proposed extension but from what
tte ne knew Of 1t seemed TO him OF great importance.
Though not resident Of NewYork he had great inter
est In her welfare, but trusted that Brooklyn would not
Initiate her In respect 10 building railroads. which
very expensive, and which In Brooklyn were hardly
necessary.
Edward Matthews said that the engineers who had
the plans concerning the construction OF the yaduct
Railroad under consideration had Informed him that the
total expense Of building the road to Chambersst would
be OOOo0OO or at the rate OF 100000 per mile taking
will be raised by taxation aud, the Capitalization %
business interests is very great In this city, oneha Of
ested in business and property below Clambers-s Ten
there are also from 10000 to 100000 persons residing 10
Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Jersey City who di
rectly interested In having the road run
down at least as far as Pine-st The ac
while to the Battery It would but 81 10000.
per cent Of the total amount As t was proposed al
would much prefer using the stages TO walking to this
railroad, for the construction Of which they wSc TO be
directors OF the road seemed in fyor Of the eXtc
son but thought that under their present charter il
would be impossible. In respect 10 the removal OF the
Custom House and Government Warehouses he did NOT
think there would be two opinions At pr5eLt ne Gov
poorly arranged buildings, when, by merely selling the
present CIstom-House, and erecting new one az o.
proof warehonses He concluded by moving that com.
mttee OF twelve be appointed BY tue Chair t. take both
m lafip In
securing their fulhment
deeply affected the interests OF NewYOrk city During
the past ten the city has lost than half Of
what Il should have gained both in population and com
population at the rate Of IS cent every Eve years
or, In other words it doubled every IS years. Thus III
1870, had 1t continued the rate, the population
would have amounted TO 330S, but, nsed, It was only
$4,000, or an increase of only l2,OOO when IT should
have been 100000 The reason this is that there
is adequate means OF communication from the lower
10 the upper portion OF the island The Vlduct is fact
was interested he said in the Arcade plan aud &C at
time told that If would stop at the City Had
we could have charter but replied that 1T would
not pay 10 do so" aud the projectors OF this road viii
arrive at the same conclusion Ii i necessary FOR
be for the passage Of through and the d ri
button OF way freight In this city the through freght
to be constructed but the other should by the
which retain trade a. under the present m
rdngemeDt, each tun tOt height l. taxed So AZ passes
through our city lor caLtase anu nanling 1hn' We
phia has qusdruped hers while the merchants OF Bau
more
the demands OF the Western trade, which they boldly
assert is leaving NewY0rk for their city. How are we
to remedy this for II IL ne true nat b e ey mas G y 9s
have lost Individually, proTbrtonate amount Of What
With other cities, when il would cost more TO trgcb
goods through Ovrcrowded streets from the depot 10 The
Buffalo and in some even from Chicago The ron
edy consists in having the warehouses on the docks md
OF machinery the goods can be Tanshpped at Little
bayp tha mpa IS. yes
handling goods cheaper than any one else ~ the c0n'
try Statistics show o t6 Una GUg tne a ye arr our eH
commerce twenty years ago, and this because we
taxed goods Per r P I b our cSa i bup:
from the West TO the Chesapeake IS finished, ana II you
have rot corrected the present abuses then coodbyt to
he trade of New-YOrk. Many people think that
because NewYork Is SO large and has 60 many e9nnec'
inc; but 70 years ago Philadelphia had larger trade
than NewYork, ana it was only Ae building OF the Erie
St the end OF the route you win ind that en vii sI
their goods to other place, whore they can do Il
cheaper. Western man stated az tie Canal ConJcn.
on last Spring that lie knew OF 100000 olsusheis OF
wheat which not shipped 10 our port bccause the
business could be done at y cents per bshcl cheaper al
another place. And 1t viii be always farmers in the
West may he very well pleased with tie way you d. the
their money, they VIII not stay with you.
g. Chittenden said he did not apprehend any doubt
In the matter TO which the previous speaker had
ferred After residence heIe OF 20 years he felt fully
Philadelphia day or two ago irend pointed on 70
him small lot that he had sold fer $1,000 and this
which he had not heard mentioned, and this nj gLt ne
urged why the depot should stand whore 10 j. low
placed. Tie time is near at hand when Brooklyn wil
become IN form, T. is already I'm reality p6tot New
York. We have begun, said IL, illAS, amt venture
to say that Brooklyn unaided cannot finish IL thar
there is little dorbt t-at beoi ua-t crosses ta i.e
city. This a consideration winch tACsc men having TIC
Yaduct IN charge VIII hoyeto tlko mo a-c'Ga'. aud
where # is now proposed 10 not tlia; that tcle il
any reason 20 suppose tbatt b. louud t1at tie city
Directors OF this road viii throw any oirf.''5 in ito
way. they Will do all tey 10 uphold tc interests
OF NeWY Ork Rnd don't think there Is necessity 81
talking about NewIo k losing 10000 iula5aHts, wlen
We never had he l3CoOCO rom winch the are 90 20
ard to trade, cannot expect 10 m0E"rozc al IA
pointed not much to urge e. matter oH ,-e Directors
Howard Potter said nat he thought it hardly right to
assume chat trade may not be improved az hI thttcn.
den seemed TO think, b. bad management. a iorcible
illustration of the decline OF fonr,ing town might be
habitauts would do nothing TO accept me Change which
the advent OF steam produced lie tLosGht every one
who had visited London during tic pass Jew years must
have noticed The admirable manner u "I1A nc police
arrangements ha,Fbecn perfected mere iWehty years
ago il almost impossible 10 pas through tEe sTeeis
of london In carriage without losing much TINE Dy
being blocked but BOW such an Dec france rli - " ever
happens. Here Que can never estimate correctly tho
lime it will take to 20 from one Pals o, inc e.tS 10
least 10 Wa-t, and IN order 90 save In iies IL win.
Nj Low said that his experience IN China hat taught
him that where business was done cheapest, there 10
would CO. House lots might sell very high bat that
no criterion that trade HOuIlsn. iadcCG, the fact
of such high prices, and consequently Oh rents,
the very why there was danger unless something
was done obyiae IL, that the trade OF the port would
leave 10. IL therefore, To find way
ia which freight could De handled with economy
and this railroad seemed 10 he the only solution.
The motion 10 appoint n committee was then passed,
and the Chairman appointed the following: Howard
Potter Jonathan sturis, NJ. Jessup, John L. Williams,
H. b. Hyde = b. Ruggles, W. II. Given, n. sands, Il.
Matthews 5. y. 5pOnerd b. Is. Cbttenden, and Royal
Phelps.
SUICIDE OF A FORGER.