The New York herald., 1871-01-15
RAPID. TRANSIT.
AA1har Geeting to Agitats tho
Subject.
xNA = Harlem to the Battery in Fiisssn Minutes fo
Three Csnts-Addre@ by Mayor Hal.

ufvsng to New York quicker Hansit from one end
~ the islano TO the other than any at present
cseing, Mayor Han In the chair.
Mr.. FOLEY, after calling the meeting to order,
read letter OF apology from Comptroller Connolly.
and said that the most important question be-
Tore the people at this moment is that OF quick
transit With all our progress and enterprise we
have yet NO oJher means Of travel but slow horse
carH. Through the skilful management and indus
Try Of the Twelfth and Nineteenth Ward Citizens
Association the Madison avenue railroad was ac-
coMplished. - =
After enlarging on the miseries Of travelling by
horse cars. Mr.. Foley went on to ssy:-we are
satisfied the best and
MOST PRAsIBLR WAY TO SOLVE THE DIFFICULTY
~ once is to extend Park avenue tunnel up Fourth
avenue to Harlem bridge and down Fourth avenue
and Broadway to the Battery. The tunnel has im-
proved the property all along its line and the same
will be the case along Broadway TO the Battery.
We win guarantee, he said, to have the road fin-
Ashed In time to invite next Governor (turning
- Mayor Hall and Presidents Holman over the
read.
Amid loud and continued applause Mr.. Foley re.
S1med his seat
Mr.. W. A. wHITBEcK then addressed the meeting,
saying he was Intimately acquainted with numbers
Of owners OF property on Broadway, and they were
universally IN favor OF an underground railway
similar to the one now running In London. He
read letters OF apology from Mr.. Matthews and Mr..
Courtland Palmer, and submitted his plan for the
building OF the road which has sready appeared in
the HERALD.
Mayor HALL being called upon, said he
came rather to learn something on this subject
than to make o speech; he had no
doubt there were several gentlemen present who
had given the matter study, and he would be glad
% hear them. He gave place to MI. w. r. Martin,
who read some interesting resolutions showing the
absolute need OF an underground railway. 1t had
been clearly proven we must have the road, and
have It we SHALL and within tive years. and shall
run train every morning and every evening for the
working men from one end Of the island to the
other for three cents.
Mayor HALL, being again called upon came for
ward and sald:-
accepting your invitation In nervous haste. beg
10 observe that Is with extreme reluctance that
man and know tn whatever you or may do or
say In regard to the project Is utterly valueless
mora, who said TO the council,
"YoU HAVE SENT FOR NE AND HAVE COME.
II you DO not want me VIII return to my wigwam."
Another and more popular newspaper continually
Teprehends the city authorities for not securing In
ssant intercourse between the lower and the upper
made for the non-activlty of the Chamber
or Commerce or the Clearing House or an
association Of railway magnates The municipal
author les utterly aud legally unable to develop
che problem, except as they JOIN private associa-
lions, like yours, In agitatng the subject preliminary
to Albany legislation. Ii is therefore, after all. as
an individual that accept your invitation. In the
Lester add addressed to yeur chairman and which
pressed my views about the difficulties OF
This question. 1t is dialcuit because II
spirired citizens, and yet accompanied with your
oeslre to benefit New York is very pardonable dis
position to benefit yourselves and your property.
Gentlemen on the west side have their somewhat
connIcnng views Property owners in the middle
the lower part Of the city would ike 70 delay rapid
transit Ii has been, however, stated That the city
of New York ought TO build railroads by
LENDING IT'S CREDIT TO COMPANIES
and capitalists am opposed TO IL as principle.
But even in such a only the Legislature could
authorize tue authorities to do So City credit may
be loaned to works affecting the health and cleanll-
ness OF the people: but all railroad projects are pri-
vdua am opposed parry 70 snSsaes a an oher
views may, however. prevail. They ought not
10 unless the sense Of the people iirst be taken
loaned TO railway Developments Of the metropolis.
Developments OF the metropolis suggests to me sqnes-
Lon Just n0w-to wit, the annexation OF Wesches-
ter. am opposed u the scheme, as, alter confer
ence with the leading city authorities think may
say all OF the present regime are. There Will be time
enough TO talk OF
when sister city has grown down TO Harlem river
and asks It, The Metropolitan Police District OF
London was laid out because the Londen suburban
districts and villages had grown into The city Rox
bury grew towards Boston, rather than Boston to-
wards Roxbury, before annexation We cannot
afford TO extend the area OF service OF our
policemen and 1remen or TO enlarge the ope-
ratlons OF the government Of dept.
T1ese are sufficiently complicated already. IL is
sufficient to say that the proposition premature.
I also beg TO observe that am opposed TO any ad-
dlonal surface railways except they may be across
should be one from the Christopher street ferry to
connect with the Bleecker street and Sixth and
Seventh avenue roads in the course OF that street,
because the operations or the Delaware, Lackawanna
and Western CoInpany's travel from tnat ferry are
about to become gigantic. But this by way OF illus
uation. Hence you Will suppose am In favor or
SINKING THE TRACKS
IN Fourth avenue. But an not. To do so would
be lDjCsllce towards people living and owning pro-
perry on the avenue, and lead to disturbances OF
lateral and lengtnwse sewers, and TO gas and
ana the Legislature alone on such question can
decide. Various plans OF transit railways have
been for years and now are under discussion. The
arcade and the underground plans may be said to be
ended. 1t Is sufficient TO say about underground
railway that capital utterly refused to take mold OF
IT. The best engineers have SAID that 1t would cost
thirty millions OF dollars per mile,
II Is unfair 70 make comparison with works In
London or with the Mount Gents tunnel. Abroad,
capital controls labor.
HERE LABOR Is MASTER OF CAPITAL.
man here works eight hours for two dollars In
almost all the Old countries a man can be found to
work Tor twelve hours for twelve cents OF money
Abroad there is always plethora Of capital, and
% do with their money. And when You come
- the engineering difficulties the natural en-
barrRssments are increased 10y the artificial
pications of the manner In which the city is severed
and piped momentary fall OF a large CrOton
main would be very likely III two or three hours
Sime 70 undermine every building around II. Were
the engineering difficulties Lot nsuperabie the cost
would be terribly enhanced By an almost total
change IN the sewage and pipe system OF the city.
add one
OBJECTION TO THE ARCADE
system, which, j think, has Lever been sufficiently
ventilated. IL was IN effect laying out q city under
ground with stores Underground, with thousands
or gas lamps involving the necessity of certainly
swo policemen TO agery block, night and day, aud
the increased exu/ z would have been something
-ffiRhtful. With fH respect 10 the gentlemen whs
nnyp fay Il. = | Y light
Of all the arguments in Its favor seems like an
Arabian Nights cnimera. and some day the PAM
phiets and plans ABOUT it will In the libraries by
the side Of the description OF Aladdin and his Wonder
fui Lamp. Nevertheless,
ALL PLANS ARE PRACTICABLE
10 private Interests. Take what OF late seems to be
the most feasible one-an elevated road running
through blocks. The project amounts 10 almost a
total confscation OF property near the blocks and
n the damage Were correctly estimated by cOInmls-