The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-26

xreusu Tor New YOrk-The Advantages
Of vladucs Roads To Bs Constructed b.
tho City.
The unseemly scramble In the State Legis-
lature over the New York Rapid Transit bills
has not yet been brought to a close. The
Senate has passed two Of the lobby schemes
the Pneumatic Underground and the Two-tler
concern-while the Assembly has reported
adversely to the former and in favor of the
rival job known as the Central Underground.
This muddle may appear a mystery to those
who are not familiar with the history OF
modern legislation, but is susceptible of easy
explanation, The Pneumatic Ring has been
made to include the Senators who supported
the measure, majority of whom are repre-
scented in the job through ''names in the bills.
that Is to say, each friendly Senator names
''dummy" representing himself, who is in
troduced into the bill as an original corporator.
The Central Underground Ring has 10
similar manner secured the Assembly Rail-
road Committee and probably majority Of
the members of the lower house. The
two fraudulent Jobs may thus happily
defeat each other, unless, as has
already been suggested, they can be
united In one comprehensive swindle large
enough to afford room for all the spsculators,
Senator's, Assemblymen, lobbyists and Bohe-
mians on both sides. In this event the citizens
of New York will have to depend upon Gov
ernor Hoffman for protection, and the Gov
ernor is too familiar with the interests Of the
metropolis to render his action doubtful In
the meantime we shall take care that our cor
respondents at Albany track to their holes and
ferret out every incorporation in these impudent
jobs, and expose their relations with the legis-
lators who vote in favor Of the bills, in order
that the people of New York may know the
sort of men upon whom the franchises Of the
city are bestowed.
The Legislature. we are told, is mot ia
favor of a viaduct road or roads to be con-
structed by the city," OF course not In
such work there would be no legislative
incorporators and no stock to be parcelled out
among Bohemians and lobbyists. The reform
Legislature, having been deprived of the Erie
Ring placer and the Tammany mine, can dis
cover no jobs more profitable than the New
York city railroad franchises, and are unwill-
any desire prevailed at Albany to secure rapid
transit in New York for the public interests
law would be passed at once authorizing the
city to build two viaduct roads along the river
lines. Close calculations made by men OF
practical ability and experience prove that
such roads would be remunerative even If it
became necessary to purchase every foot Of the
right of way. The estimated cost of the line
from the City Hall to the Harlem River, near
Third avenue, distance of seven and half
miles, including the purchase Of the land
through the blocks for roadway Of fifty feet
wide, with sufficient additional land for
depots, sidings, engine houses, car sheds and
other necessary buildings; the most thorough
construction of the viaduct, with four lines OF
track; the full equipment Of the road to
capacity for the transportation of one hundred
and twenty thousand persons daily, and the
interest on the outlay during the construction,
is under thirty million dollars. This estimate,
which has been literally made, does not in
clude the contemplated two-track road from the
City Hall to the Battery, which would cost
about two million dollars more. The probable
income from this east side road alone, imme-
diately after its completion, has been calcu-
lated by persons quite familiar with the car
travel of that portion of the city to be equal to
four million seven hundred and twenty thou
sand dollars a year. This is based upon one
hundred and twenty thousand fares per day
for three hundred and sixty days, which
produces four million three hundred and
twenty thousand dollars, and four hundred
thousand dollars more for the rental of prop
erty required for the construction of the road
but not needed for its operation. The latter
calculation we regard as much too low. The
road would cross about one hundred and fifty
streets, and, besides its street property, would
have ample space to rent along the line for
storage, cellarage, stabling, &C., all of which
is utilized by the London viaduct road. Nor
is any allowance made in the above
estimate for the large income certain
to be realized from freight and express
matter. Raising the rental of unemployed
property to six hundred thousand dollars,
and allowing only one million dollars o year
for freight and express, we have an an
nual income of just upon six million dollars,
which we are confident is not too high ON
estimate.
The probable time required to complete
such road along the east side Of the city,
provided the whole amount of capital was in
hand and no extraordinary delay was expert
enced in obtaining the land, Is set down by
experts at about two years. If the city did
the work the entire capital would, of course,
be secured at once The plan of construction
considered best is of fireproof material-brick,