The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-04

that, as their columns advance in intelligence |
and ability and enterprise, the good work OF |
religious progress still goes on.
The Gas Monopoiies and tho City Rail- |
road Conpanies-iseforms Necessary.
The New York Legislature met this year
amid the expectations of the people that 1t
would ''sweep clean" but up to the present
we have been treated only to great many
fourishes of the s'new broom" Outside of
the publication of our city government there
are hosts of bad and rotten corporations, the
legitimate offspring of the corruption Of Tam
many in its worst days, which need to be re-
formed, if not abolished. The gas monopolies
are among the very worst of these enomies of
the public veal, which were allowedto swiudle
the people by paying percentage of their dis
honest profits to the venal s'rings" till lately
in power. In vain the citizens appealed against
the injustice. A wretched article of gas at
exorbitaut rates was bad enough, but that
our citizens should be swindled by
being forced to pay for quanti-
ties of the miserable illuminator they
had not consumed made the matter still
worse. As it was monopoly there WAS M
Tesourcs 10. outraged indi--;,uual. Auv
complaint Of the quality supplied was laughed
at, and any remonstrance against overchar, 20
for quantity met with the surly threat to cut
off the supply unless the bill was promptly
paid. Cases have been known where bills
I'd 70 nd Eaak Or
when not burner had been used. The diff
ference between this and picking pockets ID
not 80 very great, yet the companies are rich,
and believe themselves strong enough to buy
off all opposition as of yore. We shall see. A
bill to protect gas consumers against this sys-
tenn of robbery has been drawn up carefully,
we are informed, and the citizens will look
anxiously for Its appearance. Let the Legis-
lator who is about to do this good work keep
his light under bushel no longer. The ses-
sion is wasting, and the friends of reform
must remember that time fights on the side of
the monopolies. At meeting held in this
city on Friday night petition was drawn up
praying the Legislature to change the present
private monopoly into State monopoly. If
the purity and cheapness of the gas to be sup
piled from such course were in ratio to the
purity and price of our legislators there is
small hope of reform in that direction. We
want, on the contrary, healthy competition
whereby the public would have a resource
against the impudent exactions of monopolists
private or public.
fhat noo1o hot iuop
is the arrogance of the city railroad corpora
lions. Without exception they turn deaf
ear to the too well-grounded complaints Of
those who are obliged to travel by their lines.
The abominable filth of the cars, nests and
nurseries Of disease as they are, is something
that needs looking after. Utterly careless of
the comfort or convenience of the travelling
public, they have the unparalleled imperti-
nence to come before the Legislature asking
additional privileges, while their part of the
contract with the people remains 80 unfulflled
The Third Avenue Railroad asks leave to run
more palace cars on its line and is kind
enough to say that it will run sufficient of the
Ordinary" cars to meet public convenience"
With their idea of ''public convenience" and
ordinary" cars this is certainly cool propo-
sltion. 1t can be very clearly seen that if
this privilege be extended to them under
these very elastic conditions they will
take care to make the Ordinary" cars 80
thoroughly intolerable that none but those
actually compelled by narrowness of means
can travel except in their s'palace cars"
while the vermin-eaten passengers on the
''ordinary" cattle pens will become objects of
pity to the community. They have the auda-
city to ask for leave to run palace cars,
while Ordinary cars" eighteen years old,
with decayed timbers, jiugling bolts,
greasy panels, and filthy, living cushions,
are our samples of what they know about
''public convenience" The Second, Sixth, Sew
enth and Eighth avenues, Gross Town, South
Side and Belt lines are masses Of moving filth,
and it is possible that they, too, will apply for
palace car privileges, with the dirt and rotten
ness of their ''strings of second hand collins"
anywhere against overcrowding. 1t is very
probable, indeed, that the highly ingenious
directors may make the crowded condition of
the cars on their line an extra reason for the
granting Of leave to run palace cars for the
privileged, whereas it is q reason exactly to
the contrary. Reformers who can see how
Injuriously this bold job, If successful, would
operate against the poor and the middling rich
of the community, who cannot afford fancy
prices for railroad travelling, should defeat
the bill, which is fraud on the people. The
providing of sufficient cars, keeping them
clean, preventing their overcrowding and run
ming them on time are things to which the
best Of our city lines are strangers, while the
| Third avenue Is the worst A law should be