The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-29
Our Railroads and Railroad Legislation
What the People Want.

What tho People Want.
The railroad war in Albany, the contest Of
our citizens with Vanderbilt over the Fourth
necessity of quick transit from the lower to
the upper parts of New York city, and the
wants of the people generally for improved
facilities by the railroads and in better manage
ment of them in the interest of the public,
make this subject one of the most interesting
of the times. Railroads. whether in the
cities or through the interior of the States,
whether worked by horse or locomotive power,
are professedly for the convenience and good
of the public. This is expressed in the char
tiers. Upon this principle companies make
application for charters, and in terms to that
effect the Legislatures concede the privi-
leges asked. Yet whoever knew railroad
worked or managed with view to the interest
OF the people, except where by chance the in
terest of company was found to be IN
accordance with that OF the people? The
legislative phraseology in charters reco,niz-
ing apparently the public interest is fiction.
| incidentally the public may derive advan-
tages from the railroads, from any other
great improvements, but generally at an I'M
| necessary cost for railroad laws are framed
really for the benefit especially of the capital
lists who get up companies The capitalists
generally get such laws as they want, or have
the power afterwards either to defy the law
or to control the Legislatures and the Courts
Frequently the legislators are incorporators,
| directors or large stockholders in railroads
or, if they are not the money power OF the
companies controls their action. The railroad
interest has grown up to be stupendous
monopoly and almost irresistible.
| The contest at Albany just now over the
Erie Railroad is between rival par
ties for the control of that impor-
tant line of communication. The burden
OF the arguments raised to influence
the Legislature one way or the other
is based upon the private claims of indi-
viduals good deal is said about the in
terests of the public for effect, but really no
one thinks or cares about them. All the fuss
about repeating the so-called Classification
act is simply fight for the control of the
Erie Railroad among the parties interested.
Certain foreigners, who bought up the At
lantic and Great Western Railroad, found that
this road did not pay without connecting it's
business and interests with the Erie, and,
therefore, purchased stock in the Erie with
| view of getting hold of the management, so as
to make the latter supply the deficiencies of
the former. Without going into details as
to the history of this movement or of the
coquetting and attempt at bargaining between
the two companies, this is the gist of
the original difficulty. The Erie managers, to
use a collOquial expression, did not see it,
and with view to the interest of the Erie
road, as well, perhaps, as with view to their
own interest and power, they have pre-
vented the foreign owners of the Great
Western and Atlantic controlling the
Erie. These latter, consequently, apply, as
stockholders In the Erie, to the Legislature
for the repeal of the Classification act, in order
to depose the present managers of that road.
! Though much might be said of the improve
ment of the Erie Railroad under the present
management, and against placing one of the
| greatest lines of commerce and communica-
| ton in the country under the control of
foreigners, this is, after all, only war of rail-
road factions, and goes to show the necessity
of some general and comprehensive law regu-
lating these great works.
Coming to the difficulty in this city about
the Fourth avenue railroad track to Harlem,
the same necessity is apparent. The citizens
who have been agtating the question of sink
ing the track from Forty second street, over
which the trains of the Harlem and New
Haven railroads run, have had several inter-
views with Commodore Vanderbilt and his
son, with view to carry out their object.
Commodore Vanderbilt pleads his vested
rights, as all other railr Dad magnates do, and
seems to think the interests of the vast popula-
ton OF this great city should be subservient to
these. True, he cautiously talks of CON-
promise, and says to the citizens, in the
matter in which we must ''give
and take With all of our railroad kings
there is much more of taking than giving.
But what should the public be called upon to
| give? Has it not given already most valuable
privileges, from which the railroads make vast
sums of money! Have not the people rights
as well as the railroad companies Were not
the railroads chartered professedly for
the benefit of the public? And ought
they not to be made subservent to
the public good The Fourth ave.
nue. tracks, as our citizens say, virtually cut
the city in two parts. From the frequency and
speed Of the trains on it there is no safety in
crossing Many lives have been sacrificed,
and the damage to property can hardly be es-
timated. In the course of few years the city
will be built up solidIy all the way to Harlem.