The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-24
RAPID TRANSIT.
Meeting of the West Side Association-Twenty
Million Dollars Worth Of Property Repre-
scnted-Bonds and Mortgages Must Not
Be Taxed-The West Side Parks
To Be Completed and Improved.

meeting or the West Side Association was held
last evening at Lyric Hall, in Sixth avenue, be-
tween Forty-drst and Forty-second streets. The
meeting was large and well attended, and the own
ers OF real estate present represented in the aggre
gate over twenty million dollars worth OF prop
erty Among the people present were c. p. Leslie,
wheeler H. Peckham, william A. Darling and John
Bradburne. The President OF the West Side Asso-
citation, Mr.. William X. Martin, wellknown law
yer OF this city, called the meeting to order and de-
lvered long and comprehensive address to the
association on the subjects of rapid transit, the
widening OF Broadway, Morningside and Riverside
Parks and other improvements. He spoke as fol-
lows The inevitable necessity of rapid transit is
manifest. In every direction we find some new
reason for 1t. No one is now opposed to 1t, and it
is regarded as OF the utmost Importance to the
welfare OF the people OF this city, who demand 1t.
MONEY FOR THE ROAD.
In the first place. 1t requires money to build the
road. That is the first conditlon-some one must
put his money in it. The condition upon which
men of money put 1t into an enterprise Is simple.
1t must pay; that is, the plan must be well de-
vised; 1t must be free from distractions. Now,
when men of money in this city take up this sub
ject the first question they ask is, What will it
cost to build IT and will the passenger travel pro-
duce enough to make 1t pay good business profit
GOOD ROUTE.
Nothing is more important than good route !;
nothing more broadly true than the difference be-
tween good route and poor one. This is true
Of railroads everywhere. 1t will pay to build Oh a
good route, ana not on a poor one. 1t is more
strongly true in this city. route along a great
thoroughfare such as Broadway, the Third avenue
or the Eighth avenue, will pay better than other
routes So capital demands these two things-tne
best route and plan OF construction that VIII not
cost too much, compared with the estimated re-
ceipts. The next condition is, the authority Of the
Legislature to build such a road.
PLAN PROPOSED.
Now IN order 10 get RAPID transit we must insist
on two things -
First-The best route for the people without re-
gard, utterly without regard, to the local interests
OF one man or set OF men. over and over again
have we demonstrated, and no one has ever at
tempted 10 reply to it, that railroad by steam on
the line Of great tboroughfare would increase and
not depreciate the value OF property on that thor
oughfare. The opposition does not rest on any
grounds that show that property would be injured
in value, but on the blind prejudices and hide
bound solfshness OF such property-owners, who
oppose everything from lack OF capacity to under
stand 1t, precisely as that class OF men did oppose
In their day the Hudson River Railroad, the Croton
Aqueduct and the Central Park, There is nothing
to do with these men but TO ride over them. In
the city OF New Yorksthis best route means Broad
way, the central route and the Fourth or Third
avenue as route on the east side and the Eighth
or Ninth avenue up town, on the west SIDE which
ever the men who are going to put their money in
1t may select. -
Second-when the route is determined plan
adapted to II can be chosen. on Broadway an
underground would be the best plan IL would
less interference with existing travel and oc
cupaton ard 1t would pay because, while 1t Is the
most costly plan OF construction, II Is the route
Wmch would furnish the most passenger travel.
nv beach's hundred yards OF tunnel under Broad
way, al Murray street. IN an illustration OF this that
"ehes eritlelsm or reIutau0n, On SIDE avenue,