New-York tribune., 1873-01-25

IHE PHEOEAj j OIhIE UT hdf ~ ihd'pi -
Every considerable snow-stOrm illustrates
the barbarOus condition in which our means
of transit remain. A generation hence we
shall look ridiculous to our more enlightened
and better-prOvide3 descendants, who Will
wonder how q million enterprislng people OF
great metropolis could be satisfied with the
paltry accommodations for travel OF country
town. But the petty annOyances which follow
each snow-stOrm are mere reminders of our
needs: we go on from year to year suffering
the loss of immense wealth in our material
development, to say nothing of our loss of
time. for lack of sensible, vigorous, and united
action to secure the rapid transit we need.
We have been talking on the subject, and
planning on every principle, and without any
principle, for ten years or more, and the result
thus far is the concOctiOn of half dozen
schemes, any one of which is practicable, but
none of which anybody seems to have sense
and spirit enough to undertake for the sake
of the people from whom the best returns are
to he had.
We have had the best schemes frustrated by
individual interests and the opposition of
rival corporations without the quick percep-
tlOD 10 recognize lldb oOi1 VI i"piu 'i"hoie
Underground Elevated, OF Surface lines
would simply be accessons to their own enter
prises. More valuable public schemes
of this kind have been sacrificed to
the folly of short-sighted persons than
to any other sort of opposition; and
it is not until such obstacles are oveTidden
that the improvements will come to aught.
Rapid Transit has got to be forced in New
York over the opposition of Mr.. Vanderbilt
and Others who like him have their hands on
the city's throat; and the sooner public opin-
ion is aroused to demand that such obstacles
are put out of the way the sooner we shall
have the great desideratum of the island
Commodore Vanderbilt seems to have no in
tention of building the Underground Railroad
while he can prevent it. He sinks his tracks
above the Grand Central Depot because public
indignation has driven him to do it, and be-
cause he has inveigled the city into paying
half the cost of the undertaking, which is OF
value only to himself. But he has taken no
steps to build below the depot, and seems clear
he does not intend to take any until the as
sured Success of the Gilbert scheme com
pels him. AS for this latter scheme, it
is a capital and cheap plan, capable of be-
ing built while Mr.. VanderbilPs engineers are
calculating the sharp curves and difficult
grades by which TO avoid water-pipes and
sewers it is road specially designed for
local travel, and yet it is depending for sue
cess on doubtful combination of railroads
seeking to get into the city. That which
should be built for the purpose of local ac-
commodation-which, when built, is to find
its most certain profit from local travel-which
is to enrich ten fold the property along every
avenue over which it runs--fnds its only
present encouragement from outside railway
lines that cannot be profitable until they pro-
vide some such inlet to the city.
Meantime we waste energies in talking
about other indefinite schemes. There are
none others which promise any immediate
success. 1t is idle to talk of them in the
same breath with these two plans. 1t is
shameful that in a city suffering from such
lack of accommodation no greater incentive
to vigorous action in this direction should be
had than that which comes from the rivalry of
two railway corporations. Put little local
energy and money behind the Gilbert scheme,
and we shall not only construct the Elevated
road, but force, too, the completion Of the
Vanderbilt road. This is the fairest pros
pect we see before US; all we need is some
display of local interest and energy.