The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-31

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD:-
The columns OF your paper during the past few
days, slnce you opened them TO the discussion Of
the rapid transit question, have furnished very
complete abridged history Of what has taken place
before the Legislature on that subject during the
last ten years. Each OF your correspondents has
furnished his plan of q railroad; has adduced the
arguments which to his mind proved 1t to be the
best plan, If not the only plan, upon which city
railroad could probably be built. All this, In
creased many f0ld, is what has been going on In
the Legislature, not for ten years only, but twice
that period. Ever since 1852, when John Schuyler
introduced the first bill for rapid transit in the city
of New York, the Legislature has not ceased to be
overwhelmed at every session with multtudinous
schemes and plans for the accomplishment of that
most desirable object They increased IN number
and their advocates and projectors increased In im-
portunlty, until, in the session OF 1872 no less than
thlrty-two bills on that subject were before the
Legislature at one time. And the advocates OF each
were prepared to show at any moment, in long ad-
dresses and with manifold pictures and diagrams.
that their own particular plan the only one that
combined every merit, while everybody eSeS was
utterly mprae.icabe and worthless; Is It to he be
wildered by these discordant cOunsels or wearted
by the pertnacity OF these ''private enterprise"
them all, or else in passing such wonderments as
as the travelling sidewalk, the pneumatic tube'
or the Greenwich street unipede Yet, in fact,
some very good charters nave been passed-very
about dozen in all but, though twenty years nave
elapsed, have we got anv rallrOadr we nave lOSt;
100000 oil the population which we should have
had; sacrificing annually more than
SIS, 900 900 OF tax revenues, which should now De-
long to us. more than we are getting; and can any
man say we are any nearer a solution OIL the ques-
ton as to plans than we were twenty years ago
Worse than this: We have city filed with DISTRESS
OF every kind; one-half OF our population packed
IN tenement houses seven stories deep, the con-,
slant menace o the peace and safety OF the other
hall; and vet our chief city officers can nnd no
other remedy than to appropriate SIS, o0n QUO u0
build jails and poornouses to meet the crimes ahu
the one prolific source. l think alter this long ana
dear experience we may Settle oown 10 Two Va
three safe conciusOns.- ..
First-We shall never have and we never oagns-
TO have a railroad till the city ltseli oauus an.,
1t. For railroad TO be OF any rev. s s v.0c
TO the people must furnish transit az she lo"e ;
possible rate-a rate tnat shall Dareiy CoMsa wv
interest its cost. Cheap transit anu 'neasy poa
cent dividends upon thrice Wasereo s10cA "s"
wholly Incompatible terms. $500, ssor,a ho
SecfSnf-plans and routes OF the ROAD snouiu oo
left not TO those who draft bills. VINO nsuay nave
hut little knowledge OF engineering, nut 10 c0m-
petent board Of engineers, wno Mien the City
snalI determine TO Guild the road Vail De called
upon to survey the ground anu uetemulae upon the
pest par ana the best route
Third-To be run cheapy ar low rates OF fare 1t
nnsr he built economically. 10 this end the Eight
Hour law at least in its application to this work.
suou,h Nc MIA bill which will negor add a to thu
taxes OF the people. which win IN ten years ada
s 900 900 900 present taxable properly, wieh
viii confer an inestlmable boon OF happiness ur0n
our whole people, VIII soon clalm the atten ton os
the Legislature.
eur greatest sources OF distress Will soon be
removed, and New York Will enter upon new
epoch OF prosperity unknown IN her past history.
5. E. CHURCH.