The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-05
Rspia Transit for Now York-On tho
Right Tack.

Right Tack.
Mr.. Eastman has introduced in the Assembly
a bill to provide the city and county of New
York with rapid Transit for passengers freight
and postal service, which. while it may have
some provisions susceptible of improvement,
is nevertheless an important step 10 the right
direction. The bill provides for the appoint
ment of Rapid Transit Commissioners, who
are to have control of the matter. and thus far
answers the demands of our citizens The
commissioners are to be five in number for
the first five years, and are to be appointed
two by the Governor of the State, one by
the Mayor of the city and two by the Judges
of the Supreme Court of the First Judicial
district After five years, which is made the
term Of Office of the first appointees, the Com
mission is to consist Of three members, one to
be appointed by each of the authorities
named, and the new Commissioners are also
to hold five years lease of Office. While we
have confidence in the will and the judgment
of at least two of these appointing powers
we believe that, in view of the importance of
the interests involved, it would be just as well
to name tho Commissioners in the
bill. They wonld then be known at once
to the citizens and an opportunity would be
afforded to discuss their qualifications and
reliability without trusting anything to the
hazard of choice when it would be too late
to correct mistake. The Commissioners are
authorized to invite and consider plans for
rapid transit and to pay bonus of fifty
thousand dollars to the protector of the one
they may select; but, as they have full power
to build a road ON their own responsibility
they do not seem TO be bound to
accept any of the propositions unless they
may be disposed to do so. They are to de-
termine the route and have authority to use
any route already chartered, unless the cor
poration holding such charter can show that
they are faithfully proceeding with the work
The road may be built by private capital if a
sufficient amount of stock should be sub
scrbed, and the commissioners may, by
two-thirds vote, decide how much, if any, of
the expense of construction shall be borne by
the city, or whether the road shall be built
wholly at the public expense.
These are the main features of the bill but
there are other provisions of more or less i'm
portance, looking to the proper carrying out
of its objects. In case the road should be
built with private capital ten per cent of the
profits is to accrue to the city but this is
somewhat mythical provision. There is also
provision that such road as may be deter
mined upon shall be fully and entirely COM
pleted to Forty-second street within one year
and to the Harlem River within two years;
but this also savors somewhat Of buncombe.
We should prefer to see the bill put
into more simple and practical shape
first, by naming the Commissioners,
and next, by simply providing that they shall
have full authority to construct a road for the
city; the money to be raised by bonds, with
proper provision for the payment of interest
and the accumulation Of fund to pay the
principal OF the debt as it becomes due.
Nevertheless, we hail Mr.. Eastman's bill as
step in the right direction. We hope that it
may form the basis of such measure as the
people of New York desire, and put to flight
the lobby schemes which are designed to
make job of rapid transit or to destroy it
altogether.