The New York herald., 1875-08-21
RAPID TRANSIT.
Are the Commission.
ers Likely to F'ailP
Sir Edmund Watkins Address on the
London Underground System.
MIR. Roosevelt Makes Some Startling Statements
as 10 the commissioners Powers.

The same secrecy and mystery that for several days
have characterized the Rapid Transit Commission were
observed yesterday and a number Of lawyers were for
several hours eoseted with the commission. Tho
members carefully avoided reporters and Of the,
attaches would give the of the parties admitted
to private interviews. Among them however,
ex-Assembyman Smith Weed, who is said 10 be, with
General Hustled author OF the bill under which the
commission was raised, the private counsel of tho
Greenwich Street Railway Company Mr. Weed
has been there for two days, and TO the
HERALD reporter stated that he not
interested in the proceedings OF the commission
Those who profess be familiar with the influences at
work in the last Legislature most emphacally declare
that Weed and Hustled counsel for the road
and that whip in the republicans in favor OF
the Hustled bill that it was taken out OF the hands OF
Assemblyman DAILY OF the Fourteenth district, and
placed under the engineering Of the "Bad Eagle Of
Westchester" Be that it may, it is certain that Mr.
Husted's law partner is daily coseted with the
mission and is permitted To pass in and out without
challenge from the officer guarding the door.
Is evident that the Commissioners at last salts
they agree upon route; hence the ap-
plication made Thursday to the Common Council for
permission TO select route 1t is longer secret
that the members divided upon the route at least
member being in faver of that will make il q
feeder TO the Boston and Montreal Railroad in which
the knowing declare he largely interested. Il
casually leaked out yesterday that this member had
prevailed upon Mr. Mott to make an examination to-
day OF the from Mott Haven along the line Of the
Boston Montreal Railroad in the company OF the
! engineers Of the Board Messrs Newton and Shreeve.
! Mr. Newton on being informed that such the pro-
gramme stated had been notified of the pro-
posed visit Westchester county but If such was the
intention he would likely be notified later in the day.
| Sir Edmund watkin, member OF Parliament and
President Of ufe Metropolitan Qondon) Underground
| Railway was before the commission yesterday, and
stated that the London Underground Railway had al
| ready sixteen miles in operation, and before many
months they will have not less than twenty miles in com
pete operation with the intention OF extending their
! lines as the exigencies Of the occasion require,
throughout the entire city. The average rate
OF fare is about five cents in American
currency and last year some TO- 900 900 pas
sengers we're transported. By sytem Of commutatiou
the laborng classes ride at about penny sterling
per mile They 1000 trains per day, averaging
600 passengers each, emptyng and filling the trains in
about one minute The road cost FL 600 600 per mie
the larger portion OF the being for property dam
ages &c Their average rate OF speed is about twenty
miles per hour including stoppages The presence OF
Sir Edmund gave rise to an unfounded rumor that he
here TO advocate underground plan and 70 guar
| antee sufficient English capital to build it.
Mayor Wickham stated to HERALD reporter that he
| did think, from a casual examination OF the law,
that necessary for the commission receive the
|
their decision, aud that when the resolution for
warded to him he sent IN, accompanied
FORM WSsn informed .er thot n%eu,ors or werS TS
bitterly complaining of the secrecy thrown around the
proceedings of the Board ana while expressing conf
dence in the honesty of MesSrs Mott Deamater had
declared that in their opinion, there under
hand influence at work. the Mayor expressed the hope
that such opinen would prevail in the community
aud reiterated his confidence in their ability to give
the masses practical rapid transit.
The legal points that have consumed so much of the
| Of still ths
stumbling blocks in their way, over which they daily
| trip in their efforts to agree upon route Judge
Emott and Mr. Lowery have given legal opinions the
| effect that the Commission given sixty days to
select route and that the proceedings the court ia
confirm such selection follow after Hence the
9Th of September, when the sixty days will expire ap
proaches, they be in hurry and devote the
time to efforts toward uniting their opinions feasible
route.
Yesterday HERALD reporter called upon Mr. C. H
Roosevelt, who, secretary of the Peoples Rapid
Transit Association organized in mass meeting at tn,
Chamber Of Commerce in January last, secured th,
names of the property owners necessary to empower
the Mayor 10 appoint the present Commission. When
questioned as TO his views the work of the Commits
sion, Mr. Roosevelt said be had watched them closely
and they needed some one TO advise them For him
self he had become convinced that the Cornell plan
the cheapest simplest and most practicable and
members of the Rapid Transit Association had approved
IT, The only objection he could TO it is the route
through property, and that in his opinion is entirely
obvated by the fact that the company when organized
has the power under the General Railroad act to ac-
quire a right of way through private property
independent Of any duty that is obligatory upon the
/
TO go through private property. That is for
the courts But to go through the they must
get the consent Of oneha Of the property
the local authorities as we'll Section Of the Hustled
DAILY bill provides that within sixty days after organz-
ing the Commissioners shall fix the route of the rail-
way provided that the consent of ne-half of the
property owners on the line and also Of the local
authorities given If that consent cannot be obtained
said Mr. Roosevelt, then the General Term OF the
| Supreme Court proper application may appoint
three commissioners determine that question: IL
they determine that the route ought to be laid out
| independent
/ Court confirms their determination, then the
Commissioners can fix the route and that too
Independent of all parties. All that has
TO be done within sixty days. The only way they can
DO it is to Immediately resolve that they propose to lay
certain route then draw up form Of consent and
get 200 800 go the blocks present to the
property for their signatures refusal and
then, il they have majority, proclaim and fix the
route If they dnd they have not majority they can
ask the judges OF the Supreme Court General Term
come IN and sit specially for the purpose Of appointing
commissioners 10 sit Immediately notice
upon every property owner interested TO show
why the consent should not be granted then have the
General Term reconvened TO confirm the report If in
favor Of granting the consent Then, after the Gen
era Term confirms the report the commissioners must
pass a resolution declaring that be the route
Not until all this is done, said Mr. Roosevelt 'is
section 4 complied with Unless all that is accom-
pshed between and September s the present Com
mission is out OF office and all their subsequent acts
will be null and void This is certainly the meaning Of
the law and wish the Commission understood H. Tho
mere naming of route within sixty days is not
pance with the act 1t must be officially proclaimed
IL was ascertaned yesterday that conferences havo
been had between certain street car officials with
view of raising money to induce small property owners
on the line OF any route selected refuse their con-
sent and il understood that certain property owners
interested rapid transit will apply 10 the courts for
injunction to RESTRAIN the Commissioners unless the
route legally proclaimed before September s. and
! prevent them tampering with the matter further
The following letter was yesterday sent TO the Com
mission by the Messrs Cornell in refutaon Of state
menks made On Thursday in the Board OF Aldermen
NRw YORK, August 20 1873
Hon. JosSru sELreMAS President of Rapid Transit
Commission
DEAR SIR--We understand that IL Is publicly asserted
that object in proposing route and plan Of con
struction for rapid transit railway commit the
Commission TO route and plans and then 10 refrain
from their execution, Is said are acting in con-
with another we'll known parties who are in
mica to the establishment Of rapid transit in its fullest
sense especially on the east rdo OF town and that
these false statements made argument against
the adoption OF our proposition by the Commission.
In view OF the foregoing take the opportunity to
write to the Commission assuring them that all such