The New York herald., 1875-09-12
RAPID TRANSIT.
Three Million Dollars To Be Raised by the
Horse Car Companies to Defeat 1t.
LOOK OUT FOR THE PEOPLES ENEMIES

LOOK OUT FOR THE PEOPLES ENEMIES.
II the people not to be cheated out Of the great
blessings OF rapid transit it high time that they
should awaken TO a Of the determined opposition
that will be made against il by the horse companies
It has been hinted for time in certain we'll in
formed circles that these worthy gentlemen were very
active in trying to devise effective by which the
accomplishment of rapid transit could be defeated
Yesterday the writer informed reliable author
ity that almost daily conferences between the prcsi
dents and other officers have been held during the past
week in a certain Office down town, and that large
fund has been established on which they will be abh
TO draw in their upon the peoples best interests
When it is remembered that for years it a
OF notoriey that the horse car companies had ample
funds at Albany by which they succeeded in defeating
rapid transit from session to session. this Information
will seem reliable enough The gentleman who gave II
said that the street companies would be willing
TO SPEND THREE MILLION DOLLARS
II they could thereby defeat rapid transit and quoted
the president of company authority for the state
ment that fund Of that is to be raised for hs
purpose. Considering that Mr. Hart is said to have
declared the Third avenue line alone would be willing
to cxpend 600 0o0 the statement docs certainly not
exaggerated But if it be exaggerated
right that the people should know OF these underhanded
efforts defeat their will The president alluded
to said that the surface companies opposed to
rapid transit. Oh, MOI They only opposed to 10.
eating road on of "ther avenues. Gwen give
you rapid transit " this gentleman said to engineer
who protested against such opposition; we'll build
the road ourselves, if you only give us tho route"
And what route does the reader suppose he proposcdP
Fifth avenuel The very avenue in which it would be
utterly impossible to build it,
DIFFICULTIES
What the tactics OF these of the people will
be, it Is as yet impossible to say They shroud them
selves in an almost mpcnerable pail of secrecy But
the fruits OF their daily conferences WILL no doubt soon
transpire 1t is difficult what legal foothold the
horse car companies have for their opposition Well
informed lawyers and real owners agree with Com
modore Garrison in his opinion that not even the con-
sent Of the property the Third avenue
qurcd The probability is however that the New York
Elevated Company will to avoid any future legal ques-
on go straight before the Supreme Court and ask foI
the appointment of the commission which is decide
whether the objection of the property owners should
rghtuly be sustained not OH action of these COM
mlssoners nobody entertans any fear, the present
judges Of the Supreme Court OF this dis
trict enjoy the respect of the people. In
the good old Ring days it would have
been different, and 1t would probably not take
So. .OOO 900 to obtain injunction stopping tho work
But it is different now In this connection 1t may also
be we'll to remark that only Justice of the Supreme
Court can issue an injunction of thus kind, that the
rapid transit companies will not be annoyed by any
preliminary skirmishes in the smaller courts
QUESTION EXPENSE.
II was stated in yesterdays HERALD that the New
York Company desire submit their plans and spccin-
cations Tuesday to the Commissioners What these
Will be cannot bo told as yet. There mpor.
tant questions at issue between the company and
of the Commissioners, notably affecting the point Of
expense The company are dcsirous Of building good
and safe roads, but want TO do IL cheapy theJ
can, in order 10 enlist the hearty cooperation Of capi
tai Some of the Commissioners, the other hand,
thnk the question OF expense is of comparatively
slight account and while the company would scarcely
Ike to build a structure requiring an outlay of more
than 1850 900 or $400 900 per mile Gncudng cquip-
mcnt they are in favor Of that would involve
expenditure of from s45O,0O0 to $780, 600 That these
differences of opinion will be reconced 10 the saslac-
tion of both parties cannot be doubted for a moment
LIGHT ROLLING STOCK DESIRABLE
One question on which this difference has arispn a
that of the weight OF the rolling stock. AT present the
engines OF the New York Company weigh four and a
half tons and their cars Ave tons each The company
contend that this size is sufficient but of the Com
missoncrs favor engines of eight tons weight and
in proportion TINS would require a corresponding in
crease of the strength of the structure and involve
large outlay while the company claim adequate
benefits would be reaped The present engines
draw three or four cars and longer trains not de-
srable, as they Interfere with frequent and short
soppagcs. Besides there is greater chance for the
use OF shoddy material in the construction of heavy
engines and cars than in that Of light ones which
always require the very best material in the market
Without sacrificing any of the elements of safety
strength the Commissioners WILL doubt yield to thu
company on this question of expense lar II isAn
their power 10 do So capitalists seem to be deter
mined TO withdraw at once the structure is needlcssly
expensive.
THREE OR POUR TRACKS NECESSARY
There Will probably be four stations in every mile
the Third avenue elevated road and the probability is
that trains will be run every minute The company de-
sire three or four tracks this avenue, but whether
the Commissioners will grant than two tracks APP
pears somewhat doubtful The company think that two
tracks wouldn't accommodate the immense traffic, and
that at least one extra track would be necessary for the
express trains. What this traffic will be in a few years
few can foresee. Already the slow and uncomiort-
able Third avenue horse (Which everybody who
avoids carry 80 O00 600 passengers ycaronc nth OF
ali the passengers carried by the street OF New
York city. Tue elevated railway will swell this number
enormously, and in very few years the traffic the
Third avenue Gpcludjng the elevated and the surface
road will no doubt be so 000000 This is the opinion
oin OF men who have, have given years of earnest
would be satisfied with dividend of ten per cent but
this is very low figure indeed and experts say that
an elevated road the Third avenue, built for $3.50 900
or $500 900 per mile including equipment would GER
tanly, with good management and especially, low
fares pay not less than fifteen or twenty pcr cent ON the
capital invested
THE GREENWICH STREET EXTENSION
The extension of the Greenwich street road, on the
Ninth avenue Is making steady progress The founda-
tions have been put in TO Fiftieh street, and
the superstructure will be set up next week. large
number OF workmen employed on this work. which,
however, is done exclusively by contract The open.
ing of the road to Forty street is looked forward
to with great cagerness by the residents Of
of whom already contemplating with dc.
light the prospect of being able TO reach the Battery
twenty minutes The running Of trains to the Park
from the LIST of November will also be a great boon
the residents the Park we'll to visitors from
the lower part OF the city.
Negotiations are being carried forward between
the Washington Heights Association, Mr. Haven Prcs
dent, and the West Side Association, W. T. Blodget,
President, and the New York Company with view to
co operate with the latter in pushing the road up
quickly TO Kingsbridge joint committee OF the two
associations is to be appointed week confer with
the company in regard TO the financial aid which thoy
deem desirable These associations contain many
igh nj
parativcly little value aud would he valuable II
they had rapid transit 10 KingsbridRc