The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-03

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The meeting held at tho Chamber of Com
merce the other day by the merchants and
others in favor of rapid transit discussed,
among other questions. the probable cost Of
that improvement Some gentlemen thought
it would cost three millions, others five
millions and others again computed tho figures
at twelve millions. These calculations are
important, but We would remind the public
that the great question il what it will cost
not to have rapid transit Any sum, however
large, expended in practicable and adequate
road, would be economy as compared with the
extravagance of continued neglect. The
present method of transit has cost the city
of New York many millions of dollars already,
and every year adds millions more, the loss
increasing in more than arithmetical progress
sion. Every day that the metropolis remains
without sufficient means of transportation for
its vast population makes it's burden heavier.
So when the cost of building road il con-
sidered by our merchants let them remember
the cost of not building one, and be inspired
by the contrast to efforts even more determined
Iuhu tuO6o tIAoy uIo uOW uuAluBs
Those prominent citizens who have grown
up with New York, whose colossal fortunes
are invested here, whose names are identified
with the splendor of New York throughout
the country, should have an especial interest
in this view Of the subject Their wealth is
deprecated and their regulations are lessened
by the failure of the city to solve this problem
Of rapid transit Their personal stake in the
question is far greater than that of the
ordinary citizen, who has not the power to
remedy the evils by which he suffers. But
the capitalists of the city not only largely feel
and perceive the injury but possess the power
to remove it. This constitutes responsibility
which they cannot evade and which we gladly
believe they are willing to assume.
There is no doubt that twelve millions of
dollars would be sufficient to revolutionize
our present methods of transit-methods
which Contrast with our other achievements
as barbarism does with civilization. The
street cars, with their diseases and delays and
nuisances, disgrace metropolitan New York,
with her splendid streets, her pure water, her
gas system, her magnificent Park and all her
multitudinous achievements, as much as an
African nose ring would disfgure the fair face
of Fifth avenue belle. There ought not to
be the delay of week in securing the pledge
of twelve or fifteen millions to remove this
blot from our American civilization and
insure the reform which will begin new
career of prosperity for the city. There are
twelve gentlemen who could give New York
tomorrow the certainty Of rapid transit The
pledge of one million Of dollars each from
such wealthy citizens as Messrs. Astor,
Cooper, Stewart, Vanderbilt Anderson, Bel
mont, Duncan, Lenox, Tilden, Goelet, Brown
and Taylor, would iberate our city from its
chains, and make their names illustrious in
its annals. Contributions 80 princely and yet
so easily to be made from their imperial for
tunes would fly crown their careers and en-
title them to gratitude so long as New York
remains city. There is no surer method of
obtaining the sum required, and none which
would be of greater value to both the receiver
and the giver. And it is these gentlemen es-
pecially that we respectfully ask to remember,
when they estimate the cost of rapid transit,
what they have already lost for the want
of it, and what they would lose in wealth,
gratitude and national honor if they should
now neglect the golden opportunity of their
lives. They can be, if they choose, the re-
generators of the American metropolis.