New-York tribune., 1876-01-29
RAPID TRANSIT.
TILE PROGRESS MADE.

MAYOR wICKHAM's HOPEFUL VIEWS-IMPORTANCE
or THE TuIRD-AvE. RoUTE-THE PRINCIPAL
AIMS OF THE PRESENT CITY ADMINISTRATION
STATEMENTS or BURTON II. HARRisoN-THR
COMMISSIONERS, THE RAPID TRANSIT COMPANIES,
AND TIE PROPERTY-owNERs
The prospect that the recommendations and
plans Of the Board OF Rapid Transit Commissioners ap
pointed by Mayor Wckham July l. 1873, VIII he car
ried out is believed be good by the city officials and
by the elevated railroad companies. Mayor Wickhan
told TRIBUNE reporter yesterday that while he could
not foreshadow the action OF the Commissioners ap-
pointed 10 listen TO the objections OF property he
hoped they would 6nd it desirable to use Thirdave be-
per cent OF the population OF the city believed
that the Thraye route wOd subscrye more interests
than any other feasible route authorized. and woud
njure az few interests any other route The Mayor
then said "The prOpertyOwners on Thirdaver ana
especially the Third Avenue Railroad Company, will
find, think. that their property will Increase III value
tho elevated railroad is built there. remember that
ia 1851 '52. when horse cars wero Drought
into general use, the property owners on inc Ird s'h
and Eghthaves made the same objections to the horse
car lines that being made by the Thrdave people to
the Elevat ID road the property owners on these
avenues could not induced 10 dispense with the horse
cars The removal Of the would cause their prop
erty 10 dcprcciate. When consider the Increased
value which will be placed property In the upper part
OF the island and apply to the case that excellent demo
cratic principle The greatest good to the greatest
number the interests Of avery small minority cannot
,erousiy embarrass and ougnt not to embarras5, pun
lie enterprise which has become great public necessity
II has been the ambition Of my administration to secure
good police force, honest government ana rsplu uah
sit I think we have made good beginning ana am
more than ever hopeful successful issue, satisfactory
TO a majority OF our cithene'
The reporter also had conversation with Col lfalr-
SON the Mayors private secretary and secretary OF the
late Rapid Transit Commission, who Is familiar with the
latest aspccs Of the controversy with the Third Avenue
Rail- ,ad Company aud property ty-hoders. He said;
Under the law. granting OF steam railways for
streets o public use for the general convenience and
advantage Of al the people, no, Tho ony oGniyonisl el
sioncrs appointed by the Mayor In pursuance of tie
law after thorough investigations and fnll inquiry made
their selections and In the langage o the law @ nH'
determined, and located the routes along certain
streets In selecting Thrdave. as the best route oI
communication between the two ends oi 'he thss
Commissioners supported by every nu" the al
ing spapers OF the many person. "l' III answer 10
lore the commissioners addressed their communica-
tns in writing on The subject OF r%, tne oin o p@
sition 10 the s'cciloh ol rt mn, ,i "
the President and directors OF the lhird Avenue
Railroad Company, which for many years has had mon
opoy Of he travel over that route AZ an enormous trout
The vote by which tie Rapid transit commissioners
selected that uuannous The reasons ioi tIat
selection occur TO any one ~ az Iinal ~, M M
of the city aud the geography ~ the l~ihl 1T IN tue
route most convenient to all the people who require
rapid transit ~ IL HlEu' uitl ho'" & t ~,
acon thus taken by the Legislature and 10y me RaI
Company not authorized to construct or operate
a steam railway upon the cast side 81 the cltY thout
the consent of ~ half in value - The al
lullS r"i r 10 ~, n,t -, t,,reo Comnt.snucrs az.
pnintcd bv the Supreme Court Tho railroad company
does not admit that IA De proper CONSTRUCTION Of tho
law or of the recent amendments to the Constitution
"a r,.r.nrc to street railroads" Insisting that
street railroad Is tIBg teclnlca| ahd IN fict an
ferrut nom steam railway" 81 the kind The Sew York
Elevated Railroad under s charter and the RAPID Tran
sit law auihuled to construct and operate along Third
ave- mat they are supported 10y the opinions of
sone lawyers IN the ctV. But - surh an IN
tcrpetition of the law aud Constitution could probably
be- established only by decision 0i thr our OF ApIai,
and er a long ltigon " AZ nll the Company was adj
ysod time by proceeding to procure tic consent
OF the property holders along me route neipIe
the work construction. Failing 20 get that Tie toh'
pany applied To the General Term OF the supreme
Court ior appointment oi httc !" u' NJ
parties Interested and then To- decide whether consent
should be f'Sn IN 10y 10y onny GG ,yr tba s tbe univ .on
before hem for decision IL VIE ther "a public Interests
TO be advanced by ti eon' rnoion & o, iy ,%i ~ @
uryate interests ~ individual owners "f property,
and who eIn no" mi I"4yy qy pn rat ISn, qnet"n 1t Is
claimed that every resident Of the c,iy ,,i n
and ven # the Commissioners shall decide that they are
moi rrauircd by the law hear any one except the r
ahi to claim that the commissioners may In their dscre
lion hear any aud every e-e who desires To- be heard
non as 10 the aud amount o The public interests
involved The COMMISSIONER are not limited by the law
to who they may near even il not i"luicu ~ h''i
Any person purchasing property situated on public
u0yancfs which may arise from any public and proper
us OF that highway and II not to be expected lhat
the owners of property along ihiIdVe can snow that
euch damage likely Ia result To them from RAPID tran
st ons that route WILL 80 far - the public Is con
the enormous app ecaton Of property throughout the
upper half OF the Island aud The great convenience to all
tie people OF the city which Will be secured by con-ruc
ton OF the railway. Independent Of every other consider
aon we must rrcoect tnat az the values opfopery ARC
apurefiaed aud more equally distributed throughout
the cy tho rresent burden Of taxation Will he greatly
lrht,ed 1t Of course quite natural that every one
uuNe sic
other than the which lie resides, though still
within pycnicnt access for his own use Wherever IL
goes ii will annoyance n not damage To sOuIebody
aud the Rapid Transit COMMISSIONER VINO selected the
roues n ocatt did entirely in the public interest.
You will iud that nearly all the opposition To rapid tran
sit is really tgated by one or another of the horsccar
compani,s though there some individual property
ownprs who sincere In their personal expressions Of
opposition
Joseph segInan. OF the Rapid Transit Commission
crs appointed July said he confident that the
road would be built up Thlrdave, in accordance with
tho wishes OF a majority OF ctizens Ho thought the
sxthave line would be running to Central Park by the
4th OF July next aud unless 1t were found that Third
ave property owners could obtain heavy damages,
which he did not expect that line would DO constructed
TO the Forty y-sccond Street Depot hy October next.
The Gilbert Elevated Railroad Company Is about to
close contracts the material OF part OF the Sixth
ave line. II the Thrdave. route is secured, the Gil
bert Company will probably unite with the NewYork
Elevated Railroad Company for the early completion OF
the Third-ave. line The latter company has resolved
10 place ten cars ana four new thiilin,s on the
Greenwich-st. line. The dummies will have y by
lOinch driving pistons instead Of the by l0nch, with
which the old ones are furnished The company viii
also build four switches, the most important Of
which, 1000 feet long, will be from Elevcntlst. to
Nnthave. These improvements VIII cost 100000 aud
will increase the carrying capacity OF the road and
somewhat diminish the average running time between
the Park and the Battery, there will be fewer delays
10 allow trains 10 pass.
OPPOSITION FROM EIGHTHAYE.