The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-03
Insidious Opposition to Rapid Tran

Insidious Opposition to Rapid Tran
There is pending in the Assembly bill,
introduced, we regret to say, by New
York city member from whom better things
were expected. which, under a mask Of zeal
for private rights, aims q deadly stab at
rapid transit Members from this city who
act in such obvious completely with the
horse car companies ought to be well paid
by their clients for FORGETTING the confidence
of their constituents. Certain it is that no
member from this city who, either openly or
covertly, obstructs rapid transit will ever
again be put by New York votes in posi-
ton to abuse a public trust. The foes of
hundreds; its jealous friends are numbered
by hundreds of thousands The hundreds
may be rich enough to buy recreant Assem-
blymen, but the hundreds of thousands
possess votes enough to prevent the re-elec-
ton of any man who is false to their inter-
ests They might perhaps be deceived if
the press were not SO vigilant; but the
sleepless press of this city is nearly unan-
imous in support of rapid transit, and
is spotting every man in the Legis-
lature who cares more for the horse
car companies than for his constitu-
ents. If any such man should hereafter be
candidate for reelection to the Legisla-
ture or for any other Office the press will put
his conduct in such light that voters will
repudiate and humiliate him. We accord a
space for repentance to members who have
acted we'll in other respects but we warn
them that they need expect no indulgence
if they persist in the bad course on which
they have entered.
Of course, nobody contests the principle
that when private property is taken for a
public use it's owners are entitled to COM
pensation. But this principle must be
taken in its ordinary and just sense. The
streets Of this city are not private but
public property. When public property is
applied to new public use not inconsistent
tination, it is absurd to raise the question
of compensation. The streets belong to the
public they are devoted to the convenience
of travel they are not diverted from their
proper use by making them the medium of
additional facilities for transit But it is
pretended that steam railroads in the streets
are an injury to the property which fronts
on such streets. This idea would not have
occurred to the property owners if it had
not been drilled into them by the
agents Of the horse car companies.
Steam railroads are in truth no more
an injury than the horse railroads. They
injure property for some uses, but greatly
enhance its value for other uses People
who are at oil fastidious or love quiet do
not prefer to reside on a street which is sub
ject to the perpetual noise of horse rail
road But, on the other hand, the occupants
Of stores select such streets by choice. A
business location is valuable in proportion
to the number of people who pass. The
whole route of the Third Avenue Railroad
from the City Hall to Harlem Bridge is a
continuous line of stores, and the same is
true of the Sixth, Eighth and Ninth avenue
routes up to Central Park. The rents received
for such property is altogether higher than it
could be for mere residences. Rapid tran
sit will cause still greater multitudes to
throng, during all hours of the day, through
the streets and avenues which have this adj
vantage, thereby adding to the value of
property for business purposes. AT present
the ground floors on the avenues are occu-
pied as stores and the higher floors as tene-
ments With rapid transit the second
stories will be deserted as tenements and oc-
cupied as stores, to the great advantage of
the owners. No family wishes the passen-
gers on an elevated road to be constantly
peering into their windows, but shop
keepers court what is SO annoying to fami-
lies. The stories on the avenues which are
on the same level with the rapid transit
cars will be filled with goods offered for
sale, and the attention Of passengers will be
solicited by snowy displays in the windows.
AS the horse cars have trebled the rent Of
the ground floors by converting them into
shops, 80 the elevated roads will do the
private families will be driven out, involv-
ing some loss of rent during the transition
period, and their places will be taken by q
more profitable class Of trading tenants.
Thes ultimate effect on property will be
highly beneficial. The interests of its own
ers are not identical with those of the horse
car companies, but with the success Of rapid
transit.
Bismnrck's Retirement.
1t is always difficult to credit the actual
occurrence of an event which, having been