The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-06-23
VIM III. V.iNDLRBILT Talks.
How New York city IL killing Her Com
merce-Contrnst with Other Ciues

called on VIM. II. Vanderbilt, and asked
him whathe had to ayabout the terminal facili-
ties of the New York Central Railroad.
i have this to say" he said. New York city
is killing her own commerce as rapidly as she
can. The Sun has taken the right view OF this
all along Baltimore and Philadelphia arc ex-
tending all the aid and courtesy they can to the
Baltimore and Ohio and the Pennsylvania Rail-
rouds. Baltimore and Philadelphia allow these
roads to run their tracks right down to the
wharvcs, SO that they can unload their merchan-
disc direct from the freight cars into the ocean
steamers without any trucking What does
New York city do2 Why. she compels us to
or transport it on lighters. at great expense.
from our SlXtleth street depot. u costs us. or
10 81 TO cart each ton Of freight from our freight
cars TO the ocean steamship"
And this so cents per ton the citizens OF Bal
ilmore ana pennsylvania do not have TO pay p
10. Baltimore and Philadelphia to kin our
commerce.. are glad to grant those roads this
privilege, and these roads, TO kill New York. are
glad TO avail themsclves Of It, The fact is" said
Mr.. Vanderbilt New York taxes her own com
ioned, noisy street-clogging trucks and then
wonders why shippers prefer to send their
freight through other cities free"
:. tell you I'm getting tired Of working for
New York-almost tired OF trying to keep COM
mcrce here when the city blindly. blocks the
wheels OF hcr own progress, and ioolishly taxes
What, would you Dc. the city did not bllndly
Simply this: You know our Hudson river
track runs down West street to Canal street
then turns into Canal. runs up Hudson, and
ends in St.John's Park We also have track rs
FAR rs jay street.-The American Express Office.
You know we used 10 have n freight depot
whore College place now is. We'll. a little way
from Canal street. arc tho piers Of the White
star Limo. which they lcasc Of the city, These
docks are a few si.Ps ~ Nov, it is simply a9-
would take the cars along side of the steamers.
la fact. the city, II it had its own good interests
switch. and TINS save the street from being
cQggcd up with trucks and drays."
but me Whoi" argument q the antl-chcap
transportation people Is that the cars Will clog
" That is all nonsense Do we ohstruct Fourth
avenue? Why. We would run all our freight
cars with dummies between two O'Clock in the
morning and daylight. We would do all our
frcighting IN the night when the streets are de-
clog the street! Why. we will guarantee 10 keep
the streets ten times as clear rs they are now"
what clse would y9u do II the city did not
We would run our freight cars on tho West
street truck now laid to the foot OF Barclay
street. Hero We have 600 feet " piers which
We bought Of the lthinclandcr estate. and here
We would unlond our ocean freight directly into
more and Philadelphia
And not clog the streets nor damage prop
mo, sir. We would do It all in the night. |
say when the owners Of the West street prop
rrty were asleep. and save that everlasting
street IN the day time. In a word, we would
run our freight cars direct down West street
over the track now laid and constru switches
80 ~ TO unload our transatlantic freight di-
rgcty ON 10 the White star. Inman, and other
steamer.
Who objects to it?"
" don't know 1t is hard to tell. Tho Board
a Aldernen gave " permission one ana ne
line never ought to have asked the privilege Of
tns city. IL WAS their pier and our road. They
ought 10 have gone ON ana !hid me switch or
asked ~ to have laid it, and We would have
Now what will you dog
ON. stand still. | suppose. and SEQ the city kill
herself. Tom ) oft und the Erie FOLKS are light
nl; the idea. Tom scott. because he wants Phil
adrlphia to steal our commerce. and the Lrie
people because II is impossible Tor them 70 have
tn same facilities on TINS side. though they
have them in Jersey city. and If We had them
there We would not want them mere. The cour-
tesy would bring SO To the city whore it would
bring 81 10 the New York Central Railroad. or
course the trurk mcn are opposed to II. They
would BE- out OF employment temporarily. but
~ and bv they would have enough to do.
Fr-ghts would IN 'rcase. and with the Increase
ui the city commerce tn.y would soon have
enough 10 do. With them II is the old fight OF
the stevrdores against tho ccyators-labor
against ma 'hincr5.
What do YOU got for carrying ton Of freight
from Buffalo t. New nrk ~
49, lAe uNrri.-' is s&.1l. - you see this extra
80 cents for truckage To- our shippers il u heavy
tax on our commerce and one which our road
cannot overcome. 1t Is also ataX which may cost
New York her commcrcial supremncy-a tax
foolish. blind. and against the welfare ofthc en-
tire community. Ii hurts real estate all over the
riiyand hurts the very people who own proper
ty along West street"
VIII the heit line 81 cars allow you to run
over their track from Canal street to tho foot Of
Bar'layf"
OF course. They run over our track from
Fity-uiuth street down. We own the track
above Canal. and they pay rs for using ii. OF
course they would let us run over H."
" hat the city really should do" said Mr.
vanderbilt, h. 10 let freight cars run clear
around on the belt railroad track To Whitehall
and deliver iroightto every pier and ilour ami
provisions To- all our wholesale Erocers. and
thus save them tits Tux OF tIurNagc.