The New York herald., 1878-03-03
Rapid Transit and the Pubic In-
terests. .


The energy with which the work of con-
struction has been pushed forward on the
two rapid transit railroad lines since the
removal of the legal difficulties and the
yigor with which the light in the courts has
been prosecuted to q successful termination
by both the Gilbert and New York Elevated
companies tend to show how much better
the public interests are subserved by IN
trusting such Improvements to private en-
terprise than by leaving them to be carried
out by the city government. II the city had
undertaken to build the Sixth and Third
avenue elevated roads the lawyers would
still have been realizing heavy fees
out of injunction proceedings, and the
ground would scarcely have been broken
for the foundations of the columns. Litl-
cation has been one of the most productive
placers worked by our municipal rulers
and no decision as to the constitutionallty
of the Rapid Transit act would have been
reached until the counsels' fees had equalled
in magnitude even those of the Ring prose-
cutions. AS it is the handsome Gilbert
structure already spans the greater part OF
the first section of the Sixth avenue route,
while the columns of the New York Ele-
waited Company are now springing up rap
idly on Third avenue, where they seem
to stand as SO many sentinels to
guard rapid transit from any future
attack. According to the statements OF
the officers of the two lines the people may
expect to be carried over the Gilbert road
from the Battery to Forty-second street by
the 1st day of May next, and over the Third
avenue route by the end of July II the
two lines shall. be fairly in operation by
August or September next the companies
will be entitled to credit for their energy
and the people will be well satisfied. This
will be sooner than any one dared to hope
six months ago, when the rival interests
were evincing determination to resort to
every possible device, legitimate or illegiti-
mate. to obstruct the work, and will be two
or three years earlier than the roads would
have been completed if they had been built
by the city.
Of course the people Of New York are well
pleased to see the onward strides OF rapid
transit, but the full advantages of the i'm
proved locomotion will not be likely to
make themselves felt for year or two after
the completion Of the roads. Persons who
suppose that the whistle of the first through
train will end all our real estate and busi-
ness difficulties and pour millions into the
treasures of the companies are as mistaken
as are persons who predict that it will
sound the signal Of ruin to property owners
Ind bankruptcy to the roads. 1t will re-
| uuire some little time to educate our citi-
zens to the free use of the elevated lines;
to assure capital of their ultimate sue
| cess to create such. O demand for up
town residences ns will encourage liberal
investment in real estate and building
speculations. The street railroads did not
leap at once to their present profitable con-
dition and business. When the people
understood how great an improvement
horse cars were on the old stages they began
to patronize the former freely, and then
the city grew and business gathered along
the lines of the roads. When the people
| grow familiarized with the use of the
| elevated lines and discover what a
| great comfort and convenience they
| are the roads will have all the business
| they can do, and the important chonges
and Improvement that have been predicted
| rs the results Of rapid transit will be de-
veloped. But this is no reason why the
elevated railroad companies should dole
out their benefits to the public either by
| partial construction of their roads or by
| limitation of their accommodations. They
must not fall into the error of supposing
that their own profits are the only consider
alton with which they have any concern,
and that it is their privilege to study their
own gains and not the public convenience
in the manner in which they may construct
or operate their roads.
| These corporations may as we'll under
stand distinctly and at once that the valua-
BILE franchises they have secured were not
given them solely for their own profit. If
they labor under any such delusion it ought
to be promptly dispelled by Legislative ac-
ton Two of the best horse car lines in
| the citv, so far as relates to the accommoda-
ton of the public by the frequency with
which their cars are run and the regularity
| of their time tables, are those on Sixth
| and Third avenues Both will be, in
measure, superseded by the two
rapid transit lines. The steam cars will
necessarily push the horse cars aside
rs the latter in their day pushed aside the
old omnibuses. II the Gilbert road should
stop short at Fifty-ninth street and the
| Third Avenne at Sixty-first street citizens
living beyond those points would be worse
off than they now are, inasnuch rs their
present accogmodations would be decreased
and no new ones extended to them. If the
rapid transit companies should fail to run
trains at short intervals throughout the
night the hundreds of people who are
| 4l.,,, :. al oil to fraxel at ninht nlnnn Sixth