The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-20
Shall the People of New York Be
PrOtectedg

ported that al arrangement mas DecH niouo
between the two rapid transit railroad COM
panies by which monopoly of the bust
ness is to be practically secured The
New York Elevated Company is said to
agree under this arrangement to give up
the west side of the city to the Gilbert Ele-
waited Company, while the latter on its part
leaves the New York Elevated in sole pos
session of the east side The Ninth avenue
line is, according to this story, to be virtu-
ally made over to the Gilbert corporation,
which in return abandons the construction
of it's east side road along Second avenue.
The proposition for the combination is said
TO have originated with Mr.. Cyrus w. Field,
and is not new idea. The monopoly
policy has been persistently pursued by
him in the management of the Atlantic
cable, which owed its success mainly
to his energy, perseverance and unyielding
faith. Mr.. Field has believed that
it is better to enjoy monopoly with small
business and large profits than to be subject
to competition with small profits and large
business. We believe this has been mis-
take in the cable management, and would
be a greater mistake in the management Of
rapid transit. The original heavy charges
over the ocean wires encouraged the con-
struction Of rival lines, and the purchase of
these at more than their value for the pur-
pose of perpetuating the monopoly has
been one cause Of the continuance of rates
too high to bring the cable into that general
use which low charges would insure. The
maximum rate of fare on the elevated rail-
roads is, lit is true, fixed by law, and no mo-
nopolya could exceed, it, But there is no
reason why the-fare should be kept at the
maximum rate. If byeempettion the rapid
transit lines can be made to carry all pas
sengers from Harlem for six cents, and from
Sixty. 18th street for five cents, as the Third
avenue horse cars now do and still realize
profit, there is no reason why the public
should not reap the advantage. more i'm
portant consideration, however, is that COM
petition will insure from all the roads suffi-
cient accommodations for the people who
use them, and not leave the companies at
liberty to measure the service they are will
ing to render to the public by the standard
of their own profit.
The rapid transit corporations will be dis
appointed if they expect at once to make
large fortunes out of their enterprises The
people require to be educated up to the use
of elevated railways, and this can best
be done by giving them swell managed
roads, cheap fares and ample. accommoda-
tons When the lines become popular and
are in general use they will build up their
own business by drawing population along
their several routes. In the early days of
street railroads it was feared that there
would be no business for some of them
above certain points, and that others would
not find enough people along their lines to
make the enterprises remunerative. The
Second Avenue Company with its long route
had hard struggle for some time, but it
built up its own traffic by creating neigh
borhood, as all the other through lines have
done in the upper part of the city. The
rapid transit roads find a population
already spread along their routes, but
they will soon increase the numbers
and will build up their own business
rs the horse railroads have done before
them. If, therefore, the managers Of those
corporations suppose that there will be only
enough traffic to support the Gilbert road
on the west side and the New York Ele-
waited on the east side they take a narrow
view Of the future of rapid transit. There
will be business enough for ALL and the
greater the accommodation afforded to the
public the larger will be the travel on all
the routes. The monopoly idea if carried
out would be injurious to the companies as
we'll rs unjust to the people.
1t is true that the subordinate officers of
ment or combination. But neither Mr..
Field nor Mr.. Pullman, between whom the
negotiations are alleged to be pending, are
in town, and it would be more desirable that
their refutation of the story should be
given. 1t is not probable that the policy
would be generally known at present even
if it had been already decided upon. At all
events the rumor is of sufficient importance
to demand investigation and to render i'm
peratiye the proper protection of the public.
There is no good reason why the people of
New, York, who have freely given these val
liable franchises to the rapid transit corpo-
rations, should not be guaranteed by direct
legislation in their proper use and manage
ment. Why should objection be made to
the passage OF law requiring night trains
to be run on all the roads mt not less than
halt hour intervals, and compelling the
completion of all the routes under penalty
of forfeiture, unless there is a secret inten-
ton to build only such portions OF the lines
as will be likely to prove Immediately prof
table and to run only as many trains and
Mt such hours as will insure remunerative
loads? Corporations have never yet
been found generous and self-sacrifcing
when their nrotits have been involved