New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-12
VIEWS OF BUSINESS MEN.

RETAIL TRADE FOLLOWING The STREET RAILROADS
OPPOSITION OF JUDGE HmToN-scHEME OF
THE FoRrY-sECOND-sTREET COMPANY.
The argument which has been used against
a surface railroad Broadway in former years
that it was imrortant shat should be
kept free for carriages aud tor street parallels
few years ago scarcely property owner merchant
could e found ON tie street who wOnld not have
posed the building of such road with a his power.
change has brought about ny the steady removal
Of retail business GO streets through which sur.
face railroads run. When The Broadway and UHi
vcrsliy Place Railroad was built, broadway above
Unlon-square almost entirely oiled with resi-
denCes and the largest houses doing business there
IN lower Broadway The change, II IS believed Ivy
mauy IS not entirely due TO the fact that the population
OF New-York is moving toward the npHer end Of the
island The rapid growth Ofreail trade IL SXtnaye aud
Fourieenths Is attributed the influence OF street
railroads. It is certai that merchants and prop
ertyowners on Broadway have changed their view,
within a few years.
member Of the dry-goods firm of CoulClina
& Co., No. 500 Broadway, said yesterday that
when he was asked his opinion few
weeks ago. both he and Mr.. Conkling replied
they thought there ought be street free from
railroad tracks, and that this ought 10 be Broadway
They had given the subject special consideration;
their business had grown steadily aud IL dad not
CURED to them that it might have deve O0ed
more rapidly. since then he had looked around
Fourtepnh-st and along sixthave.. and had found the
crowds greater than the neighborhoOd Of his store.
The retail trade had followed the street railway lines.
and he had become convinced bt Broadway must have
q railroad cease to be shopping street. While de-
batting the matter with himself, he had dis
cussed 1t win others, and lie did not know
merchant the street WHO did not feei the necessity
Of having a road. Another merchant spoke OF the
empty in Broadway, and said thai their owners
were beginning TO realize that there was only one
way in which TO I'LL them.
JUDGE HILTON's OPPOSITION.
When Broadway railroad scheme was defeated
several years ago. largely through the influence OF the
late A. 7. stewlP Judge Hilton was his legal
adviser The Judge now probably represents
larger OF property along the proposed route than
any other rersOn-the wholesale andretai stores OF A
T. Stewart Co.. and the METROPOLITAN and Park Avenue
HOTELS beside other buildings. He was asked yesterday
in regard to his present views OF the advantage to PROC
eEty.bollers OF sur-ace road on Broadway. lie
answered that he had opposed such road years ago
and had heard no argument and seen no reason fof
changing his position
Mr. Ashman of the Sinclair House. at Eighthst. and
broadway has advocated the building OF a railroad
through Broadway for some time past, and has can
vassed the subject with many merchants and property
holders He said yesterday that he did not know OF
single person who now opposed TO a railroad.
There are" he id. thrty-four stores to let
between Uuiou-square and Houston-st The retail
trade is leaving us. and the Wholesale trade Will
not he here for years at least Colamore moved up
to Twentethst, and paid higher rent for smaller
store because he compelled TO. 9th rs have done
d d9s ss $500 SP1 OF real estate on Brosdway be-
tween UniOn-square and the Battery. The ques.
OF pD JuIS and St. Patricf's Day Daradcsi The plea
used be that wanted Broadway kept free for car
streets which have railroads, TWENTY-FIVE to ore, than
lower Broadway. The carriages have followed
IN Inns am ed
road OO company am anxious only for the
81 my me %9Sn ATenme asE he
University Place Railroads unite at Unon-squaTe and
run their cars the track there - room Tor
bo1h" Mr. Ashman said that those who strongly
favored railroad Brooks Brothers, George sloane,
Baldwin. the cOthier the proprct0rs OF the ST. Nicholas
the Now-York and the ST. Denis Hotels and many oth'
THE FoRTY-SECoND STREET RAILROAD SCHEME
Il is believed that the Forty-secOnd Street,
Manhattanville and ST. Nicholas Avenue Railroad Com
pany will apply the Common Council for permission
TO extend their from Forty st. under PARK.
ave. through Fourthave. to UnlOnsquare, and thence
down Broadway to the Battery; and it is rumOred
that the same body which granted permission to
that company to lay its tracks through Forty
secopd-st from river TO river, will not refuse
10 grant this request Il is said that the company
claims to have obtained the consent OF majority OF the
property owners along the proposed route aud that t
maintains it's power build the road with the consent
II advanced In regard to tho Forty-second
Street extension The facts in relation to this COM
many were stated Ivy q prominent railroad man.
substantially as follows: "In 1873 grant
was given 10 certain persons by the Leslsa'
ture TO build a street railroad through TenthaVe.
and st. Nicholasave. 20 Manhatanvllle, ana through
Harlem TO some point the East River. In January
1873 the amendments to the Constitution took eHect
which prohibited the Legislature nom passing .pcCai
acts in relation, among other things, 70 sVc't L".,
roads For these general act Is required ana 10 ge
eal railrOad has since been passed Before street
railroad can be built The consent OF msiodS NJ S b
iained II 10 therefore claimed by property, o
5d h ne same scp % railroad G0 act
shall he passed, any consent by the Common CO1hcn
I YORK. h Is Wtaon legal effect The Forty second street
Company, however, rely upon the amendment OF io'o
TO tie general railroad act giving steam RAILROADS q
right to change the ends OF their rones IRON county 70
county. Tue best lawyers who nave been cOhsuNeoVn
this point say that IL cannot be so construed rs 70 aB
to tho proposed extensions OF the ST. Nicholas ave
Company. Chauncey Depew Is among lh9se CIV NV
have expressed this opinion very emphatleaV Si'ei
careful examination Of the subject. -,
"As tho consent Of minority OF the propertnou
Uuionsquare to oustCn-st, the owners would DC EN-
to have the road, and are fully convinced OF he a.,
sghteduess OF the Oley OF stewart anu below
verted the Broadway Railroad into side streets DIV
UnousQuare aud thus sent the retail business qID,
them ana on 20 FOureenth-s aud SiXtaye. Below NOUS
tonst in the whOleale portions OF the street. %
would be opposed; but the property on f9n lrlay
from Forty secOnds to Union square ana on III
to HOustOn-s, would come near luIiblns Inv
proposed route. On 4OurtI-aNe'g INC CVlupa,
would II necessary by the side OF the tracks now
bu bur lt Is claimed that Vanderbilt Is with then anu
would arrange that tho new company cOulu Use ms
tracks don't know whether that Is true or not Ihey
nn do nothing however, until general act Is passed,
and the people have no occasion 70 Dc u9uoed
about IT, When this act shall have been passed any
comoany preparing to build Will have 10 proceed uer
H. When that time comes, II Is not hEey that IRe
emit broadway Railroad Company VIII DE laiei II az NJ
r,,d il IN be built through lower BroadWay mat Is lo
companv which ought to build II, RS II mas the 1ppsr
mart of the street II It does not ana anSlher UI
In ahead IL NAV as we'll shut up shop No one VIII sate
! 70 ride up 10 Uulon-sQuare through the ,hh alrOh
/ RToadwav al the same pTlce. Inc ehccIs
| will however, take no steps until the Les lis
| loture prepares the way; they are not men VINO