The New York herald., 1878-11-24
RAILROAD SCHEMERS.


THE FoRrY-sEcoND STREET ST. NICHOLAS AVE-
NUE. AND MANHArrANvILLE RAILROAD COM
PANY AGAIN BEFORE THE ALDEIMANIc COM
MIrTEE-rHE OPPONENTS OF THE MEASURE
HEARD
The Forty-second Street. st. Nicholas Avenue and
Manhattan,iilc Railroad Companys petition to the
Common Council. requesting authority to change
their route in scb rlanner as to bring the road in
communication with the upper portion oi the vest
side district aga up for consideration yesterday
before the Aldermanic Committee Railroads. At
the last meeting of the committee a partial hearing
was given to the advocates of the measure, repre-
senea by Simeon T.. Church, Cyrus Clarke, Henry
Kelly and other property owners, and these gentlemen
together with Fernando Wood and William I.aimbecr
appeared before the committee yesterday afternoon
in order to hear and try to refute the arguments
which might be made by those opp ,scd granting
the franchise unless adequate compensation
obtained for it, Many members OF the Council of
Political Reform have expressed themselves as being
not in favor of awarding the valuable franchise
any company, unless after public competition has
been invited, and the organization was represented
yesterday in the Aldermanic chamber by Mr.. Henry
n. Beers. A number of property owners and tax
payers of the upper par of the city also present
When the committee. whi h is composed of Messrs
Gunzcr. Reilly and Phillips. had taken their seats
Mr. Cyrus Clarke submitted to the committee short
statistical statement showing the number Of prop
erty who had signed the petition to have the
proposed road constructed. together with the
value Of the real estate which they owned
By the document it is shown that the owners
OF 652 lots had signed the petition, while
tho owners of 515 lots had not indorscd it.
The number of persons who are owners Of property
in the vicinity of the proposed road is given O7
or these 1875 have signed the petition The
value OF the property is put down S6,42s 500 The
owners OF $34dl 500 worth of tha property Pc
toned for the granting Of the privilege asked for by
the Forty-second Street Railroad Company In every
there is majority in favor of tho building of the
road. The majority in lots is given 137, in lot
owners as 53 and in value as Sa95, 100.
WHAT THE OPPONENTS SAY.
After the document had been handed to the COM
mittee Mr.. Simon Wormser spoke against granting
the asked by the railroad In the course of
few remarks he said that the city should not i'll any
way whatever contribute in the slightest degree
the dishgureincnt of such beautiful thorough
fare as the Grand Boulevard. The avenue had been
laid out ut great expense as public drive. and
it should be reserved exclusively for that purpose.
vast amount OF money had been expended in i'm
proving the Boulevard. and yet it was proposed
to make the avenue common horse mway.
There had been gentlemen who had argued that it
would be for the best interests OF the city, well
for their individual interests, il road should be
built proposed But he thought the property
would not be improved very much even ii such rail.
road put in operation. The gentlemen had the
Eighth and the Ninth roads and he did not
think anybody would claim that they We're the
west side of the city. He OF opinion that what
was wanted in the upper part of the city ele
waited road. That and that only would improve prop
erty in very great degree.
Mr. Henry n. Beers then spoke for few moments
in opposition to the views or the property owners
present He said that the franchise asked for should
not be given to the Forty street Railroad Com
pany unless it first put up at public auction and
that company happened to be the highest bidder.
Neither himself nor the other members OF tho or
ganization to which he belonged considered that it
would be right to give such valuable privilege away
| for nothing.
| Mr.. wooD-H your suggestion were adopted no
| railroad could he built. The competing lines
would all organize aud buy up the franchise, and yet
| never lay track.
| Mr.. BEEns--I don't think you right Mr. Wood
S3o00O0 all the valuable franchises hch it had
in its gift Instead of that II only gets q nomi-
nal sum--only q few thousand dollars am asans st
giving away any more valuable privileges, and
think the best to prevent this is by selling them
ut public auction.
Mr.. William H. Laimbeer, in long address, sought
to prove that the proposed road great
to those residing in the upper district. In relation
to what had been said in reference to the influence
wished to say that that road had done great deal Of
good. more good. probably. than people ina
gined. But another road wanted the side.
just such road. for instance, proposed to be
built by the Forty-second Street St. Nicholas Avenue
and Manhatanville Railroad Campany. Mr. Laimbecr
then gave some data which he had collected in rca-
ton to the value OF property the east and west
journed Among the gentlemen who present,
but who did not take prominent part in the discus
sion. were ex-Park Commissioner William r. Martin,
Mr. Thomas T.. Stewart and MIR. Knox.