New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-05
TIE CHI WEES STREET JOB.

TIE CHI VBERS STREET JOB.
The shameful Job which came to light IN
the Board of Aldermen the other day ought
10 he spollen of in very plain terms. Nc rea-
sonablc man can doubt that the approval OF a
crosstown railway in Chambers-st. was bought
and paid for We do not accuse any indiyid-
uar Alderman of selling his vote; but it Is
morally certain that the grant could not have
been obtained except by corrupt means. All
the circumstances connected with 1t are IN the
highest degree suspicious The scheme IL an
old one which has repeatedly been proved
miscbieyous 1t il revived in secrecy 1t II
pushed forward nobody will tell by whom II
is passed with indecent haste under the gag
of the previous question and with suggestive
remarks and ordinations from the Aldermen
who are in the plot nearly half its support
ers are men who have failed OF a reelection
and are about to retire into private life.
There is not one word 10 be said Ill defence
of the project, and the property are
violently opposed TO it. Upon every Alder
man who voted Ave seems 70 lie the burden
of proof that he is not Il rogue.
The resolution of course will be vetoed.
We trust that Mayor Cooper will express his
disapprova in such vigorous language that
universal attention Will be drawn to the char
acter of the scheme. and strength given 10
the opposition which must now be organized.
Aldermen enough are supposed to have been
secured to pass the resolution over the veto,
If they dare; but one or two may repent
when they are made aware OF the pubhc IN
dignatIOn. If they stand firm the projectors
of the road must then, according to the pro-
visions of the State Constitution. either obtain
The consent of the property owners-which IL
not to be looked for-or get m order from a
Supreme Court Judge TO appoint Commission
which will declare the road necessary. There
is some apprehension that this part of the
arrangement may have been fixed already,
but we shall be slow to believe that any
Judge can have made himself party to such
a nefaIious job.
The clause of the Constitution in relation
TO the consent of property owners for the con-
struction of street railway IL probably
a wise one but in giving them a qualified
power 70 restrain the laying of tracks in front
of their premises, the law does not imply that
if they are willing nobody else has right TO
object. The street is not for their use in any
special manner; it is thoroughfare III which
the whole public have an equal interest.
M.hy of the property holders Oh Broadway
are supposed to be now anxious for horse
railway in front of their shops, because they be-
lieve that it would arrest trade which seems to b.
flowing up town in other words, they may be
said TO see certain advantage in obstructing
their own street. 1t is of the highest import
ance however, to the citizens generally that
tins great artery of travel should be kept
clear for trucks aud carriages, almost every
other avenue having been given over to
the cars and the wishes of few
hundred owners of buildings must not
be allowed to interfere with the gen
eral interest Chambers-st. is hardly less
important for business traffic across town
than Broadway is for longitudinal traffic AT
the corner of Chambers and Cbatham-sts.
is one of the most difficult and crowded cross
ings i'm the lower part of the city. AT Cham
bers-st. is also one OF the worst crossings III
Broadway; and when reach Church-st.,
West Broadway. Greenwich end Washington
sts., the thrOng of wagons becomes some
times enormous. When the Brooklyn Bridge
is finished the traffic mere will he greatly in
creased. The business between river and river
has no other clear road than Chambers-st.
for distance north and south of nearly three
quarters of mile, all the other through
streets being too steep for heavy loads, or
occupied by railroad tracks or interrupted by
the Park.
The convenience of passengers who may wish
to ride across town at Chambers-st. (wheTe the
island Is narrow is Of far less consequence
than the accommodation of the trucking bust
ness The carriage of freight within the city
is becoming more and more difficult and ex-
pensive in consequence of the steady multiple
cation of street distractions. Schemes like that
which fifteen Aldermen have just cOnspired to
carry through lay heavy tax upon our COM
merce, and are surely checking our prosperity.
II is high time for the citizens of New-YOrlS
to realize what irreparabe injury rapacity and
ignorance are doing to the metropolis by the
shameful ruin of the public streets.
MORALITY IN NEWSPAPER OFFICES"
During the session of the Legislature of
New England State few years ago, the