The New York herald., 1879-07-29
RAPID TRANSIT.
Public Opinion on the Rejected Re-
port of the Commissioners.
NO RECONSIDERATION POSSIBLE.
Meeting of Indignant Property Owners
in the Annexed District

volved. Notwithstanding the rejection of their re-
port ON the subject by the Board of Aldermen the
Rapid Transit Commissioners have gone on and
completed their labors and the result in the form
of supplementary report in which the Fourth av-
enue Tor vanderbilt scheme is omitted. has been
submitted to the Mayor. The latter has stated that
nothing remains for him do but to send it to the
Board of Aldermen for their consideration.
petition has been put in circulation
asking for the appointment of q new commission.
The law requires that fifty reputable householders
and taxpayers shall make the necessary application
to the Mayor. The promoters of this movement
say that new commission can take up the lines
agreed upon in the rejected report SO far as West
chester county is concerned and pass upon them in
which case, it is understood the Board of Aldermen
would give their assent to the scheme This peti-
tion it is expected. with the necessary number OF
signatures attached will be submitted at meeting
of property be held at Central Hall, Ire
mont this evening.
Under the law the expenses incurred by the Com
mssoners in the discharge of their duties are paid
by the companies they may form. These expenses
very heavy. including the $5 per day allowed
each Commissioner and items for engineering, sur
veying legal work. personal expenditures. Office
rent clerk hire and stationery Since roads have
been created by them it is obvious that the Commits
sioners will have to suffer this loss out of their
sonal pockets unless special act is passed by the
Legislature to reimburse them for their outlay. The
people of Westchester county have, however. sug-
gested way out of the difficulty. They propose to
themselves to assume these obligations and iqui.
date them through the roads to be organized under
the report of the commission now asked for
if they had been organized under the old commits
sion.
REVIEWED.
A HERALD reporter yesterday conversed with q
number of members of the Common Council on the
question at ISSUE Alderman Morris said:-"I am
opposed to anything being adopted that the present
Rapid Transit Commission recommend. 1 would be
afraid to do because of the great danger that they
would conceal trick in it. II adopted any part
of their report they might be able to ob judicial
opinion to the effect that in agreeing to any part Of
the report had given validity and life to the
whole. Another and decided reason why am OPP
posed to receiving any communication on thaksub-
ject from the present commission il hat
they exceeded the powers that Mayor Coz per
conveyed or intended to convey to them. Fur
thermore, the Commissioners said in printed
interviews that the Board Of Aldermen possessed
power, and that i'll sending their report4 at all
they simply performing act of courtesy that
they could just well omit If they chose to do
When the Board rejected the report it moved to
reconsider the by which it was lost. and that
!ually killed the whole thing. We have power to
revive any part of it, Moreover the original papers
passed from the possession of the Board There
is another important objection to the manifesto
of the commission, in which they withdrew the
Fourth avenue route. / refer to the fact that
they fail to omit the very Objectionable feature
which destroys portion of Central Park and Fifty
ninth street. have been called on by many OF the
residents OF the eastern halt of the annexed terri
%
eastern connection, is not in the interest of the
people OF region but entirely the interest
OF the Hudson River and Harlem railroads and a
few individuals who own immense tracts of land in
that neighborhood. The mass of property owners
created TO act i'll the interest of the people affected
rather than that OF great trunk railway corpora
ton.
care you IN favor of giving rapid transit to the
upper DISTRICT"
Certainly am. The majority of members of the
Board of Aldermen are in favor of giving the people
in the upper district all the rapid transit they desire
in order to connect with the four routes now in op
GRAFTON or in process OF construction. Both Alder
men Roberts and Haughton are in favor OF the same
as know from recent conversations have had with
them on the subject. Like myself. they opposed
to the whole presented by the Rapid Transit
Commissioners which have rejected. l know
that the majority Of the Board agree with this
point"
OTHER OPINIONS
Alderman Foster said that the whole report had
been rejected and could not in his judgment be
again revived He was opposed TO road in Fourth
avenue but would favor proper plan OF rapid tran
and Terence Kernan said that they conceded
with the views expressed by Mr.. Foster Alderman
UeoiRc nan eaProsSsu siniiHr sehtinents. DePuty
Clerk OF the Board Francis j. Twomey said that the
action OF that body in rejecting the report and then
voting not to reconsider their action was final,
far as the Board is concerned.
Active among those who favor q rapid transit
commission to lay out new routes in the upper dis
tricts is Mr.. James r. Angel. To the reporter he
said lit is claimed by some that the provision in
regard to giving the consent of the local authorities
is directory and not mandatory, and their power to
destr he kpftn he IN mis- in
mary manner is questioned. believe that the Com
missioners are good and honest men. and that they
but they were ampered by the conflicting interests
OF different CORPORATIONS. do not believe that their
work is satisfactory to majority of the people of
the annexed district The route proposed would
compel majority of them to walk from q half to a
whole mile to reach the Il road stations"
VIEWS PROPERTY OWNER.
There was a fatal mistake made at the outset,
and We shall have to begin work all again..
said gentleman largely interested IN rapid transit
i'll Westcnester.
"By the commissioners" asked the reporter.
Eyes they had no business meddling with mat
ters this side OF the river
"rhey have endeavored to correct that error by
submitting an amended application"
Eyes. but it is doubtful whether the Board of Al
derrnen will take that up. Their former action, 1
think was hnal and 1t is not likely that they will
return to the subject even presented in that form.
II they should, however, deem IL wise to do so, and
the Commissioners proceed with their work. the
dcuty OF getting capital Interested will next arise.
Moneycd men will have nothing to do with the on-
tcrprlse unless the title is ceaF and 1t be so
uniier such an arrangement.
Then trouble is anticipated from outside
sources?'
mo; not exactly that. but the whole matter would
be ut the mercy OF any fraetOus individual who de-
sired to throw obstacles In the way. in court
there ~ no knowing when you could get out, aud
all sorts of qubbes would be brought up to keep
the work back. The people in the annexed district
want quick transit soon AZ they get il, but If
we start In this cloudy way we may be held lghtng
in the courts for the next five years. That would
brighten capital away. Every dollar of the money
is ready now II can proceed smoothly aud the
Ia erle hnf ofl ry shp pat hs mil IN
raise cent. We ought to have had rapid transit
twenty years ago, ana If we don't get IL now may
have TO wait twenty more so that we cannot be too
carel uf how we proceed"
''Do you think there will he set OF Commits
sionersY'
ut IL most desirable that there should be. The
present Board has brought about q complication IL
cannot unravel and the best thing il do is to
tire leave the road smooth possible for the
gentlemen coming in. They not only burdened the
application of the annexed district with tho New
York milestone that dragged 1t to the bottom. but