New-York tribune., 1880-03-09
SECRET MEETINGS OF DIRECTORS.

was injured A swtchman's carelessness
caused the acci' ent.
SECRET MEETINGS OF DIRECTORS.
WHAT HE COMPANIES PROPOSE TO Do III TIE
ELL 10 REDUCE FARES BECOMES Law
SUsPENDNG EXTENSIONS AND WORK ON TER
MINAL FACILITIES
Since the passage by the Assembly of the bill re-
ducng fares on the elevated railways to cents.
the directors of the Manhattan Elevated Railway
Company, which practically represents the stock
holders of the four existing lines, have bad several
excited meetings. In reality, these have been one
continuous meeting, and the intention was that
1t should be very secret. The large majority
in the Assembly in favor Of tho reduction
tie uncertain attitude of the senate, ana
The general approval OF the bill by the usual organs
public opinion, have evidently led the directors
to believe that the measure may become law so
far as he Legislature can make 1t such. Inc de-
tail of these meetings cannot DC fully aScertaned
but from gentleman al one time largely Interested
~ the operations OF the roads a financer and still
cousuited by the management. two or three OF the
Chief points debated and resolved upon were OBJ
tanned last evening.
Naturally tie lawyers were first consulted. The
dircct0rs were advised 1t is understood. that the
bill would he imperative and not binding, IN the
event OF ITS passage aud approval, on two grOunds.
The orlgina charter to DR.. Rufus H. Gilbort Is still
in force. twas signed by Governor Jonn A. DIX, "A
personal friend Of Dr. Gilbert. who was his DIVISION
SUI geon AT Fortress Monroe in the early part Of the
war, and hi, personal friend for years afterward.
Thischarcr carefully drawn and cannot be over
ridden. Il authorzs accompany OF companies build
ing roads on DR.. Gilbert, plau TO charge 22 cents
- Harlem and / / cents ior hali-prIccl during the
commission hours. All the roads are now built on
OF Giccnwich-s,. structure having been virtually
reconstruct ed. Instead 0t charging the rates al
iow,d ny ,ic charter the company Voluntarily re-
Guco tlr .src- to 10 aud > cents. Iney are now
n.yls. that, n tac event Of the passage of the
h.il reducing fares, they would be compelled to
announce au advance 90 the charter rales Tor their
lega. protection. though they would undoubtedly
siIl receive 10 oT > cents GA commission hours Is
tender Tor "A fare.
Tho otDcr legal point is equally curious, and re-
vcals now carciulg tls yery ISSUE has been guarded
urniIst. TIE general railway law of the state pro-
nbis the reduction OF fares on any railway unless
Il ~ earning over and above 10 per cent Tho two
elevated rai.Nays the NCw-YofI and the Gilbert
ot MD.sopohiau, were leased to the Manhattan
Elevated G. mpIuv. Ih.5 was IN the nature OF
consolidation. lhe Manhattan Company galan-
t.ed tDe s,ockho .r. of th, other companies 10 per
ccat aai tAa; ony. Uair,, tine lease of the two
orgIual roads to ,nc Manhattan Company Is de
clared toiayc been irregular aud void, the lawyers
maintain tlt .L. hil 30 Icduce fares Is uncOnSItu
tioLal a.d VIII Dc iaoy,TItiye.
Al any rate, 10 Nas determined that the Courts
should uc appealed TO u case She bill bcca ac law,
and Augauol wiIl follow. based upon these 80
gcnclai prucipcs. II Was slid las, evening. but by
"a surface railway nau. that am injunction would
follow from soni Coar, The moment the Governor
agucd the measure II ia. Senate passed 1t. as Il is
believed II VIII.
sIorrIlG WORK OS EXTENSIONS.
The directors of the Manhattan Company also
discussed IN che meetings alluded to the important
questions OF tie extension of tine lines, the compile
ton of the terminal facilities and the equipment of
the Second Avenue Line with rolling stock of the
quality Of the Skin Avenue Line. IL has been gen
orally understood that tine Manhattan Elevated
Railway Company jointly with the several West
chester companies, was to bridge the Harlem at a
point Just east Of ligh Bro ge, and thence extend
lines mllthward ia several directions. The second
and lhird Avenue Lines were 10 be extended along
the south bank OF the Harlem TO this bridge This
extension is FOR the present abandoned. and the
completion Of the Second Avenue Road above Sixty
ilt.-st. w.u remain IN abcyance uhtll the result OF
tie litigation whc, is to follow the passage Of the
Fiyo-Cent bill &, Known. Work had been begun on
only oue of the Wcstchc3ter County routcs-that
along the north bank Of the Harlem from below
High Bridge to Spuyten Duyvil, and thence to
Yonkers. i. + PAGE the contractor for tins work.
said on sunday that he WAS employing only about
thirty ltanns on stone masonry work near the pro
posed bridge the excuse given him for not gong
ahead vigorously being hat the right of way had
not been obtained. "A he fact IL that the flght Oi
way has already been purchased. bat nothing wIll
be done until the lonkerN company learns W1oiher
elevated
pete tho bridge. The elevated company VIII uo
nothing pending legislation and lltgatlor.
1t was estimated that the competition 0l me tcf- |
mnal iacIltlrs at OnC-hundied- ani-iltty -lIti-sl
for the four roads would cost at least T3poo'OOV |
aud probably Si,0OOOOO. The ieaSiOii'ty 2i % %lai'
ing bis amount on stOcA OF roads already hel'II}
mort gagged WAS discussed al the mc( tlhgs hahieu'
and It was lcft mo0tcd question But IL Is uhGcl
stood that these improvements VIII not Dc p15h'u
at present IL was asserted by the reporters IN !
iOImaut that an elevated depot lafger IMAM tio |
Grand Genital would be required at One-hnnnIeu-
and-ifyitl.st TO store the cars OI Tue loa's Nion
completed aud running "a; hours and speed 10 ac |
commodate the public. Besides, machine shops ana
repair shops would br needed.
Whether or not work mad been stopped on tue
rolling stock for the Second Avenue lodu couu npV
be ascertamed. II was lcafnod, however that me
portion of the Second Avenue Road now running |
was supplied by surplus stock OF tue Other roais
and ~ number of engineers who mao Deen examiner
win we" to placing thGnl on ne" , so ,t 1i ~
Second Avenue route had been gwen ilotcc that ~
might be some weeks before hey c0uid De assigned
to duty. 1nE TRIBU>Hs informant added that the
ltJillE StDck-SO llI rs lut 'dlN WV
would not be OF the excellent quality OF That ON the
Metropolitan route,
SURFACE Road MANAGERS EXCITED.
An effort has been made to get the managers OF
the various surface roads to hold meetings tOoppose
the bill to reduce tares but while they have been
greatly excited over the possible effect on them of
its passage no concerted action has yet been had so
far as can be learned. They all say that the reduc-
ton Of the elevated fares TO what the surface rail
ways now charge cannot directly lnJure them. Ihe
surface roads have suffered all they can from the
elevated roads and this has been nothing at all. The
elevated roads took away only their long trip"
nossenaers and " long trips" dld not pay. " Short