New-York tribune., 1880-02-06
OPPOSING CHEAP FARES.

10 act as school trustees IS almost CERTAIN" W P"''
OPPOSING CHEAP FARES.
JUDGE PORTER STATES THE ARGUMENTS OF lhe
ELEVATED RAILWAY COMPANIES AuAiN'i '-'
FORM FIvE-cEsT FARrs.
frRoN THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF rhE If'i'oN''
ALBANY. Feb. 5.-The Assembly Comm'ttee
IN Railroads heard arguments to-day on the sewers"
bills for the reduction Of fares on the H'o'"'.u
Railroads OF New-YOrk to UNIFORM i"'o
Of 8 cents. day and night s,'S,oe,
John X Porter, General John u 'a "oOoD1
and BENJAMIN Brewster appeared Tor the eles"'ou
In oppo.itou to the passage of the bill Judge rof'o'
nnS ,ra orgnment for the railroads He said In sub
stance: A., e..o
Ihiss the first time in the history OF ste sne s'"te e
that II has been 70 ppUpSSe Capitalists reward in
they were successful in building me ROADS & es sbogIS
receive only for carrying F sSes co% Ur
miles through the airi The Union fe,ls reus mil nil
RSny RSnyy invested IN ifs concern and il e1scs
eentsa passenger 1t wss rresT rrsroSd Why, You
ask the elevated roads 10 take only , Genus ,la9
fer carrying passeDSGf n Sd 'G1 times You compelled
men to give 8 cents for hge mn miles, e,o,nst anu
fhe elevated roads were built on the pledge frou tno
Legislature that would permit them TO earre s AZ
roads roads at their own peril, after they have
paid out hundreds OF thousands IN tsy 0rSsT oaly W
prevail after they present the most ax sraG aTe
ture on earth. without any breach Oh l'n; ene yrS az
and asked why it should no, be permitted
n9om.sa to :aS oS are 'Si a.bed to q
their receipts Yon can't make labor cneaper OF cna
cheaper. You cannot prevent the railroad
AZ We 6ave the extraordinary spectacle OF an iron
wish would be doubled i6is bin ,,,I passes 4
is Proposed by this bill to augment the number OF
rans 10 keep the rails red by the constant passage
inprp
that would last five years Will be destroyed III TWO
You render II Impossible for workmen TO guard
tho public safety. You cannot emDioy men 20 , WorK
Yo sacrce tine safety of the public You add twotnirds
10 our burdens and take away onethrd OF our receps
nassmeetlpgs They cannot Judge OF the broken falth
of the State, Of the mperiilng OF the lives oi
There isn't person who rides in the 10 cent hours that
doesn't kD9w mat Sy sSns ye these middle Sen who
can afford to pay the fares which are necessary Tor our
existence prefer TO roe in our cars-they doh choose
Coudn'r MI Astor afford to pay 10 cents when bis
coaehman who goes down town an hour or SO carrier,
roes for 5 centsi The poor given low fares 1t
@ would inSommode the rch to 30 down town earlier. her
moor man. Every man who has asked the Legislature
20 %, repndiate the States obligations is OF TINS
aass nes we !" trSVel T' ssty-siX In morning
trains going uptown are almost empty anu " b IS sai ~
that cents is an ample rtc0mpcnSe ANY one VINO is
dissatisfied with low fares can stay down stairs
These petitioners say that YOU have the rgh 10 oreak
rsnr contract and they ask you TO do IT, deny your
,oWer TO do il. You repeal the law under which
organized but you cannot caange our c9nIe, & & ho
lre asked to break contract The DAY that that
done and recorded under the great seal OF me s'aVe
VI" % nc know o what we have done We have Judgment
Of the Rapid Transit Commission that sum larger
,s,," sc have reduced below the rate compelled
voluntarily; we have done more we nave nor
tSay are not we populated The Legislature said that
we must build the road TO such points anu such p0hs
within certain years. What have we donef We have
nut the roads above the Central Park through an
almost uninhsblted region for miles. DO you suppose
The aronment ia that we are making too much money
Why we don't know what these roads VIII cost yet
How long will this bridge of lyon last under the increased
traffic caused by this bill becoming Law How long
will it be before there is dreAdIu acciuent no" o
we to repair them 80 ,, -.
Judge Porter closed his speech with description OF
the consequences that would follow redlcuOn Oh tne
fares to cents. He said 1t would double the tonnage
of the railroads and thereby increase he nose Oh Ss
and the amour! of the smoke enlted Dy LOCOMOTIVES
and vastly increase the perils OF trayel. -. -,
Isit TO be desired In these DAYS OF Una. ne
Legislature should encourage that BAD spt OF spos
ton by breaking contract that most soemny mace
with the elevated railroads III regard TO thef arest
MR. BREwsTElSs PLEA.
Reniamin Brewster. treasurer OF the NewIork Ele-
waited Railroad addressing the committee. said that
II would be very unjust Its stockholders to reduce the
fares The roads were built cheapy, but they would
wear out soon and the company would have to replace
them at four or five times the original cost
Five cents fare would mean bankruptcy
for the companies. The roads carrying 10000
messengers equal to IL, 900 weight per day To
obtain the same money that is now received the road
would have to carry $1,000 tons Of animal matter daily
n cent fares were established This would greatly en-
In conclusion Mr. Brewster said that the officers of
the elevated railroads did net yet know elr cost nor
Mated II would therefore unfair reduce fares till
these fscts were known both 10 the ohcers anu te
The committee decided 10 give further hearing on
the bills u fortnight from to-day.