New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-13
OPPOSING LOWER FARES.
,,o,, ~, r,vpayERg MEETING.

A meeting was called by the CIlzcDs anu
.,,x,aycrs of Washington Heights, Fort Washington
Inwood and Rverdaie' and heid AT in"o0u, 1ao- ~
evening March s. oppose any reduction OF 'ares On
,,e elevated railroads until the roads were compieeu
"a rrunred by their charter. The meeting was large
and euilnsiastic John p Cummings was eaied 70 INC
char and said
The purpose OF this meeting Is TO bring ABOUT neH'
ofrapid transit this portion OF the Island we want
have The elevated railroads buit mp TO kingsOfidse'
as their charters require, before there IS any
interference or reduction Of fares by the leg
islature. We have TO pay 20 cents on INC
pdsen River cars TO go 20 ThIrtiethst, and cents
more IN The surface ears or 10 CENTS IN the ele-
waited making 80 or s. cents 10 get down town. WDhe
our friends at Carnlansvle go with greater con
venienc. and comfort for and 10 cents
The object OF this meeting Ia 10 brl"g l"
our ucighborhood the same conveniences ana Dressings
afforded by the elevated roads TO our neghDors "' Ni
Evansville and Washington Heights There was co"-
inittee appointed draft resolutions setthg iorVn o
views in regard the reduction OF fares on these ioauS
which Mr.. Burns will please read"
Mr. Burns said "Mr. Chairman and friends' we are
here 10 consider the effect that the movement TOWARD
reducins the rate of fare on the elevated ROADS WIN
have upon this end q the island We iee'
that 10 cents viii be very cheap rate
for riding from here to the City Hail. and the people are
perfectly satisfied and cannot see how they couo
carry passengers acss rate therefore we oher te
following resolutions:
Whereas the propertyowners and residents OF wash
,,rton HEIGHTS ana Inwood regard with alarm the
threatened interruption 10 tue. roads above Onehuh
drednd any fifth ST. rs natural result w. ne hf en
~ Ies5slature shall become law. And
whereps the injury done to property-o onI[
sanctioned by public opinion as being unavoldahle ana
necessary 10 meet the urgent necessary o. 9
the upper and lower ends OF the CITY by means o. Iu
transit all hours. And whereas, until suen system
and imvToyepents M The upper end-cOmprsng third
of the area of the City OF NewI0rk ana from "hIch
syenpes are deriyed-w ne retarded Aud whereas
caIno reasonably expected that the elevated corpo
as they now propose doing, originally designed along
the west bank OF the Harlem River TO kingsoridge II
they are compelled to operate them at nOpayng Iues
therefore.
"y.esolred That we solemnly protest against such
monsfous breach of faith with the companies ana Tue
terms of their charters by Legislature the pas
sage OF this niQutOus measure womb DC, ahC we pray
your humble body 10 reject Inc DILL
George f. Gantz seconded the resolutions and said :
year ago we got up petition for rapid transit and
succeeded at getting the road as far as II Is to
nfty-dfth-s Any Legislation reducing
che fares will certainly prevent the roads coming any
further We are perfectly satisfied to pay ten cents
fare until the roads completed and Is ascertaned
that they could afford to cheaper ard sustain Their
roads"
Mr. Dyclman SAID &" II is not too much TO say that
the whole upper end Of the Island must nave rapiu
transit At one time had the promise OF it, but from
uroseut appearances we may be cheated out
of Il by unwise legi, alton. | think We should
speak plainly and frankly against any reduction
OF fares until rapid ttsnsit is an aecompl shed.
fact 10 Kugsbridge. Then. II 10 can be proved by COM
pe,ent authority that the roads can pay larger dlV
dend than allowed by their charter then 1t will ne time
toask for reduction of fare and not before We must
keap filth with the companies If expect them 10 keep
faith with the public II the bill offered tor reduction OF
fare OIL these should become law 1t wouid put
great difficulties in the way of building the ROAD up
here Therefore duty to sustain the railroad
there 'Ore heartily ndorse the resolutions ana pro
test against the passage Of the BILL
Lawson n Fuller said " must say that In all my
experience in public matters and public enterprises
bave never known much unreasonable aulthnding'
with little has been made against these exc
waited railroads few pubcsprited. enterprising men
n the darkest, FULLEST and most depressed period In
history OF our country took hold of the grandest Ell
erprise of modern times elevated railroads. employ
ing thousands of who we're on the verge OF s'arVa
ton, without employment, sending them INTO ac
tive fields OF labor, producing iron ana lumber
In hundreds and thousands Of TONS in such quantities
10 such an extent has been known any other
enterprise, and put into successful operation oy the
elevated railroads In shortest period possible, so
much 90 that they astonished the people abroad. II
they did not at home. think That instead
OF the censures criticisms and fauhndiug that nave
been ancd upon them, they deserve great credit and
everlasting gratitude. When first commenced
might mako 1t success, after the original In
oorporators had lost Gil their money in IT, the
first thing that the surface railroads did was to
go around aud get ply sicians to sign petition
aeans Il construction for the that 1t would kill
everybody living along the line or riding on the road
and they employed the very best counsel that they could
get In the city-such men as John l. Par
sons and Joseph II. Cboate-to present Their
case to the courts to convince them and
the public If possible. that for such reasons
II no Others should not be built But the ply
scans could not strangle them aud the lawyers failed
10 coayiuce public hatthey should not be built for
the people had determined TO have the roads.
Then they tried to frghten capital by declarations
that uyDody who put money In the elevated roads
might A. well throw it into North River. When that
failed to frghten the enterprisng men who ventured
tbeir money in doubtful enterprise, then
they commenced to get iDjunctiOns against
me roads. But that rather seemed TO quicken
the enterprise OF OF the leading directors
who saw fruitful fields OF employment for their profes
siopal FIR ends aud relatives. Mr. Field said TO these
gentlemen who obtained mjpDctions; This is Just
what like. for have two or three
brothers and two or three sons-inlaw who are
lawyer, and all want business. Now get out Just as
many iuuuctons as you like against the roads. will
employ my whole family until they are dissolved for
these roads shall be built II not long before the
frst injunction dissolved and they all went down
like of bricks, and nearly thirty mics OF the eie-
waited roads were built IN eighteen months Applause
Then another trouble broke out. The sore
head. began TO complain about 'watered stock.
Inthe first place they said it was good for nothing
thep II was watered,' and worth less than nothing
What are the facts They had to sell thirty millions OF
eo,non stock ana raise fifteen millions actual
money with which they built their roads. committee
came DOWN from the Legislature and after many day'
Of great labor reported back that twentyour millions
nj the stock we're watered stock That falsehOod
AS Ihavc already shown but to make this matter per
feetl, plain will go a little urther Are the men wL'
bought these stocks and bonds TO receive interest only
on what they actually paid for them : By 10 means
They are 10 receive dividends on The m amount or pal