New-York tribune., 1884-10-12
THE rERRIES AND THE BRIDGE.

The Union Ferry Company mas not Decn wont
to takc the public into its confidence. In its
days of prosperity the directors were at their
wits end 10 get rid of their enormous income
without paving over to the Brooklyn Hospital.
as the law directed the amount In excess of the
10 pcr cent dividend 10 which they wcro en-
titled They were constantly building now
boats and ferry houses aud repairing the old
ones. besides laying aside n large surplus
against the emergency oi u serious accident
Then they never sought the ear of reporters md
dilntcd on the great extent oi their business nnd
their rapidly increasing receipts.
but lo n change. A melancholy wall came
n few days ago from Mr.. Stranahan, who said
that the Bridge was cutting down the income Oi
the ferries 10 IN alarming extent, and that the
only alternative for the company was to go out
of business This aminble old gentleman. who
is plainly hard pushed in endcavorlng to recon
ellie his duties as ferry director and Bridge
trustee, evidently wishes the public to believe
that the best interests of New York and Brook
iyn demand that the cost of crossing the Bridge
shall be made SO heavy that people will be driven
away from il and compelled to patrOnizc the
ferries. And now comes Mr. Matthew bunker,
secretary and treasurer of the ferry company,
to enforce Mr.. Stranahan's position by stating
that the companys receipts for the twelve
months ending on April 30 last show rcduc-
ton of 81 lG 900 as compared with the prcvl-
Gus year. Inasmuch as the Bridge was not
opened until May u, ss3, and the railway did
not begin operation till the following October,
Mr.. Bunker is convinced that the companys
books on April 30. 1ssj, will show much
greater reduction in receipts.
Well, did anybody expect different result
The Bridge was certain from the first to reduce
the revenue from the ferries Was that any
reason why it should not have been built
Was ii Il tender regard for the ferry company
treasury that caused Mr.. Stranahan and certain
other Bridge trustees 70 persist in Fabian
policy of delay that dragged on the building OF
the Bridge through fourteen weary years Is
it the same motive that keeps the Bridge tolls
at a high figure, that it costs five Times as
much to ride in Bridge car as to cross the East
River on Il ferry boat during the hours when the
greatest amount of travel is in progress 1t
would seem so. But the people will not
patiently consent to the carrying out Of such
policy. The Bridge is necessity to New York
and Brooklyn, and in order to accomplish its
full purpose it must be made as useful as posi-
bic. To be useful it must be used. In order to
be used to the greatest possible extent the cost ol
using it must be reduced to the lowest possible
sum- The effect upon the ferries is entirely apart
from the subject The Bridge trustees have no
right to take into account any outside consld-
Grafton. II is strange that so plain and simple
a proposition needs to bc repeated and en-
forced But it must bc repeated often and with
emphasis until every Bridge trustee is con-
vinccd that hc is false to the trust which the
people have rcp0scd in him unless he uses his
utmost influence to make the Bridge useful in
the highest and broadcst SENSE to the people of
the two cities. who have spent fifteen millions in
building it, without reference to any cXtranc-
olls matter under the sun.
What then remains for the ferry company
that is most seriously affected 7 Must It dis
pose of its plant and retire from business
Yes, if its directors are unwilling to wait the
further growth of traffic between the cities on
which it~ lie depends. They greatly mistake
who think that the usefulness OI the East River
ferries is at an end brcausc the Bridge towers
i'm majesty above them and lurni~hc. u certain
aud speedy means of transit. For many people
who Journey between the divided cities. and for
n great number of teams and trucks and loaded
wagons. the ferries nrc aud must remain indi..
pcnsbc. For u time thcr receipts will
necessarily fall away; hui with the rapid
growth of busiuce, aud travel that IL sure to
come their business viii increase nnd again be-.
come extremely profitable, II doubtless viii
seem desirable ia reduce the amount paid to the
city of Ncw-Nork for the ferry franchise
TllOOOO ycnr-whcn the lease expires two
ycnrs hence. II then the Union Ferry Com
pany, which has served the public admirably,
decides to abandon it, business, there need bo
no fear but chat another corporation will take
its place and that ieryboats will continue to
ply between the shores of Ncw-York and
Brooklyn for many years 10 come. \ dozen
bridges or more will have 10 span the East
River before it can be- said that the ferries have
Outlivcd their usefulness