New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-20
srprEr BIffW1Y SPECULATIONS.

franchises the Aldermen evluehtiy niehh w
make hav while the sun shines. Without any
.den,,ote COMPENSATION to the public, they nave
afpa,iy done their part N lisp0sihg of several
e,,,e,oejt valuable franchises " IL true That
"a the ease eF the broadway foau, the m0st VA,
vatie AT All, ,hes have revised theif B,ieihai
g,aDt and mabe sh0w W etttihe so'Meth'na
py ,he piy, hNl lhere 10 40 certainty NAV W.
,iaeoh hharp intends 90 accent these nov thoosn
INADEQUATE conditions, Ito has gone through
tho form OF pretending that no WNN''' nv q,
the Same time olaius that the original ao''oh ~
tho Board was legal, Hence, he may OF may
NAT abide by tho new conditions which the
Aldermen propose.
Having given away, for practically noth-
inc. n franchise worth millions OF dol
lara the Aldermen have now turned
their attention to the lew remaining
streets which are not already gridiroheo Ny
railroad tracks. They have under considera'
ton applications to lay tracks on Lexington
Fifth, and other avenues, ana on 'or,'"no''
Chambers, and other crowded streets III INC
lowerpart of the city. 1T is also proposed 10
Law two additional tracks on Fourih-ave. AHo-
gchcr the applications cover about hf'y mics
of street. Some of these grants are sought ior
nero speculative purposes. However, tho
greater the speculation the more likely the
Aldermen are to assist 1t.
IL would be an outrage to lay surface tracks
on a narrow, crowded street such rs Cortlandt
or Chambers. The tracks in West, Washing
ton, Greenwich, College-place, and other
streets in that part of the city, are
n serious Inconvenience to the merchants.
1t is now proposed to increase the confusion
and loss by placing tracks on other streets
merely to crafty grasping speculators. Any
thing which adds to the difficulty and expense
of handling goods in these streets is an injury
to tbc best interests of Ncw-York and should
not be tolerated.
II would be even more of an injury to de-
strOy every street now used 1or rcsiuchces oy
giving them over to railroad corporations.
There is no need or public demand for railroads.
on such avenues as Fifth and Lexington. bu'
the Aldermen have heard arguments ana are
said to be favOrably disposed toward the pro-
posed Lexington Avenue and Fourteenth
Street Railroad. 1t would be an uncalled-for
injury to the property on that street.
There is an elevated road and
surface road only block away on Third-ave.,
and another surface road a block in the opposite
direction on Fourth-ave. What possible need
can there be Tor road on LexingtOn-ave ?
The rapacity of these spectators is so great
that they even propose the destruction of
Gramercy Park.
Additional street railroad facilities are needed
in the upper part of the city, particularly on
the west side There such facilities would add
TO the value of property. But IN Fifth or Lex
ington ave. they would have a directly opposite
effect. and would show an immediate loss to the
citv in taxes by decreased valuations. They
would have a similar effect in the crowded
downtown thoroughiares. They block mp
travel. and IL the winter season after snow
storms make these narrow streets impossible to
trucks
Every one of these corporations should
he n,a,le 10 cart away the snow from
us tracks am IS keep that part Of
Che street cean They never d0 so. Another
sp,ions Inconvenience on these i0ads is The use
eg che 4 ~ Hanged iails. They aie danger
oNs i8 hoises and vehicles ahd aie h0t allowed
ia thiiadeiphia, lehioh, aud ~ 0hel ialse
ejtias, NWt hege tAese iailioah corporations
no, eui, yellse " pay smai lleeRse fees, hut
they mie W. the snow on the streets, aud show
little on no consideration f0r the public good
The city needs more rapid transit facilities,
hat il does not need, aud should not permit
the unnecessary multiplication OF street rail
roads.