New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-28
THE BROADWAY ARCADE PLAN
HEARING AT THE REAL ESTATE EXCHANGE.
STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE scHESiE-uTTLE SAID
IN ITS FAVOR.

William O. Orr composing sub-e committee Of the Com
mttee on Legislation Df the Real Estate Exchange het
Yesterday afternoon in the directors room oil their ne"
buding in Lberty-st to consider the advantages ana
disadvantages OF the New-lork Arcade Railway CONF
pany's scheme of tunnelling Broadway NJ. {. smith,
the president OF the Arcade Company; Simeon f.
Church. the counsel Of the company, and l. D. C"r-
penter its engineer met with the committee to aV0r
their BILL Opposed To IL ALBION L. Man. repreSenV
ing number OF broadway propertyowners chief among
whom arc the Astors aud the LOrillards; Orlando b.
Potter who owns a number Of Broadway houses ana :.
Van Rensselaer, Cruger representing the Trinity Chureh
Corporation. Colonel Hazard was also present
Mr. Hamito On said the committee took seats that no
telt himself what at disadvantage IN Wow Oh Tue
fact that he had ned petition TO the Governor 10 veto
the bill. He owned some Broadway property when ne
felt WAS imperiled by the proposed excavations Chai
man Church said he might DO excused rom voine rs u
the committees final action IL he 80 desired Inc COM
mittee did not consider It advisable to 20 INTO tue
question OF the general advantages of road uhuer
broadway but they wish to consider tho particular bill
which now awaits Executive action The committee no
said represented the property Of New-York to
the extent of many millions OF dollars, and s purpose
was TO consider the alvisablity OF enieavorlhg 10
influence the Governors decision according to the
evidence might be able to secure as to the bits eHec
upon real estate.
The promoters OF the railway scheme were asked 10
Address the committee first. but they objected. The
opponents however were ready. Mr.. Man introduced
the subject. rhs Arcade scheme. he SAIL has been
before the people twenty years to the great alarm
ami expense OF property IL has sustained h'e
distinct defeats In its to- become law. The same
objections objected those defeats apply to TINS DpI
I'm even greater force differs from the bill vetoed by
Governor Cleveland last year only in being stu more
obiectiouable differs from the Law passed In 1879
under which the company now holds what It calls
charter being far offensive and dangerous IL
permits the company 10 take forty-four feet nnder
BROADWAY while the width Of the street Is Dat
forty-two feet This enables U % penetrate under the
buildpg line OF the street And outside even OF that
measurement il Is allowed by this bill to erect its walls
three feet wide either side invading the vaults that
abound along Broadway IL gohbles mp the entire core
OF the II Is permitted also to take lou ieee IN
each direction une- street for storage
purposes and 80 feet under thOse streets winch ike
A.tor place aui wal-st into Broadway without ex-
tending beyond u. 10 removes Tue water and gas PPcs
me sever and the underground wires, which must De
rel iI 80 aud the health comfort and
safety OF the people, without paving one pehJ Ioi az
these privilege The parties promoting THIS scheme arc
utterly worthless They represent financial strength
Nobody kno vino backing them. and don believe
they any backing. The whole piot - skeleton,
got up by SPECTATORS charter Ihoy seem 10
have just enough money 10 run their scheme through tue
lTney oer 10 shred OF security" continued Mr. Man,
for the accomplishment OF their pA. No.nIs' tuoS
tell Us. be doae u three commissioners are s1sncd
10 their financial capacity. "ei p1t Nuo h,p M"
oners To be Are they named IN the Dill Are
they 10 Oe men whose iAr lame anu rePui'," ~ A.
themselves safeguard 20 tue eity NOt Dlt Oh IT,
al
com any and NAV be expected 10 do the bidding Of their
employers Think too. OF tho enormous amount OF
IA ,tier which is u be removed from the city. All up
Broadway 10 be- Quilted from the Battery 10 Hdlleh
of The road To h substituted, II cannot less than
three and connecticut engineers say not less man seven;
block must De- taken away TINS VIII simply RUIN b51a-
awy business Ihcy make fair promises enough. dhey
-ay they will build a bridge TO cover the street what
arraGt nun-ensei Can Jacob sharps railroad run over
"A bridge From the cry Hall 10 Fourteenth st me
stfafN ts FuN
sewers constructed MIA pays Tor az ms TOT
two snnre miles over the West side. from Houstona
10 anal ST. the drainage runs through sixteen IoOt
cI-tcrn the North River. All THIS must ne chAhSed
and diverted into the Fast Ryer Who pays for THIS
Ali tb woud REQUIRE ~IO1ODOO OF raid up capital,
Is the fantest evidence that the banAts OF
tue scheme have hunlrcdth yart OF that som len
way from the Battery 10 the Park. broadway VIII De
undermined bu-inrs- entirely suspended LAWYERS oi
ability say that would be Iustne ~ the courts
ia throwing up ther lea'ct Who VIII pay tnlt vast
rental the property owners VINO VIII pay the taxes
their ruined property = -, =, III. a.,
, ra a o rS the S.ay people 20 rspiy TO nst
alraignment They made no moyS,nses 10 rs3 s nd
nave been identnd with Broad way AMI other real estate
m tai, city for thirty yeas. II would be most uhioe-
tn,te m Inc I yuent o this committee SHOULD approve
property collected together In the that exists
I'M TN. world The Ieople who make that AMBIGUOUS
proposition, 40 Tar ~ they are known ao lot OF ire
,bnsandtb part of one per cent OF It's value. and
relation to It's worth nor 10 IT, taAe7 btoHH31
Is the man artery OF tne sewerage d tnS Guy mo
successful operation of these sewers e!er hour Of h9
IL the health OF the civ Nhtt can
NV 10 Inv thirty or forty tenants, who complain t. ine
that the health their clerks has been ruined by these
interrupted sewers: that they have no s aud no water
for hours and days tnsether thlt their atrous uase 10
access ami their WAGONS cannot az prOae within
$50 feet OF doors We pay 10 the city s5OOOOoVO
in taIrs Must we continue pay these taxes while
thcse rr sponsIbe brigands rob Va oi our rens me
annual rentals from the Battery 10 Forty -se'3n1at
through Broadway amount 10 S2O'OOOOOO. nave
tenants whose operations aLouni ANNUALLY 70 ma, INN
mighty interests representing large part OF the "ord
ahd literally put them under the Ieet Of s
vaults along broadway VIII be entirely ruined ah1 tIe
city will lose Tuucely snin which 1t receives from
DO you know OF any vault" asked Mr. smith Of the
Arcade Company, that has ever lald tbs cN m"'o
Know of single vault" replied Mr.. Potter quickly
that pad 5ODO to the city Tor the privilege of It's
construction. In many these vaults contain
millions millions Of money and properly, tse Ielnoya
)f which wOud ruin the occupation o every moor ae'
Think too. OF the future Even now Brotl"hy Is lhpie
quae the demand upon IL space within the fe' Oh
our Young must accommodate tOIf times lt5
present population AMI ten times Its present bu,lhess
10 say nothing OF sewers OF gas pipes hnu OF WIZ
communication. every spare loot OF Srouhi unuol n
street VIII be needed for the water supply Ana an
this Is to handed to lot Of sehah: schemihs
spectators. who never paid dollar OF taxes"
DO you state that ~ fact = asked Mr. .mItn. i,
yes, do. Substantially. repliod Mr. Potter warmly
And you dare not tell the names OF your "ocaled
hackers. prove 1t here and now The character OF
way il was rushed through the LEGISLATURE IL was
pushed during the last days of that ooi WIN no
made the promises and hHlngs AL gwen anu uono
and favorable report decided upon In the committee
before the people could say JACK Robinson And al
this done m the interest OF speculatorsw .
When Mr.. Potter concluded his remarks, Mr. smith
rose and said was gcttnC late and that he should not
attempt these old orn out objections now
But he could fOrbear nterPOse his protest al tue
grave ISLANDERS which had been spoken against the
eminent and honest legislators who had 'ot"a nn ,
worked for the Arcade bill. lie gave the committee his
personal that they good faithful men, OF
the most spotlcss character.
Chairman Church said that the committee would not
sit again that he had gwen Mr. Smith fair notice 81 hs
meeting; IL had already been postponed week Tor
Mr. Smiths convenience aud that what Was 10 be sad
must be sai1 now. Tho committee desired INFORMATION
especially with regard To the good faith credit ana
responsibility OF the promoters OF the BILL a TACT when
he had called to Mr. Smiths personal attention.
Mr.. Smith said lie confident that his friends. VINO
had contracted 10 do the work, fully equal TO II,