Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-03-25
AN HONEST LETTER.
Secretary Whitney's Connection with the
Broadway Street Railways.

Broadway Street Railways.
Secretary Whitney has sent the fol-
lowing letter to Henry R. Low the
Chairman of the Senate committee of
the New York Legislature Investigate
ing the Broadway railroad matter:
take the liberty of addressing this note to
you because you are cha rman OF the COM
IN .ttee authorized to investigate the methods
by which the consent Of the Board OF Alder
men was obtained to the construction of the
railroad now lard upon Broadway. and be-
cauS: the public press has more than once
assoc atet nlF name with the subject OF your
luIu ry- IL 5. perhaps an irevltable penalty
of holding public Office that am association.
however honorable with transactions or per-
sons thereafter subjected to public ooloquy
shouid De made an occasion Tor mlsrepresent-
alton, and therefore desire to enable every
body who wishes 10 do to form
correct Judgment as to my con-
nection with these matters. Mr.. James
A Roosevelt, Mr. George Henry Warren. Mr..
George G. Haven. Mr.. Brayton Ives, myself
and other citizens of New York were direct
orS OF a company which had promptly awaited
itse of the general street railroad law OF lisa
and was the first company TO lay claim to a
street In behalf of our company we labored
earnestly To prevent Mr.. Sharp and his assoc
GATES from obtaining the consent of the Board
of Aldermen We used all proper means at
our command to make this opposition effect
ual. and we streuuously ins sted that the
PRIV lege should be sold at publ C auction TO
the highest bidder When these efforts failed
we appealed to the mayor who vetoed the
ordinance 1t was passed over his veto. We
then attacked the validity of the resolution
aud as we had no right of action ourselves,
furnished legal aid TO property owners for
the purpose Subsequently. in Difference to
public sentiment, aroused in grea- degree by
our efforts. MIR. Sharp and associates
p8ssaSe OF a new one, With cnnJItto ,ns
favorable to the ETY. and cond toned
gpon .a annual f Pay y111a based based upon
for the franchise Some time afterward par
ties from PhladelBhia informed US that they
were arranging for leases of the lines IN
Broadwa and seventh avenue and intended
TO lease other lines. and thus by Introducing
economy of management and a system of
transfers. secure at the same time returns
from the properties and greater aecDmnoia-
tons for the public They proposed TO US to
abandon our attitude OF hosti ty and take
part in the new enterprise. which proposition
was accepted bv a large majority of our
stockholders, including myself. and BY q ma
jority in interest OF the stock excluding mine
Ii was in the line Of what we had been advo-
eating as in the public interest We had pro-
tested against grant or broadway without
conditions provid ng for a general transfer
system applicable TO it; 1t was subsequent
be Obtained. and the Phiiadelph par
ties purchased controlling interest in
ae Fsbp9srv ,s IF that maas pn9e
in force. and the stock is taken under it. it
viii enable the purchasers. If they see MT to do
made when they expected to Obtain a lease OF
these roads. Ii W II involve new agreements
however on both sides 1 have. however. no
interest IN the purchase recently made. and
no investment III nor comm 1Eai to Their gen
eral enterprise Prior to the disclosures
made on this investigator looked upon it as
the public interest and. if il lad taken a
shape satisfactory TO Eae from a business
Il audpoiIlt and at a ir1o when felt at liberty
to join it in view of other investments ana
duties. lShOuid have done That states nv
exact relation to it Whae effect this investi-
cation NAV have upon it and whether | shall
ever join it are as open questions for me as
Tor any one else II my connect on with the
L have menTiauei i in any re-
.peet open TO just criticisms, l am not aware
Of It. Respectfully yours,
Y C WHITNEY,