New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-27

THE BRTDGF TRUSTEES OPPORTUNTTY
The Bridge Trustees have evidently seen a light
Heretofore economy has been word not to be
found in their vocabulary Such things as re
trenchment, keeping down expenses, performing
the first duty of a trustee-tO guard the property
which he holds in trust II II were his own
have been disregarded omitted neglected alto
gether They were responsible TO nobody, could
not be called to account and 80 they INDUCED In
all sorts Of useless expenditures and extrava-
gances The Bridge equipment has earned good
deal Of money, but practically oil OF it has been
expended by the irresponsible trustees for more
or less doubtful bettements" ; and they have
even gone to the extent Of seriously proposing to
pledge the future income Of the Bridge for i'm.
provements" which they consider desirable
But new era has dawned. The trustees have
at length come to see the necessity Of earning
moro money. What they intend TO do with It
when they get it in hand they have not disclosed;
but it is evident that $1,000 seems bigger sum
to them now than half million or so did short
time ago. When it was proposed the other day
that advertising signs be placed In the Bridge
cars nnd gravey stated that $4,000 could be
realized thereby, majority OF the Board In
stantly "caught on to the idea, and the scnme
went through with rush. The suggestion thai
they might get 81 o. 600 did not deter them In the
least. and Judging from the spirit which seems to
have animated them we do not believe they would
have abandoned the idea II they had been gravey
assured by some one In authority that they could
actually realize $1,000
At this point we rise TO remark that these long
headed trustees have by no means exhausted the
possibilities In this direction and that IL behooves
them to be up and doing. for there is no knowing
how soon the Legislature may take notion to
eject them from their offices, bag and baggage
OF course now that the Ice Is broken they will
sec the desirability Of not combining the adver-
Using cards TO the inside Of the cars; these can
lust as well be put on the outside, where there
is more room. and bcsi les the brakemen can appro-
nriat4ly appear in the guise OF the sandwich
mcns who act ss walking advertisements in Broad
,vav. The whole length Of the promenade and
the driyeways can be lined with billboarls, the
rent Of which would add pretty penny to the
IS. 600 or $4,000 already planned for. The
towers offer an almost limitless range OF possibil
ties: il would be in order to advertise for pro-
posals for their use, and no doubt the hveliest
sort Of competition would set in. There Is largo
amount of nane surface in the stations now abso-
lutely useless that ought to be made to pay
handsome return the investment All the
policemen can be impressed into the service and
be made perpetual monuments OF tho efficacy OF
/" Dr. Gingerbread's Bitters' or Professor ALI
curer's Plasters-Talte No Other On summer
nights, when the promenade Is not overcrowded,
mpecunious persons can be allowed to take lodg
ngs up in mid-air for moderate charge Nor do
we see any reason why the trustees oiices should
not be turned into lodging house at night since
they are unoccuped after business hours and could