New-York tribune., 1889-10-17
CABLE CARS IN BROADWAY.
APPLICATION TO MAYOR GRANT.
THE COMPANY WILLING TO AGREE TO FAVOR

THE COMPANY WILLING TO AGREE TO FAVOR.
ABLE TERMs-wHAT 1T PROMISES TO DO.
The following communication was sent to Mayor
Grant yesterday by Elhu Root counsel for the Broad
way and Seventh Avenue Railroad Company:
The Broadway and Seventh Avenue Railroad Com
pany is now prepared to undertake. change Of motive
bower upon It's line between South Ferry and Central
Park from horsepower to cable. provided the public
authorities charged by law with the duty Of deernln-
to vest this authority in the Railroad ComnlssonsIs
the validity of that law and takes the position that
the local authorities of the city alone have
We think that the proposed change win be a. great
public benefit and will be beneficial 10 US ON! Si,
It win furnish better of travel TO the RooNg
We wish to prosecute the work NOT III rp"ony Min
sbs public Interest and we have question Of To-
ceivfng the hearty assent ana a., ,b nrerioes
wbeSever WI the Subject IS fairly presented to them
Independently of any ,gai .seent and cooperation
y ,hc cty soyernment and respectfully ask an
opportunity to lay before you T1 % Tor tho nronnse1
saSSs IN order that the consent OF the local author
Ties may be obtained TpEf a that msy be- deemed
neceSary for the interest Of the city .s.,
~, h s srosdway and Seventh Avenue Railroad Com
pany the South Ferry Rarosd COMPANY ana ~ me me
broadway Surface Railroad Company.
In support Of this application the officers OF the
company make the following statements:
The time has come for better transportation "a
ctes in this city, and we think that with our pres
ent franchise and with the consent and cooperation
NJ the city authorities the Broadway and seventh
Avenue Company is IN position TO furnish such Ia
ctlities The recent action Of the State Railroad
Commissioners the application Of the Third Avenue
Company indicates that that Board Will look favor
ably upon any application for the use OF caoie
as motive power for street railroad in this city,
where the connections suitable. The opposition
10 the use Of cable that limo now comes nom
the city authorities who maintain that the law vestng
power TO grant the franchise In the Railroad Com
mssioners Is unconstitutional 1t seems to US en-
jnently proper that the city authorities should be
consulted on a change Of such great moment to the
city, and that the cable system should be adopted
only in harmony with their views and In accordance
with such conditions as they may think fit to prescribe
s1ch conditions stand ready TO comply with Any
provison which the present dlgent and eihclent
Commissioner of Public Works might make. as to
the use Of such rail would least ncommode street
traffic. for instance, we would gladly meet; and so
with any regulations as to the treatment and care
OF underground pipes and to tearing up the streets
That being so, hope that the city authorities VIII
cooperate with us in securing great public i'm
provement on what are practically their own terms'
and we regard it as already demonstrated that the
cable is safe and most efficient motive power 'or
street railroads in New-York
chiefly financial, and for that reason we have asked
Mayor Grant to designate some suitable authority
before whom the question may be examined In detail
We are ready go before any body which the Mayor
may name, and 1t is thought that suitable refer
ence for such question would be the Sinking Fund
Commission The Broadway company now pays to
the city for It's franchise $4,000 annually ana .
per cent gross receipts, and after June next that
percentage will be Increased TO i've. With the in
creased facilities which the cable would give us,
bur receipts would reach S3,O0O,0OO
year Five per cent Of this would be
s150OOO and 10000 added would make $4,000.
There is also 81 900 which pay yearly for clean
ing our tracks and which would be Of added value
TO the CITY, since the substitution Of cable for horse
power would to a considerable extent do away with
The litter which makes cleaning necessary.
Thus we offer the city over 100000 a year for
a franchise which only be valuable to in
Droportion as we the public efficiently. Our
profits must. of course. drop with every defect in
our service .
We hope the city authorities will look favorably
,~on our application, and If they become satisfied