New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-27
PhVEMENTs AND MOTIVE POWER.

n
The impression left upon the minds of those
who followed closely the discussion before the
Railroad Commissioners of the project for the
use Of cables on Third-a in place of horses
is that the required permission will be grant
ed. The law exacts, in addition to the ap-
prevail of these Commissioners, the consent
either Of majority in interest OF the property
holders along the line of a road desiring to
change its motive power or of the General Term
of the Supreme Court. 1t is not denied that
the Third Avenue Company has secured-in
fact. secured prior to its earlier applications
before the Commissioner of Public Works and
the courts--the necessary assent OF property
holders, so that a favorable decision by the
Railroad Commissioners in respect to the pres
emit application would be final barring an ap-
peal to the courts in behalf of the municipal
government to declare the law unconstitutional.
There seems to be no doubt that such an ap-
peal will be made in case the Railroad Com
mssioners approve the cable project, and con-
sequently, the plans of the Third Avenue Com
pany are not likely to be realized for cor
siderable time to come.
The question of motive power and the prob
lem of decent pavements are inseparably con-
nected. Commissioner Gilroy has shown COM
mendable prudence in his endeavor to ascer-
tain what the intentions Of the street railroad
companies are, and in proceeding cautiously
in recommending expenditures for paving pur-
poses while the future of street traffic remains
so uncertain. Several of the companies have
Informed him that they will take no steps
toward a change of motive power under the
new law until its constitutionality has been
established and this will probably prove to be
the disposition of all. The Third Avenue Com
pany, therefore, is to be left to prosecute to a
finish the contest it began, and it is not at all
likely to abandon its project even if the final
decision should be adverse to the existing
statute In that case it will doubtless seek to
secure new legislation of an impregnable char
acter in pursuit of it's fixed purpose to replace
horses by cables. If the constitutionality Of
the law should be affirmed, or if new law
substantially equivalent should be enacted,
numerous applications for authority to employ
a new motive power of some sort would GER
tainly follow, and we should expect to see with
in a comparatively brief period thereafter a
radical transformation in the conditions of
street-car traffic.
We think the people ought to be on the
whole well satisfied with the spirit in which
Commissioner Gilroy has taken hold Of the
paving problem, though he has made some
declarations, particularly in respect to the COM
parative traffic of Newly ork and London, which
prove that he is in need of more exact informa-
ton than he now possesses. We have not at
hand the necessary data to support dogmatic
assertions, Tut certainly the assumption that
the traffic in some parts of Newly orl is much
heavier than in any part of London must seem
at least unwarranted to persons who have
watched the compact mass of vehicles which
moves through Piccadilly, and moves, more
over, upon pavement as smooth and level as
hardwood lloor-which, by the way, is pre-
csely what the Piccadilly pavement is. Doubt
less Commissioner Gilroy might easily obtain
Trustworthy estimate Of the daily tonnage
which travelses important London thorough
fares, and until comparison based on facts
has been made, we insist that there is no need
of condemning any part of New-IOrk to the
perpetual use of granite blocks