New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-17
RAPID TRANSIT COMPLICATIONS.

That it was entirely unnecessary to accuse oil
indecent motives the Republican Senators at
Albany who appointed a committee to consider
Mayor Grants Rapid-Transt bill is apparent
from the character of the four amendments
which the committee have suggested, and from
the manner in which they have brought them
TO public notice. After careful deliberation
they agreed upon the proposed changes, and
promptly submitted them to Corporation Coun-
sci Beekman, who at their instance promised
to ascertain and communicate the Mayors views.
The facts were then given to the press, and
everybody was thus enabled to learn yesterday
morning Just what the committee had been
doing.
Moreover, when the amendments are studied
three of them are found to contain nothing dan
gerous or even radically subverSiye OF the
Mayors scheme. One provides that the Sink
ing Fund Commissioners shall confirm the
choice of routes made by the Rapid Transit
Commissioners, and is the same in effect as one
of the amendments adopted by the Assembly
last week. There is nothing disreputable about
it, and we are disposed to think that though
unnecessary, it is harmless. second sug-
gestion is that the two commissioners to be Sc
lected from outside the limits of the city shall
be civil engineers. We do not see any reason
why this restriction should excite antagonism.
We take it for granted that the Mayor is hon
estly determined to make his administration
memorable by giving to Hew-York system Of
genuine rapid transit. That is the understand
ing upon which his bill is almost universally
supported by the newspapers of this city and
- - nipin IN
other hypothesis it would be criminal TO intrust
him with the authority which he would exercise
under the proposed law. If'his intentions are
rightly understood, he win not, we are conf
dent. imperil the enterprise upon which his
heart is set by refusing to accept provision
merely to restrict his choice of non resident
commissioners to the class best qualified to act
in that capacity.
The same reasoning, however, leads us to
doubt the wisdom Of curtailing the authority OF
the commissioners to reject any and all bids for
the rapid-transi franchise at their own diScre-
ton. This restriction is an invasion of the
principles on which the bill was drawn. II the
city is willing to devolve such great response
bility upon the commissioners as the unamended
provisions of the bill expressly impose, they
ought to be left essentially unhampered. Let
us trust them ut vital points or else not trust
them at all.
The remainirg amendment proposed by the
committee of Republican Senators removes the
clause which forbids the commissioners to au-
thorize a railroad under Broadway. AS our
readers are aware, THE TRIBUNE has expressed
the opinion that the Arcade projectors cannot
solve the rapid-transit problem except under
conditions unnecessarily onerous, il not abso'
lutely intolerable. But we should not carry
our opposition to this amendment to the point
of preferring to see the Mayors bill abandoned
partly because we do not believe that the
route under Broadway would commend itself
to such commission as the Mayor would select,
The chief practical argument against its in
cluson among the possibilities is the danger OF
arousing thereby extensive and implacable hos
tlity to the most hopeful project for providing
the city with adequate transportation facilities
which has ever been proposed.
Mayor Grants own position with reference
to the suggested amendments we understand to
be this: He is unfaYorable to all four OF them
and radically opposed to two. He might con-
sent, and, as we have said, we think he ulti-
nately would consent to have his choice OF
nonresident commissioners restricted to civil
engineers, and he does not explicitly declare
that he would not accept the Assembly amend
ment which requires the consent Of the Sinking
Fund Commissioners to the selection Of rapid
transit routes. TO the rehabilitation Of the
Arcade project he is intensely hostile, and
against the limitation Of the commissioners au'
thority to reject bid for any cause he is un'
alterably committed. There is reason to be-
| heve that he will abandon the undertaking al
together if these last two amendments are in
sisted on, and we earnestly advise the Senate t.