New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-08
THE RAPID TRANSIT BILL.
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS TO MAYOR
GRANTS PLAN.
TO GIVE LIFE TO THE BROADWAY ARCADE AND
OTHER SCHEMES WHICH WERE OMITTED
FROM THE ORIGINAL BILL.
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBoSE.l

FROM THE ORIGINAL BILL.
1BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TkmoNE.1
Albany, April $50 far as the people who live
in New-YOrk are concerned, the great measure OF
this session Of the Legislature is Mayor Grants
bill to provide rapid transit for that city. This
bill, which will so largely affect the value OF
property and the comfort of life in the metropolis,
will come before the entire body of the members
of the Legislature for the first time the present
week in the Senate on Tuesday and in the Assem-
bly on Wednesday. Hitherto it has been in
spected critically only by the small committees of
the two houses which have had charge OF all
bills bearing on railroad matters Late yesterday
afternoon the State printer succeeded In getting
into type the bill amended by these two rail-
road committees. Some of these amendments
radically change the bill in character and as they
have only been summarized by the newspapers
the Senators and Assemblymen will look over the
bill when it appears in their files tomorrow night
with keen interest to discover the extent OF the
notifications made in the measure. 1t may
please those gentlemen of the Cable Road and
other slow transit enterprises, who are
so eager to get aboard the rapid
transit train, to know that the trouble that they
are taking to amend Mayor Grants bill in the IN
terests of their schemes may be time msSpent.
Governor Hill says that he will not sign a kanld
Transit bill which, in the opinion of Mayor Grant,
is hostile to the interests Of the people OF that CITY,
The Mayor, il may be presumed, has sent 10 Aloahy
the Rapid Transit bill which he thinks 1t would
he to the advantage of the people Of New-fofk 10
pass
Tho extensive amendments which have been
made to the bill by the Assembly Railroad COM
mittee were not suggested by the Mayor, and his
attitude toward them is clear in view OF his etter
TO the present Legislature in opposition to the
Cable Railroad Company's bill and his refrain
ing. in the Rapid Transit bill which he approved
from modifying it so as to permit the CONSTRUCTION
of a railroad of any character in Broadway. mayor
Grant in his bill as necessary step 10 prOVioe
rapid transit, said that an previous rapid transit
commissions should be abolished some Oh tnese
commissions still claimed that they had hIe' anu
IL was behaved that by their action in the courts
the city authorities might be delayed seriously IN
carving out their present plans for giving rapid
+rars;t to New-York. Therefore the Mayor in
section 10 proposes to abolish all previous RAPID
transit commissions Here is the section as 1t rcad
when the bill arrived in Albany:
soesop IN The appointment Of commissioners under the
nro,sors Of the act hereby amended. within thirty Gays
after this act exect, by the Mayor OF any 0S
having million inhabitants, or over shall superseoe anu
render null and void the appointment OF any
hch NAV have been made at any time before this act
shall have taken effect.
The Assembly Railroad Committee have modified
that section so that 1t now reads as follows:
seeton 10 The appointment commissioners under the
provisions Of the hereby amended. within Vlry uay
after this act shall take effect, by the Mayor OF any Guy
having million Of inhabitants or over shall supereue
and render null and void the appointment OF any comm"
sIoners which may have been made since January nts
one thousand eight hundred and eightyhye'
It has been said that this amendment merely
prolongs the life of the Rapid Transit COM
missioners who laid out the routes Of the Canie
Railway Company, but 1T Is evident thaG INC
amendment also prolongs the life OF the kaPid
Transit Commission which laid out the routes
of the elevated railway companies 1t continues
in life all the Rapid Transit Commissions ap-
nointed previous to January /. 1885, and aooHshes
oil appointed after that date. How many Rapid
Transit Commissions of note have been appointed
s;nce January 1, 1885? Such is the amendment
odonted in the interest Of the cable railroad
What of that adopted at the suggestion OF the
Arcade Railway Company, TO permit the consuuc-
+ior NJ an underground railway in Broadway
section 4 of the bill as it came from mayor
Grant specifically forbade the construction Oh
raII,pav Of apy kind in that street The secuon
then read: .--.,...,u. ..,o, -
80 ,he route or routes Of such railways over unaer
- ,hrouqb or across through the blocks petween' t
...t. ovanneS places lands, whether held IN puoho
- nrIvate ownership, in such county except broan"y
"a TJ,tbaye below Fifty-ninth-sI' boufth'S'o III"
Forty -second-st I'm. .a.od n mn,
..rouob the word " Broadway" and inserted the
.1sJ w.. ;" .boves between the words "Fourth-ave"
~ uFortv secondst." The effect OF these
ouoardrents is not only to permit tho construo'
- 20 a railroad upon Broadway, but also upon
ts,,.b ave from its junction with the Bowery as
-. ,outh as the Grand Central Station, In Forty
socond.st They further permit the cons struclion
80 rorid transit road east and west the IuiE
,on,+b of Forty. .seoond-st. The Assembly half
cod Committee also to show that IL lntehus CnaS
an rnderpround railway only shall be bullt IN
Rroadwav. adds the following secuon'
s~o,,on II None OF the provisions Of this aet are IN
,.ndsA 70 authorize shall they be cohSfueu - s
,yIng an elevated railroad over. along or upon pl~
wav in the city OF New-York except to cross 'he ~
JuIiap r. Davies the counsel OF the mahnauUan
Elevated Railroad Company, must nave "ohuere"
M the friendIiness of the Assembly hallroau Coii
n,,,ea N tho scheme OF the New.York Cable Kali
| y,au cnmrerv and of the Arcade Railway CoHl'
nanv and their hostility to the scheme OF ms own
comnanv IN extend its tracks and sprawl ali over
| two or three Of the smaller parks OF newborn
| Tolerant of two unwelcome passengers upon mayor
\ Grants rapid transit train, why snould tne com,
| mittee have opposed the admission OF tnlu
Mr.. Davies, in behalf of the Manhattan EieVateu
Railway Company, suggested to the Assembly
Railroad Committee that section 10 OF mayor
Grants bill which is given above, be omittea anu
the following substituted for it;
Section TO- ANY commissioners appointed unoef us
1t shall be deemed necessary for tho accommodation
of the public By the Railrosd Commissioners OF this
State, confer power upon any cievsted railway con-
in actual operation 10 lay az adduonai uaeN
or tracks on poron or the whole the length OF is
railway. and to construct the necessary Addiaona SD
nes, tunouta columns and structures and 70 ACQUIRE
additional terminal facilities In any street OF any pup0
place In which shall previously have erected iA sfuc