New-York tribune., 1890-01-03
TIE THIRD AVENUE CABLE CONTEST

TIE THIRD AVENUE CABLE CONTEST.
The CORPORATION Counsel has officially adj
vised the Commissioner OF Public Works that
he considers the law passed by the last Legs
lature relative to cables on street railroads I'M
constitutional. and that the application of the
Third Avenue Company for permission to
change its motive power ought therefore to be
refused. OF course, it is well understood that
this is not simply the opinion OF Mr. Clark
The city authorities have from the first taken
the ground that their consent 10 the use oil
cables could not be legally dispensed with
Mr. BeeIlman upheld this view before Oov-
ernor Hill last spring, when the Governor was
debating whether to sign or veto the bill, ana
the policy of the City Fathers was not changed
when his signature finally made the bill law
The situation is not altered by the Corporation
Counsers opinion, except in this particular,
that it had been thought that negotiations late
ly begun between the Third Avenue Company
and the authorities might result in an amicable
adjustment of their long contest Apparently
these negotiations have failed, but this does
not end the matter The company will now
continue the contest before the courts on the
question of consttutionality. That is the only
bar to its proceeding Immediately to put down
cables on its main line, the conditions which
the disputed law imposes having all been salts
fed
This latest phase of the case is interesting,
since it seems to indicate that the Mayor and
his advisers are discriminating sharply between
the Broadway and the Third Avenue COM
ranieS. 1t will be remembered that when the
former company had determined to change Its
motive power from horses to cables, ii by any
means it could obtain authority to do So its
preSident. the aStute and versatile Colonel
Lamont, being considerably wiser than most
children of light, began operations on a con-
cilatoly and pacific basis. instead OF reSortlng
to legal and other weapons of defiance. In be-
half of the company he approached the Mayor
with friendly arguments and concessions, with
all possibe Difference to the local authorities
and with delicate regard for the susceptlT
bilities which the Third Avenue people had
uiIied. Come and let us reason together SAID
the Colonel. They came and reasoned TO eX-
cellent purpose. for all opposition to the Broad
way scheme was huShed forthwith AS we
said at the time. there was no objection to this
method of dealing with a delicate problem
Inc Guy ScCUfcu 81 Sud!dhINN Va '"' ~ 'N't'''''
in money and the people promise OF greater
advantages in service than might have been
obtained otherwise, and the company got rid
of a formidable obstacle
This amicable and satisfactory understand
ing led to the expectation that the Third Ave
nue. Company would adopt similar tactics, and
in due time the announcement was made that
it had done so. 1t was naturally supposed that
Colonel Lamont's policy, applied in behalf OF
rival corporation. would accomplish similar re-
suits. that the city would accept substantial
benefit and in turn withdraw its opposition
But the truce has apparently ended, leaving
the quarrel Just as far from a settlement as
ever: and not until the Court of Appeals has
been heard from shall we know what the future
of Third-ave. is to be. 1t may be that the Cor
polation Counsel's opinion means that the al-
thorties desire to put little additional pressure
on the company for the purpose of squeezing
out a few more concessions, but If 1t means
that in their opinion, cables would be good
thing on Broadway and a bad thing on Third
ave- the public would doubtless like to know
what arguments there are to support this con-
clusion. If it means that our city magnates
merely choose to oblige one corporation and
disobige another, a frank confession OF that
fact would be still more interesting.
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