New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-12
THE RAPID-TRANSIT BILLS.
POINTS OF RESEMBLANCE AND DIFFERENCE
Is TIE THREE MEASURES AT ALBANY.

ALL BASED on THE F>s,Lrr BlLL-sH>LL TIE
COMMISSION BE- HoNPAErI>AN MAYOR
GElXr's BILL SAYS No-FILLING VA
CANCIEs And PROVIDING FOR
QuoRUM-srREETs THAT NAY
AND MAY NOT BE USED.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or The rRIb'Sh
Albany Jan. 1l.-TlIrc is a universal desire AMONG
The members Cf the Legislature 10 bring uhdcF CON
,ideration early in the session the bills relating 20
c,rd transit in New. York And it may De added that
there :, general desire to pa some one oi these
bills and thu, give an opportunity to capitalists "
supply New York with rapid ,ran>i, always II '@'v"
ND i'm the fir, part OF the session there would u" '"P'c
time TO consider the bills with great care ana prooo
an agreement would be reached upon some points
which excited d>sonson last year, ana leu u ''0
defeat of all rapid-transit measures.
rbroe rand transit bills have thus far been intro
duccd All of them take a. their basis the fassc'1
Rapd Transit bill Of last year. which passed 'hc oe'c
was amended in the Assembly, ana lhch wa
dofoated because the two houses were not abe l"
come 10 an agreement upon It, But IL inc f'Ss'''
bu is made the basis of al three of the measures OF
this wear such important notifications nave pco''
made in that bill since last winter that the members
of tho Legislature will find it prIdent to examine every
,o of tbc hills critically the FaS,ctt bill In mana
Two Of the measures were introduced bN lepup"'
cans-one By senator stewart ana one N "SN'''' '''
rih rhov ore radically different in several import mi
,pspcctS The third measure Is Known d "''''
Grants bill" and IL was introduced bv eehaV'i "
,rd hv As,cmblvm9n Connolly, OF NcW-,0Ih' II
differs from the other two measures IN Us treatment
t +io ranid-transit problem. Upon SUPERFICIAL en-
animation of the bills discovers tEat the Di' VI
sera.or Ives and of senator stewart agree upon "o
uont-pamely they say that John H. S'arI'' "","'.
steinwnv samuel spencer Eugene L. hnS' an" '"
II Inman the present five Rapid Transit 'oh'"'S'''"
ors NJ New.York, shall lie Rapid Transit '"ih'''
sioncrs under the law about To he passed. t'''' - "
tho hin i, PASSED before they GO out Of oNcr' "P"
rohr,arv 81 The present Board OF RAPID lIdl'al
Co,,ni oncrs has a. it, members two Republicans ana
three Democrats. A.. .,,
Assembyman Fish in his bill also says that inc
prrsont Rand Transit Commissioners shalI De '"""
i'm Office. but he adds sixth commisSloneT, N"'
70 be a Republican. Under the Fish bill. therefore,
the Board would Lc equally divided poiItlcalN ''"-
sistinC Of three Republicans and three Democrats
In the matter of filing vacancies in the ho''u u
Commissioners the Fish bill and the Ives blu aHIN''
srch vacarce, are 70 he filled by the Mayor OF N'"
York Yet they disagree in an important pom" ".'
Fish in his bill declares that Repubil'ah SUM
succeed a Republican ard democrat s"ai' %
a Democrat as commissioner, thus keeping the hap"'
Transit Commission permanently composed OF Three
Rcpublicans and three Democrats. senator Ives III
his bill however says: IF vacancy shdH ~ "'
tua occur in The said Board by the refusal oil any
member thereof to serve, or by tlc DEATH rc'ls'"''
disability or other disqualification OF any mehoer VI
the said Board the vacancy or varanclcN 80 'a">e'
hall inc filed by appointment BY the Mayor Of the
city in which the vacancy vacanccs shall occur
such a provision authorizes any Demcclauc A"Nor ii
New--Y York. if "A Republican Eapid Transit 'oih"'''"n
should die resign be declared lneHslDei 10 aPPo''
in his place Dcmocrat-thus putting an enormous
amount of political power In the hands OF TIC Demo
cratic pary This provision of the Ives ana the con
molly bill is not contained in the fasct bill as II Ei'ca
tho Assembly last winter nor in the senate form OIL
that measure senator Ives has been telling every
ono that his bill and that OF AsscmblyInah 'oh"iN
follows the lines strictly Of the fa'Sett MI o. year
arc bUt tho Lrlefc,t examination viii snow li'V uA
statement i, not supported hy hi- hill. IL 'honHi ~
further stated that MI Fshs amendments 40 inc l"'-
sett bill Of last year which were adopted by the As
.enhv provded that if there should be ans vacah'icS'
commissioner, Of the political faith shoald succeed
ooe another Both Mr. Fassctt and Mr.. Fish aimed l."
maintain a balance OF political power III the Boaid OF
Rapid Transit Commissioners. There Is Keen ucAlrp
among the Republican members Of the present Legs
laturc 10 give York rapid transit, bui n'Ncrthe
loss il can be predicted that rapd-transit bill VIII
become law with their consent which viii permit ono
noical marty 10 control such gigantic enterprise as
tbe construction Of rapid-traaat railway tor New
York. ~ By,
In the bill Of Senator stewart it * provide that.
there should be any in the pre-eht h""io -
Rnpid Transit Comm, sion"r- The vacancy SHAH D III
Lv the Governor by the appointment with the adN'c
and consent Of the senate, Of a commissioner VINO
shall belong TO the same political party -, dld the
commits, ioner whom such appointec is appointed TO
succeed
Another highly important point Of difference be-
tween the Ives b,l and the stewart bill l. tHt The
former SAYS that three members Of the Board 'hil
constitute quOrnm for the transaction OF business
la. l al
her, shall constitute a quorum for tie transaction oi
business That j, TO sav Mayor Grant ana ms
advisers carefully provide that the 'hf'c
Democratic Rapid Transit Commissioners 'h'.'
constitute a quorum for the transaction Oh business
leaving tie two Republican commissioners inc pl'd'~
ant occupatiOn Of twiddling their thumbs III U'e
Board with no power OF veto upon any measure pro
po,ed by their Democratic colleague. III o'"'T
words MAYOR Grant proposes that tie RePnbh'dN
members OF the Rapid Transit Commission snail De
highly ornamental creatures-f their Democratic col
leagues will IL.
Nr Fish mas made the error Of not mentioning th'
matter Of quorum Perhaps he thlhKs tht' a. '"''o
are three Republican and three Democratic '''nll'''
sinner, under his bill there Is no necessity Tor Nh'
r,,.,.,op but he surely is not prudent "a a lcsis-
i, desirous Of protecting the interests Of axpale els
in taking such risk.
section Of the Fasset bill Of last year read as ioi
lows
Section g. Within tn DAYS afpr me e9ht 'on'"'',"''
ors N bo appointed 10y the GoycTnoF shall nav" GUY
oualncd said commissioners shan meet 81 tn' '"P
g. che city Of Albany and organize They may nam" ana
rr raws not inconsistent with this act, ana establish
satIe rules AID regulations for the proper r\rr'S" ~
the movers and duties hereby conferred and imposed ana
may from time 10 tine amend the same SN m'In"'
snail constitute quorum FOR the transaction 81 business
nm. a les number may adjourn meetings y" mayor 81
INV city shall take part the Transaction Of any dust
~ exccp such as relates exclusively ~ the city oi "hich
rbe said
-, ,a, ,.co.1 of f.. proceedings which shall be-
,bic record and Dc op inspection a. all caf'hdDe
times, The sad Board establish bShch once "
any one Of the cities which the jurisdiction oi sdu
Lizard extends.
yr Fish has taken that section and cut it down
50 that il now reads follows:
Section 3 within fifteen days after their appointment
o in the cs.n OF the commissioners referred to In section
~ this acc as who shall be deemed to be hI' APP
tainted under the provisions Of the within hft"'n
IL q L. ..... = :.