New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-25
4 DANGEROUS POTTER md PRECEDENT

Il DANGEROUS POTTER IND PRECEDENT
Mayor Grants Jealous and successful efforts
in behalf of the Harlem Bridge NorIiSania and
FOrdham Railway Company and its trolley sys-
TEN of electric propulsion DO him no credit.
In fact he has never appeared to greater dis
advantage, excepting. of course. in his eXamina-
ton before the FaSSctt Committee. II has been
a satisfaction to the community to believe that
the Mayor having by accident perhaps, bat
nevertheless omphatically and even yehemently
committed himself against overhead wires,
would never be found advocating. or tolerating
except under cOmpulSion, new distractions, dis
fguremcnts and pcriS of that character. 1t
was reasonable to suppose that he would adj
here to the record which he had made and in
which he was understood to take a pardonablc
pride. 1t has been, therefore, u diSagrceablc
surprise to learn that a brief soiourn in Boston
has convinced him that the trolley system is
a good thing for the Annexed District
Not only his conclusion. but also his manner
of enforcing il is Objectionable. There was no
necessity for immediate action. Delay would
not have been unjust to any one, hut it would
undoubtedly have produced a more overwhclm-
ing opposition to the trolley project, and that
was apparently just what the Mayor wished to
avoid He learned in connection with the plan
for another municipal mOnStrOSity in the City
Hall Park that public opinion sometimes gains
rapidly in volume and weight. and he was
afraid to take the risk Of poStponing this sur
face railroad business lest popular uprising
should compel him to oppose it. lie could not
persuade himself to foego the cheap luxury
of triumph over his pet antipathy, Commits
soner lIeintz. And 50 he pleaded his need of
an immediate vacation, went back on his own
record, and forced the project through.
The Mayors trip to Boston "under a strict
inoognto' was evidently waste of time. Tie
might have learned far more about the trolley
system rs it operates in that city by staying
in his Office and reading the Boston newspapers.
He could have learned from them that the
electric roads of Boston, instead OF giving
universal satisfaction are objects OF fear,
distrIlSt and eXecratiOn that the system has
often broken down completely; that it has
caused many serious accidents: that it is be-
Iieved TO increase greatly the danger OF diNaS-
lrOus fires and that the network Of wires is
hideouS Disagreement and general nuisance.
And what nonsense was uttered at Fridays
meeting in the Mayors office by Mr.. Expert
Wheeler about the beautiful poles and orna-
mental sockets which the company will put up
The next thing we know somebody will he
urging that the company ought TO be permitted
to charge extra for the artistic education which
it is going to impaIt to travellers. As for the
proofs that prOperty-OWners were deceived into
cOnsenting to change OF motive power by the
pretence that cables were 10 be used instead
of horses, the Mayor and his colleagues dis
missed .hoSn assurances of miSreDIcSpn alton
with evident contempt for persons so foolish As
to imagine that they affected the case.
The Mayors amendments providing that the
wires shall be strung upon the elevated railroad
structure whcr the Manhattan Company has
benevolently consented to that use Of its prop
er,y and that the wires snail be buried if it
ever becomes practicable 10 bury them are
sngularly worthless The only security against
the introduction of the trolley system lies in the
power of the Board of Railroad Commissioners
to refuse to sanction the proposed change OF
motive power. The utility OF these officials
has often been questioned, but they are now in
a position to justify their existence. They can
serve the city signalIy by defeating this dan
gerous and destructive scheme. They are
bound TO reflect that the Annexed District is
gaining residents fast and that it will certainly
be densey populated in the not distant future.
They must consider that the hope and cxpecia-
ton Of the company in interest are that the
city will grow rapidly along It's line Of trans
portation. and that the trolley system will he
come more and more burdensome and menacing
in proportion as this expectation is fulfilled.