New-York tribune., 1891-05-14
TITS RApID TRANSIT THAT rs RAFTED

Tho history of the elevated railroads supplies
r,oroutae that any conceivable extension OF
the system will solve the rapid-translt prooien'
On the contrary, it furnishes strong eviuenoo
if not absolutely conclusive proof OF tne III
canacity of that system to provide the trals-
nortation facilities upon which the prosperity
and comfort of New York depend. The scheihe
nronosed by Mr.. Gould to the Commissioners on
Tuasaav has this merit, that whatever improve
ment it is capable of producing would come
onicxlv and SO far as we are able to see 1t has
no other recommendation. Against this single
advantage must be arrayed long list of radical
defects and prospective burdens. Ihe new
lines are designed to increase largely the tiaino
of the general system, but the new anu oiu
routes are SO interviewer that the present CON
pestion could not fail to be increased at lhe
connecting points to degree which there Is no
Measure in contemplating Ii 1olows unaV
whereas travellers over certain sections OF the
cridron would find their convenience promoOcu
Inv the projected additions the comfort OF a
much larger number of persons would be Ill
minished to far more serious extent.
If the problem involved merely the convey
ance Of an increased number of passengers De-
tween different parts of the city it IS proDaoie
that the Manhattan Company would be aoie 10
solve it with great advantage to its own treas
ury. But genuine rapid transit means Lar Inoie
than this 1t means celerlty ana ease ol hio'e-
ment over long and short routes alike, large
reserve of possibilities to meet the demands OF
+ba fut,,re and minimum OF injury TO lndi-
viduals. and of general obstruction and deface-
mant So far from insuring these essentials
AIR t,ould's scheme would shut out all nope
of obtaining them hereafter The Manhattan
Comnany wants huge surrender on the part
of the city. Its plans contemplate an lmheiise
sacrifice by the people and meagre conpehSa-
ton. They include the appropriation OF upper
broadway and the Boulevard by the hioeouS
fabric which has permanently dishgureu III
feIior thoroughfares, and they offer IN return
an extension and perpetuation of the exaspera'-
mo conditions from which the community mas
,onped to escape for many years. we are not
unmindful of the fact that hundreds OF thou-
sands of persons are glad to use the eieVa'eu
roads daily. In the deficiency OF other means
of trayersing the city they are compelled to use
them. II is a case of sheer necessity. IL cap
tal and engineering skill were unable TO pro-
vide any better system the people wouid DC
compeled to demand new lines OF transporta-
tion of the same kind at whatever sacrlfice.
But we are not reduced to that extremity
Capitalists are eager to furnish money IN any
amount to carry out the plans which engineers
have already devised. There is no dlsposluoh
70 resort to makeshifts for the reason that there
is no need of doing So If the elevated roads
can be made more useful without being MADE
al the same time more burdensome, and above
all without being encouraged and assisted to
throttle every project looking to the introduc-
ton of a comprehensive and adequate system
of genuine rapid transit, we have no objection
There are streets in Newly orll and the BoWery
is one of them, in which we should not oppose
the erection of new elevated structures, pro-
vided that they could be so knit into the eX-
istjng system as to increase its general utility.
But the Commissioners ought to be aware, as
we have little doubt they are, that the people
of this city have no faith in the competency OF
the elevated roads, however multiplied and eX-
tended. to provide what they want. The de-
fects of the system are ineradicable, and It's
occpaton of new routes and requirement OF
new privileges would only magnify and re-
dunicate them. The Commissioners have hs-
tened to Mr. Gould's proposals with attention
thsy should now discard them without delay