New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-21
THE TROLLEY WINS 4 POINT

| The Railroad Commission has not strength
| ened its claims 70 public confidence ana support
| by granting the application OF the Iafleh
Bridge. Morlisana and Fordham Railway Com
nanv for leave to employ the trolley system oil
electric propulsion. If that company succeeds
| in overcoming whatever obstacles are still IN us
way il will be the means Of giving new lease
| If life TO dangerous nuisance which recently
,n,oarcd 10 he near its end The validity Of
the consent, obtained, and in part recalled, Is
| legal question which 1t Is not lni Inc Com-
m>,ioIi or the newspapers 10 decide; but any
! intelligent man is competent to recognize the
force of the testimony which comes from many
quarters as to the perls, neliiciency and general
ohensivencss Of the trolley system.
II NAV be granted that under specially favor
| able conditions the mechanism works well bui
| there is abundant evidence to show that 1t Is
ncculjarly liable in our climate to break down
| compictey The Mayors brief visit to BoS-
ton. "in strict incognito," convinced him that
the trolley would be a blessing TO the Annexed
District. but since his return he has done moth
ing to clear up the mystery winch surrounds
his sudden conversion. BostonlanS themselves
arc in a constant state OF evaporation at the
DELAYS. dangers and Instructions from which
they suffer. In Cleveland the feeling Is, II pos
siblc. still stronger Minneapolis Is OF the same
mind. In this city south Of the Harlem, the
Nay0r is the most conspicuous foe of overhead
wires. and has derived great personal satisfac-
ton from popular approval Of his active and
vaIorous assaults upon them. But north of the
Harlan they enjoy his sympathy and support.
If we understand him correctly, he discovered
while he was in Boston that the trolley has a
wonderful faculty for building up waste places.
Formulation flies TO it as the needle to the pole,
~ that the most unpromisng and desolate
region becomes densey Inhabited when it has
possessed a trolley system for a brief period.
The Navor. to be sure, is on record rs holding
in the lrmc,t and most memorable manner that
overhead wires are an unmtgated curse to
| tbicllly settled communities, and his two the
ore, seem 10 contradict one another ilatly. In
effect he says: The trolley will soon prove
itself an intolerable nuisance to the Annexed
District. and therefore | gladly advocate is
Introduction there"
The Railway Commission also declares its be-
lief that the proposed method of strcct-ear pro
pulsion. if employed in the Annexed District,
Twill serve to bring large population into that
portion of the city,; and thcrcupon il grants the
application. Neither of these authorities has
gone so far As to express an opinion as TO what
stage of density will warrant the population OF
the northern district in endeavoling to dispense
with the services Of the trolley. But this reti-
cenCc is not serious misfortune, for once adj
mittod the trolley will stay, unless, indeed the
people should ultimately determine to act upon
"A legal principle recently enunciated. 1t may
be remembered that the eminent Judges OF the
General Term. in their decision respecting the
right of the city authorities to cut down poles
and wires, declared that when business became
hazardous to public safety it ceased to be a
lawful business and became public nuisance
and Judge Brady took occasion to add that the
nuisance might then be abated, not only by the
civil authorities, but by any citizen who was
willing to accept the responsibility OF proof.
| If the trolley system is allowed to take root in
upper New ork we may not improbably live
long enough TO see it extipated after the man
ner in which poles and wires came to grief a
little more than year ago IN lower New York.
In the meantime we hope that its .oprOnents