New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-22
rHE CONTROLLERS BLOWS.
.usEp AT THE MANHATTAN PEOPLE.
,,r SENDS SOME SEVERE CRITICISMS TO TIL
RAPID TRANSIT COMMISSIONERS.

RAPID TRANSIT COMMISSIONERS
-. Aepart,nents OF the city government had some.
..,.s N saw TO the Rapid Transit Commission yes.
...1ov. They were the Finance ana the Dock de.
..,ments and they were represented at the meeting
.,. commission held at No. 90 wllllamst In the
'r.,noon. J. Sergeant Cram. president Of the Dock
n.nsrtment appeared In person. Controller Myers
-. not able to be present. but he sent communica-
~. 40 the commission by Mr. Hennques Of the
.,.scce Department. President Cram appeared to
the plan for building four track elevated road
" 'ws.tst.. from Battery Place TO Chrstopher-st
s.nm,s,ioner Starin acted chairman. All the
49,, Commissioners were present except Mr.. Stein
~, Who Is still confined TO his house by Illness.
controller Myerss communication was In reply 10
49,. .r,t,cIsms of his letter OF March Is made by
,.u.n T. Davies. who appeared for the Manhattan
.,.yshed Railway Company. and tried prove that
=. nnvueges granted to that company by the Rapid
s.,at Commission March IL. not valuable
-. There was large attendance at TIE meet
:. and It was the general conviction that Controller
v,srss communication WAS complete answer to
"A. Arguments advanced by Mr.. Davies last week
a, the Manhattan Company. Mr.. Myers's letter
Ia aloud by Mr. OBrien. chief clerk OF the COM
-,..on After remarldng that the Manhattan
galway Conpany's first and general objection was
~, any computation OF the value OF the proposed
,svileges based on gross earnings proceeded upon
sks principle and was unfair. the Controller said
~, the same objection was always offered by cor
noratons possessing seeking public privileges
rhsn endeavoring to avoid making proper compen
~.,,on therefor. "The gross earnings Of railroad
A., the communication said, "always definite In
amount and easily ascerainable net earnings on the
..her hand are necessarily variable In amount. de-
n.nd,ne as they do. on tie system Of bookkeeping
sdoped By each company
The Controllers communication continued In part
Is fellows:
7, ia dfcut 70 see in way a computation based
N sross earnings prove unfair the Manhattan kai
xay Company The operation OF the Manhattan Eie'au
po,d IA no longer experiment. The proportion wMch
n. <atnQ expenses its income has become
Ava and definite by experience OF many years. ano
Exhibits remarkable uniformity in its annual average
mus the percentage Of TO earnings In 1884 was
SIS Der cent 1885, 5os7 per cent in 1885, $3.50 per
cont In 1887 5551 per cent In 1885 1910 per cent IN
,sss o71s per cent $780, 81 O5 per cent and in 1891
n "a uer cent average these eight years Is ooeo
M cent, from which IL will be seen how small inc
y,,i,uce has been in the extreme OF any one year
uuss conclude therefore, that the interests OF the Man
hasaa Railway Company, honestly and honoraby admin
..rd could be as well protected by percentage CAL
eulasel on the gross earnings that hazy ana uVe
ding known met income"
IN answer to Mr.. Davies's statement that the
Rivileges granted to the Manhattan Railway were
mot valuable Controller Myers said he found dill
cult to approach this assertion In the spirit OF
seriousness In which it was made, and went on:
The Manhattan Railway Company has for years been
seeking grant Of privileges substantially inc same a.
o. now proposed That corporation Is ir business ior
n. sole purrose of profit and history furnishes no
sdence OF any atrustc effort To testow Dement'S on inc
reope Of this community without remuneration am
therefore constrained believe that this statement o
its face the impress Of dsinsenuousness ana that
the public at large VIII refuse W accept IL as '
fact 49,.
When the Manhattan Railway Company oemanas 'na'
shall demonstrate dollars and cents the exact s"e
o the proposed extensions it formulaes challenge whcn
IL IL manfestly impossible TO meet NO one can oree
With even approxmate accuracy the additional number OF
It will carry by thereof nor he con-
seouent increase in it's gross receipts. Ihnt thee ~
dtona privileges. however. must lnNarispN re>"e !"
the of the road is proposition
which hardly susceptible Of DOUBT In he ho VI any
impartial end candid man
Apart from the general and woll Recognized tIpoP'o
,ha. passenger traffic always follows tie line OF adequate
it must be forgotten that the express
trains on the third tracks. BY relieving local tamc Oh us
nrsent conqested condition will naturally draw TO the
Of the elevated thousands who employ other
methods Of transit rather than submit to tie sunerinss
and degradation crowdng 20 intolenbie that 1t "ouo
te termed inhuman II applied to cattle
have admitted-what perforce is incapable OF denial
that IL IL impossible fix the exact value OF these
proposed privileges but am not as yet c"eAant OF any
valid REPUTATION Of the fact that tie hrse oil the .
alternate propositions embodied my communication Of the
tanning that value BY That method. SHOULD me ear's,
Of the company be increased compensation is mace 70
the city in proportion to the amount OF that ncre",
the earnings are not increased the company Is ree'c
Of the necessity OF paying anythihR III aoui'ion ~ ~
is now Obliged by law To pay 49,,
Tho Manhattan Railway Company claims thdt this
method docs not take account the normal increases
In passenger traffic which would accrue TO that roao even
II The extensions not constructed
This objection would possess more weight IL 'h"'
corroation had not repeatedly admitted what matter
Of common KNOWLEDGE namely that the elevated lines are
now taxed their utmost capacity ana at uhiees a"
thority b additional tracks is granted the
Comuany Will be wholly unable 20 meet the increasing &C.
nands Of the future which VIII DC ioreco u seeA re "
some other direction.
Mr.. Myers said that he had considered all the
ether objections offered by Mr.. Davies, ana AFTER
lsposing of them briefly he closed as follows:
The enormous copital stock OF the Manha'ta" ha"ay
COMPANY which IL is said TO DC earning u'i.ehu a"
the rate OF IL per cent per anniin Represents "o' o
dollar Of original investment aid the present opportunity
mi,ht be deemed by proper occasion ior re'"e
Srnr the past history 0. that corporauon iS reato "
the people municipality the fee GIT oil i's ioa
bed the enormously valuable r1achise iof "he" ''s
community has received practically ominera'ion-ano
favorable time for seeking 10 rectiy the mistakes OIL ~
uast Az stated In nv former communication, however,
believe, justice % the pessat innocent sharhoue'S
Il the corporation that this question Oh oo'hIc"''"'
should be limited 70 consideration OF inc r'N '"". vi
The additional privileges "nich ~ II P''I - ~. =. =
Besween this position however and that Of yielding TO e
pteposterous demands OF corporation which mlsuses 'he
position OF it, present ground TO dictate u'ne'
surrender OF the peoples rght'. there cN''s an
eilablty which am confident will appeal TO the hnu
Of your honorable boty. -
Tbs ,sod,no ~ the Controllers communication was
followed closely by an those who were present, anu
when n WAS finished there was lond applause.
"Those people must be Ana'cbist''' sara La"'
n Fuller TO a Tribune reporter.
Mr.. Davies seemed 10 be somewhat surprised a' Wv
Controllers strong language about the methoos "~i
past history OF the Manhattan road. MI. Dn''e'
spoke briefly In reply. saying In part '"',~
fail N ind in this communication single argument
A. rs,,n tho controllers statement that percentage
Of the gross earnings Is the best manner OF hAng the
II the view that has been preNeh,'u
to Won IS to be answered BY the Controller saying
that he doesn't believe, or that the s'"'cne". -
d,ngenuous then have NOTHING to say Inc |o"'
AunlLG n