New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-19
THE MAYOR md THE M1NHAT1AN.


1t is gratifying to hear Mayor Gilroy de-
n0uncc the Manhattan Company IN Just ana
emphatic language for its treatment OF inc
Rapid Transit Commission and OF the people
for whose urgent needs the Commission was
appointed to provide lie declares that the
company has not acted in good faith has no
sense of It's Obligations to the public. and is
Mt entitled hencefolth to the slightest con-
sderation on the par. OF the officials WIN
whom it has trllled or 81 the people whom Il
has oppressed With this inclsvc statement
Of the case the Mayor will find the citizens OF
New York to be in hearty sympathy. The
municipal administration has been slow to
recognize the true character Of the Manhattan
management. it, avariCc. sclfishncSs and du-
plicity but the consequences of this Official
enlightenment, though bclated, may be OF
great and permanent benefit 10 Ncw-l DIRK
1t is eXaSperating to think OF the time that
has been wasted in negotiating with cor
poraticn which now curly rejects exceedingly
liberal terms for privileges which it had so
icted. especially since the real motive Tor ITS
conduct is doubtless the expectation that II
will be able to grasp them hereafter Ill It's
own familiar and offensive manner BUT an
adequate recompense for long delay and DIS
comfort may Yet be derived from the eStab-
lishment of a rival system under conditions
which will assure sharp competition.
To such an undertaking Mayor Gllroy now
points the way and pledges his support. The
alliance which was formed between Tammany
and the Manhattan people, ana the PROOF Oh
whose existence was demonstrated in the con-
Stitnticn and proceedings of the Rapid Transit
Commission was unqucsii0nably prohtable 10
tho Democratic party and to individual specu-
lato,s but the community has found 1t costly
and burdensome. If this alliance has now been
finally dsrupted public advantage will almost
certainly result The Mayor Is right IN pre-
ferrng that private capital ana enterprise
should provide new transportation facilities
and we do not believe he Is too sangWne IN
h ming that sufficiently attractive inducements
NAV vet be offered for the establishment OF a
competitive system. A. he points out, 1t IS
NOT necessary to consider the question OF ways
and means lust at this moment. while financial
distrust and perplcXity prevail: and there Is
reason to believe that by the time the Com
mission has devised suitable plan for inde-
pcndcnt lines Of traffic capital for their con-
StructlOn VIII ne II 'I'N 'NP'''
ton is disappointed the Mayor will then be
prepared ID assist those who believe that the
construction of a rapid-tIanst road should be
made municipal enterprise"
We cannot say that we are ready 70 follow
the Mayor so far as that Until our municipal
government has been radically reformed the
community will take an unwarrantabc risk III
confdng t. its trust colossal civic under
taking, for il is constantly and conSpcuouSly
demonstrating it, unwingnoSs or incapacity
to perform the tasks already imposed upon 1t.
They are not thoroughly done and they cost
enormously. If the contrary were true there
would be strong arguments in favor of con-
structng a rapid-transit system under the di-
rection and on the credit of the city, And the
time may come when that course will be lu>tIli-
able, if such guarantees can be established rs
Will realize the advantages of municipal CON
struction while minimizing the risks But we
do not deem it necessary as yet to take that
possibility into serious consideration. There is
a splendid field waiting here for private enter
prise to occupy and the immediate duty of
the Rapid Transit Commission is to provide an
antrancp