New-York tribune., 1894-04-07
XIII THAT T1MMiNY- NANHITT1N JOB.

economy
KILL THAT TAMM.iNY-NANHITT JOB
Ex-Afayor Hewitt has conferred another ser
vice upon this community by exposing the char
octcr of the rapid-transit bill which is now an
! togoniZinc in the Legislature the bill prepared
by the Chamber of Commerce 1t is strange
and suspicious circumstance that until this eX-
! traordinary measure had been put through the
| Assembly and WAS on the order Of third reading
! in thc Senate almost nothing was known to any
Derson outside the circle of its advocates In Al
| bany and in this city as TO its character ana
prospects, Almost the only statement maze
with reference to il in the public press was the
announcement after its passage in the Assembly
that Mr. Butts, who introduced 1t III mat
| branch was delighted. From his point or view
Mr. Butts had every reason TO be delghtH'
but from n public point Of view the people OF
this city, If they had only known IT. had every
reason to be disturbed. Apparently the Dill
| might have slipped through the Senate also
| without observation had II not happened that Il
hearing on the Chamber of Commerce bill had
been appointed for Thursday. Even then there
was an attempt to pass it without waiting to
hear what was about 10 be said before the
Railroad Committees.
Mr. Hewitt wasted no time in making clear
the dangerous character OF this scheme, but
with his customary candor and experness laid
if bare to public view. He showed that 1t pro-
poses to confer extraordinary powers upon the
local authorities of New-York and enormous
privileges upon the Manhattan Company In
deed. it proposes to give the Manhattan Com
pany a monopoly incomparably greater and
more valuable than that which it already pos
for %
community. 1t provides that no elevated rail-
rood shall be built south of the Harlem except
Ing by the Manhattan Company, but that
Commission Of three members appointed by the
Mayor may give that company authority to
multiply its lines and TO build third tracks along
| the avenues which 1t already occupies south OF
| the Harlem And it permits these enormous
| favors TO be bestowed upon that corporation
| without any recompcnsc whatsoever to the cry
| There were persons present at the hearing VINO
| took pains to explain that they had not sup
| posed the measure contemplated any special
| favors 10 the Manhattan Company. If they
were sincere in such statements, they merely
confessed 10 a total ignorance of the measure
| which they advocated, and OF the relations OF
| the Manhattan Company and the local govern
| mpnt of New York 1t is extremely offensive TO
the people Of this city that such proposition
MS this should have found a single advocate at
| Albany. and 1t is altogether inexpcablc that n
| measure embodying such provisions should have
| come SO near to passing both houses with mys-
| terious celerity.
| If this were the only Objectionable feature OF
| the bill which NJ Butts was instructed 10 in
| troduce i'm the Assembly and which Mr. IcXOw
| introduced in the Senate under Il misapprehen-
| sion there would be ample reason for defeating
the scheme at once and without ceremony; but
this is ONLY one of the intOlerable conditions
TO which it proposes to subject the people OF
New-Y York. 1t provides, as does the Chamber
of Commerce BILL for the construction at public
expense Of an elaborate underground system, OF
which the cost even If the project were carried
out with absolute fidelity and consuminate SKILL
would still be enormous; but. unlike the Cham
Der Of Commerce BILL II makes certain a sim
DIV stupendous expenditure by inrusting the
work of construction 10 the city authorities.
II is perfectly safe TO say that Tammany Hall
in control Of such job as this would derive
from il an amount Of plumber In comparison
with which its richest stcangs In the past
would appear insignificant. The scheme Is cum
ningly devised doubtless without the knowledge
of some of It's advocates, for the express pur-
pose Of promoting the trcacherous alliance be-
tween Tammany Hall and the Manhattan Com
pany, by which both parties TO that combination
have been eagerly cndeavoring during the last
three years 10 dcfraud the people Of NewlOrk
through the agency of the Rapid Transit Com
mission. 1t has been suggested that the bill
might be amended as to be unobjectionabe
and Of probable utility. In our opinion, the only
way to make this measure advantageous Is to
| leave IL without Il single recognizable feature.
| 1t can be bcneficially amended in just one way,
and that is by substituting for 1t the bill pre-
| pared by the Chamber of Commerce
The objections made TO that measure AT the
| hearing on Thursday have been refued over
and over again. 1t is not unconstitutional in
| that IL names the membership OF the new Com
| mission which it creates, for the validity OF that
procedure was recognized In the appointment
| OF the Aqueduct Commission. 1t does not give
the credit Of the city TO corporation, but en-
abeS the city TO use its own credit TO acquire
the ownership OF great transportation system
under conditions which effectually secure the
rights OF all citizens prevent the possibility Of
scandal and guarantee an economical execution
| OF the great task. We observe that the Assist
| ant Corporation Counsel, the gifted Blandy,
| who appeared on Thursday In behalf Of the
local authorities, said that they were unwilling
Ito have their treasury levied upon 10 the extent
| of S50,000,000." This sudden sociude Of the
local authorities for the treasury impresses no.
body except Mr. Blandy; the people
of this city likely 10 be moved by Mr.. Blandys
conviction that the Chamber Of Com
merce bill insults and affronts the Mayor
Of New-York." There Is no insult or
affront in the measure to any individ-
| ual or any interest 1t proposes merely to en-
| able this community. which is in dire need Of
new transportation facilities. to secure them
without long delay under conditions altogether
safe and honorable. There is every reason to
think that great majority Of the intelligent