New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-07
VIEWS ON RAPID TRANSIT.
MEMBERS or THE COMMISSION TESTIFY
BEFORE THE ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE
NOW THE ELEVATED ROADS COULD HELP THE
TRANSPORTATION PROJECT. ACcoRplN' ~
MEssRs. INMAN AND sTEINwAY-LAw-

Neropole yesterday morning. Inc HIST WITNESS
this morning was l.. L. Deladeld. the secretary OF
the Board of Rapid Transit Commissioner. Law"
son \ JN,iicr who attacked the Board at Nednes-
days session. was also on hand. Mr. Deianei'' III
reply TO Arthur {. Wade the counsei ior inc Co','
rnit.ee said that TIE present Board Oh f'"pu
Transit Commissioners was appointed u'oei C""p
75s O, the laws o. lsst on Jume 8. 1894. lie saa
Alexander f. Orr was elected president oil the
BOARD Johu H. starin Nce-mesident ana Johh
ClaAin treasurer
Have you knowledge of tAe business OF the
Boarl?' asked Mr.. Waoe
YES sir: have coplpiVe Nho"'eute u an W.
finances of the Board"
The witness said that the Rapid Transit Ac' ap
piled TO any city Of over 1000. 800 inhabitants
Does il apply Brooklyn? 49,
yes sir in my opinion most OF its PROVISIONS "'e
applicahle TO Brooklyn well as New-hoFh'
The witness stated that before INC ao' oo'"u 10 ap
pled TO Brooklyn the Mayor of that cry must s'''
MS consent -. oor COW,
How many schemes had your Board under con-
sidcrat,oa since It's creationY ,s
The only scheme the Board mac "oae' -,
ton was a scheme for rapid transit Inc bo'"
also had the power TO Giont ana''"-'
10 existing city railways"
rne witness then gave in detail the pro''s.on y.
the act under which the present haP' i'"''''
Board entered into existence
WHAT THE PEOPLE VOTED FOR
IN, Won understand that the people Of New-fork
were voting cor an underSToui" ia4'"'' -" -
were yo,;r. on the question of rapid transit
..,rb e,ct thar ,he Commission contemplated buid-
irg 4 sub-surface railway had had me wlues' PoSs'
BILE publication prior 10 the e-eeton ana nav Nv
doubt that the on the question: was VIZ
Intelligent vote. Prior to the election tne Co'iis
..oners had issued a statement tha' they i"'e"ueu
examining the plans preViousl! ""'i''e ~
Ing them II they ht. ,.
..Then the people did not really nave any ue""''e
plan to vote upon!
"l think YOUR conclusion is correct.
"And they did rot know whether they were WV
H., e. -, elevated or underground railway?
..Thev did not know. no definite plan oil con-
e,ructio, was submitted to them Ihey Simply
voted upon the policy Of municipal construction
rrhe witness said that the cost of the railway was
limited TO $o"eVO $500 o.. er O.
"Rnt suppose that when you had gone as lar as
,,,aec,,er-st in building the underground railway
,na s5O op, oO was expended, then you Wouu ha.e
% 60 for more money TO the Legislature!
"1 have heard that argument advanced before out
assume that the engineers VINO maui 'ie 'P
cations knew their business s. soid
In reniv TO another question, the witness saiu
49, rlon adon,ed by the present Board OF SUD-
su,face road was quite similar to that whch vas
adopted by the old Board prior to the eieo'IoN u
1Sa; Mr. Delafeld then stated that MI. farsons'
The chief engineer Of the Board, went 10 EUROPE II.
1894 prior to the election. and mace d" e'"'
report OF the systems used there.
..Optside of the examination Of Mr.. Parsons nave
any of the Commissioners made studies OF the suo
Ject OF rapid transit ,,.
yves sir and think most OF the commissioners
understand :he subject very we'll for men VINO are
not engineers"
MR. INMAN's TESTIMONY.
A. this noint the examination Of Secretary Deia-
eald uas suspended and Commissioner John H. In
man took the stand. He said that ne mao Hiaue
rapid transit a study =, 49,,
DO YOU favor municipal ownership at ALL unless
y.hiN
will not undertake? DO you favor the municipality
operating a railway
NO sir do not. l would sublet 1t to private
COMPANY
Mr. Inman stated that a general principle ne
did not favor State ownership but ne thought .he
nresent Rapid Transit act all right. He also
stated that the Board Of Rapid Transit Cohinis-
soners ready TO give reasonable CONCESSIONS
10 the elevated railway for the purpose OF securing
rapid transit II proper application was MADE
What system should In your opinion De auop'eo
by the elevated roads,
by the adoption of the third and fourth tracks
on the Ninth-ave. line there should be thlId
track as far south Eighth-ave. From the loot
Of Yves, Broadway track should be EXTENDED 10
Cortandt-s, ferry connect with the uptown traf-
nc. And there are other improvements when me
waited roads make their ideas and wants known 10
wolves equipment by the road which executes me
lease We would furnish the track and roadbed."
which cOntemplates six years work, retards i'm
provements on the elevated roads?J
There is earthly reason why the elevated
company should not 80 ahead and build to Fort
ns b and f ery US na ana
Then Mr.. Inman made another interesting state;
want US to quilt I for one am ready to quit We
have been trying to do our best to carry out the
law honestly"
LAWSON y. FULLER AGAIN
Mr. Inman was then excused and Lawson N. Full
Ter jumped up and said:
The cost of this committee TO the State has been
fully justified in the testimony of Mr. Inman alone
He has said. and he probably represented the senti-
Of the Commission that he is willing TO have
which the people in that vicinity have been try ng
that I succeeded in getting the views Of the Rapid
uiate Mr. Imam his statement"
Mr. Delahels again resumed the stand
penaeS s mSeA Gey asRsd Mr. Wade
The total amount asPTopT r bys REPLIED M d;
that between $4,000 and s5soDthe exact figures
have not with me" 49,.
msso ns was then called sieinway said hat
he thought that the building Of an underground md
its interests
cost 100000 to build and IN forty years the city
viii own i completely I ,h Ti'n n,1 PAYING 6s cent
DO you believe in municipal ownership in gem
IN general because | believe IT would build up a
corrupt political machine and be the refuge OF
political hacks"
Mr. Steinway said he opposed 10 the city
operating railways He also said that the new
underground railway In London great sue
cess with only drawback. that the elevators
carrying passengers down to the road ninety-h five
feet under ground not adequate to the de-
mand. The use OF electricity would remove all the
unpleasant features OF underground trave.
Mu Stelnway then corroborated Mr.. Imam g
statement that the Board stands ready 10 listen TO
amy propositions the elevated road may submit.
Every one OF the RAPID Transit Commissioners
said he, always has been, and today Is, willing
10 entertain any reasonable proposition from the
Manhattan Elevated Railway Company for the ex-
tension OF their system. for which they agree "a
pay a fair and reasonable compensation 70 the
city.
Mr. Steinway said he did not think that ;hs
Manhattan company should pay any percentage q
ths c;,y Tor 6vs wears for inc Kingsbridgs