The sun., 1895-04-17


municipal government with such su-
| preme power over them overwhelmingly
controlling its financesp
But this imperial body of Commissioners
exist in splendid style. They have their grand
offices, their body of official satellites of
every description, and they have their being
as a separate and independent government
in the city administration. Under the act
Of 1894 they have the right to use their
own seal separate and different from that OF
the city, the insignia of corporate existence
BY one Of the proposed amendments of the
net, now before the Legislature, they are
to have the right to src in the name OF the
city, for any purpose arising under their cx-
tensive powers There is no limit upon
their expenditure for expenses or in the dis
pensation of appointments. The most i'm
portant member OF the Commission, at
once its stage manager and star per-
former, resides in Brooklyn. He is
of course, not n taxpayer, and is
not affected by the pecunary conse-
quences Of the measure. The leading coun-
sci Of the Commission is resident and
regulator of the same city and county. The
spirit of lofty supremacy asserted by the
Commissioners is unprecedented in assump-
tion, and extends to the understrappers of
the Commission, who are in evidence on all
sides. Their scribe is nimble nincompoop
who has his fingers in every civic mess. He
Is reformer at large, undertaking to in
struct our citizens in every branch Of civic
duty with pompous parade of impudent
pretension. They are all gentlemen of
lounging leisure, maintained Mt the public
expense with large salaries. The law is so
constituted that, under the contract they
propose to make, the Commissioners can
be continued in Office during it's exist
ence from thrty-tive to fifty years, with
provision for renewals of like effect without
limit. There appears to be nothing certain
in their action, except that what they do
to-day they will probably undo at the cGrli
est opportunity. Their latest invasion,
providing for an appropriation of Broadway,
to an extent injurious to it's entire business
interests, destroying all the useful and nee
essary vaults now in use in front of the
stores, exhibits the species of despotic sway
they mean to exercise.
But they do not mean to give up their Job
They evidently intend to sacrifice all other
considerations to maintain their official
hold. On the 2Sth of December last they
appointed a body of experts to consider and
report upon the plans then proposed, consist
ing of Messrs. ABRAM S. HEWITT, THOMAS
c. CLARKE, CHARLES SooYsMITH, WILLIAM
II. BURR, and OCTAVE CHANUTE, all of
them practical engineers, except Mr.. HEw-
TIT, who, although educated to the profess
sion, has not exercised it. But he was the
chief originator of the project for rapid
transit !; he has had special experience in the
line Of the investigation, and is gentleman
entitled to high consideration. This COM
mittee acted on the theory that the main
object of :" the extraordinary legislation"
appointing the Commission was to secure
rapid transit. They made their report on
the 9th of January last and one of the most
important of their recommendations was
that an extension of the present Manhattan
Elevated Railroad should be provided for to
meet the immediate demand, and that the
tunnel scheme should he deferred until
later period.
This conclusion was regarded as rank
treason by the Commissioners, and was Mt
once rejected on the ground that it would
Interfere with the success of their plans, by
detractng from the value of their proposed
tunnel by showing it to be wholly un-
necessary at present, even with their claims
as to it's advantages.
Mr. HEWITT was taken aback by this ex-
traordinary development. In reply he
came before the public with n statement.
He said: If the utilization ofeNisting ugerl-
cies should have the effect of securing rapid
transit accommodation promptly. and
should render unnecessary the expenditure
of public money, the Commission would de-
tha thanks of bn nil f,re
a happy and satisfactory solution of the
problem "ln other words" said Mr.
HEWITT, d" it seems to me that resort to the
expenditure of public money will be justified
only in case the Commission shall after in
telligent efforts, fail to secure satisfactory
rapid transit by other means; and believe
that this approval of the Legislature and of
the citizens of New York was given only with
the expectation that the power to resort to
municipal capital in the last emergency,
might have the effect of making 1t unneccs-
sary to exercise the power at all by forcing
the existing agencies to provide immediate
and adequate accommodations" Mr.
HEWITT said much more in opposition to
the evident purpose to entertain no view
that would initiate against their tenure of
Office, or the spending of the fifty millions
The Commissioners now appear through
their counsel before the Legislature with
about seventy amendments to the law one
authorizing them to exceed the fifty millions
of dollars, and all of them designed to ag-
grandize and make the Commission still
more exalted and permanent power over
this city. Among the minor amendments
here is n small one:
Amy contractor acting under a contract made in
pursuance OF this act any act supplementary hereto
or amendatory hereof may. with the approval of tho
Board. lay upon or over the surface OF any street.
temporary tramways to he used only for the removal
OF eIcavated materials or the transportation OF ma
teral for use In construction"
Imagine these dirt-car tramwavs in Broad
way and the other principal streets, in opera
tion for the purpose of carting away rubbish
from excavations But we cannot 90 into the
details Of this amazing mass of dexterous
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