New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-17
WRONGS TO THE CITY.
THE STREET RAILROADS EFFRONTERY
IN DEMANDING FRANCHISES
FOR NOTHING.
yoHN HARsEN RHoADEs GIVES REASONS WHY
u.xnso>,p REVENUES SHOULD BE EX-
PEcTED FROM THE TRAC-

HANDSOME REVENUES SHOULD BE IN
rDcrEp FROM THE TRAc-
TON COMPANIES
To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir. I-pon my return TO the city after an absence
OF some weeks my attention has been caneo 10 al,
editorial In your paper of the 5th inst'' eh'''icu
GLOW the City Is Wronged." and, as ci'i~e'
wish TO thank you for the strong ana very ao'e
manner in which you have presented the 1ac's IN
relation TO franchises in our public streets sr"'eu
nv the LEGISLATURE and confirmed by the city
authorities; for the principles enunciated are souo
70 the core and should be repeated In every Jour
nal until the rights Of the people are respected o'
our legislators and local public authoriVes'
have nothing to do with. nor do care ior' inc
controversy now existing between the Third ave
nue. Railroad and the Metropolitan street RAILWAY
Company which owns and operates pracucai!
all the surface railroads in the city except '"e
Thlrd-ave road: nor do care for the enor's oei's
made 10 substitute other motive power IMAM ~
tricitv In the end some compromise or pu'on"oe
will be made which will stop the fight out WHICH,
unless the people bestir themselves, VIII ieaNe 'o
nuh,c as unprotected as 1t now IS. But 90 care
and every citizen should and protest against
the authorities giving away valuable ir"no"''e'
without receiving adequate compensation LOT 'he
gift.
agree with your statement that II the street
railroad and other corporations which have mace
lawfully exercised In the streets of this city hau
heen compelled TO pay to the city fair compensa-
ton for the privileges granted them Inc CIV!
would be obtaining revenue running up INTO "i
ions every year. and tho municipal dept "o"'u
no much less than at present while the burden OF
taxation would be far lighter than IL now Is
This statement of yours. it seems to me, Is es-
nectally pertinent at the present time The Metro
politan Street Railway Company is, ana mas peeh
for the last six weeks, trying 10 ootaih "l'"ou'
compensation the most valuable franchlses prop
ablv that can be obtained in the city. REFER 70
the applications IT is making 10 the various iocai
authorities for permission TO change for'y'e 'i'e'
NJ its road on Sixth Eighth and Ninth aves.'
and Fifty-ninth-st. into electric roads AS l"e!
stand to-day. these roads are among the best pay!
ing properties in the city. When equipped anu
ooerated by electricity, far cheaper method OF
traction undoubtedly their value Will be greatly III
creased. The Sixth and Eighth ave mes Ms
urinr on the rents which the Metropolitan company
paws for them. represent a combined capi'ahza''oh
variously estimated at from seven TO eight ana one
half millions of dollars. understand tnH6 me ne
total cost Of the Eighth-ave. road Is SVV'O.' 49,,
round numbers and that the entire cos %
siv,hove line is s.. 10000 in round numbers
When these roads received their franchises iiV'''
the city, they agreed that at any time ''V , 49,
paying the cost price with 10 per ceh' 80,
could have the option Of buying them Ill
franchises were acquired about forty years CO..
fNr
pas asked from street railroad corporations io
their franchises The result is that to-day the! arc
earning profits undoubtedly far peyohu VIC ,
local authorities In those early days imasiNu nv
SOuo rvenne han II did at the date when the cnar
ters were granted. while the roads nave iN'.
"Tbe Slxih-ave. company agreed with the ci,y
thai should not haze me ho horse below Forty
rccond-st The Eighth-ave compdI! b 90 Fftyo
Hys,si As 10 these two roads. then the Metrop9nr
tan company is esking ana eXPec''1le On The Ninth
nothing most remarkable FRANCHISES IN se ner-
ave and Fifty ninih-st. lines 1t merely aeens p IN,
mission to change irpT eSife W lines it seeking
To- be relieved from It's contract not 10 use oune!
agrtements such as these made by the sixth.aye
and Eighthave; roads with The city h mns b be
heir Contracts until released by the city In effect
heTeore the @ eGP PeW ranchsss Al
ready il has obtained the consent of one authority
few DAYS ago with but little opposition 1t applied d
TO Inc second authority. the Sommissoner OF rq bb
+, seeks And already the Commissioner mas given
his consent as TO one OF 1ne mas has nuIIed this
consent by getting ar injunction restraining It's LAX
This situation makes especially pertinent your
statement that No franchise ana no tn ou ciy
rsorNe " nnnmoniense good business and justice
~ M The ,axpaver And indeed why should the city
surrender its property and rights in Inc s,ree1s
without compensation, and that. too. ample compen-
The construction Of these lines Of road VIII
mean that through about forty-hve miles Of our
city streets this COMPANY Will appropriate se S
q the soil about I'VE feet wide and two ne feet dSep
merely al the Will of the city bat acquired under
i IN perD Dtq II TO me tha, there hardly
be more valuable right acquired IN this city The
ci,, obtains in large for the
rental OF the space under its sidewalks which 1t
leases for vault @ or he ey
land leased for vault purposes varies from - cents
foot and + this COMPANY pa should pay
rent for the space-some llg2Ool square ieet- asks
,rv t more than Sc 10000 And the difficulty which
Rapid S on nss w of Re c
Hall Tor rights which would interfere with the
vaults by W6 RRhc these
their rights. show how valuable they consider them
private corPqTsDn r expect to 6 get 9 ITS
representing far more than the actun. cost
road running from sixth-ave. TO Lexington ave.
10000 bonds have been issued, representing far
bond bond issue issue alone why should the Metropolitan
COMPANY complain II in return for these privileges
which will so greatly increase the value or It's prop
erty II he compelled TO pay the city not only as
Avenues and Streets are obliged to for the use OF
sidewalk vaults, but liberal tax fer me use OF the
Judging by the experience of the past, what pro
lection ia the future can the public expect? is inc
yer ofoer tha ~, ~ pnyercrowdine when row exists?
Is the spced to be regulated 10 the point of safety
10 the pedestrian? Are tho cars 10 be operated at
moderate speed? Are the tracks TO be kept free
from sanding In summer and sailing In winter ana
the piing up of each side of the track dur
ing snowstorm? And the fares 10 be lessened To
the point Of a 20 per cent annual return to the
stockholders, based upon the actual cost of the
roads themselves? In other words, are the tax
payers and the public TO receive 10 berett whatever
from the proposed change?
Without much thought and generally for selfish
property owners along the routes OF these
railroads giving away their rights under form
of Agreement which utterly deprives them of all
redress II the proposed changes prove an unmiti-
gated nuisance and serious detrment to the valoe
OF their property. Will this condition of things
end and the public TO suffer forever from
the assumption by these corporations of rights
which would not be tolerated for hour I'm any
civilized city in Europe. the exercise of which. If
iislrI1nl by q rriNafn inllVldlal Mnull he