The sun., 1897-07-20
MADISON AVENUE TROLLEY
PERMIT TO TRACTION TO TEAR UP
THE STREETS OPPOSED.


,. Harsen Rboades Protests in the Name or
Property owners Against GivinE Away the
HiEht-Proposed Conditions-Third Avenue
Raiirend Has = spoko 70 Put I'm tho wheel.
Commissioner Collis:gavo ashearing yesterday
on tho application of tho Metropolitan Street
Railway Company for permission to change
the motive power of the Madison avenue street
car limo to electric power, or, more particularly,
to toar up tho streets In order to effect such
change, authority to mako which has been
granted by tho Railroad Commission. Presi-
dent II. II. vreeland of tho Metropolitan Com
pany was there, with his counsel, Elihu Root,
and Engineer Pierson Of the company; and SO
were w. ii. Pago Jr., OF Hoadly, Lauterbach
& johnson, counsel to tho Third Avenue Rail
road Company, tho. engineer of that company,
John Harsen Rhoades, Jr., appearing for his
father, who represented Madison avenue prop
erty owners; w. c. Trow, counsel for an In
dividual property holder of upper Madison ave-
nuc, and two or three other persons.
President yrceland has grown little fuller
Of face within couple of years, and Just u bit
gray, and has developed q striking resemblance
to President Depew. Not that he would bo
mistaken for the only Chauncey, but ho might
easily be pointed out, especially as ho leans
forward over a table:whilo sitting for younger
edition Of the Doctor leaning over banquet
board. lie has moro hair on tho top of his
head than has been left to DR.. Dcpew, but he
wears his sidowhiskers exactly as does the
President of tho Now York Central and keeps his
slight mustacho 30 closely cropped that 1t
isn't noticeable.
Mr.. yreeland didn't do much Of the talking,
leaving Mr.. Root to speak for the applicants.
Mr.. Page, while in no way opp osing the appli-
cation, made vigorous stand TO compel tho
Metropolitan Company to file q map showing its
purposes In Park row, ON that part OF the
Madison Avenue Company's limo south Of
Centre strcet, and he won his contention,
plication; He read q letter from his father
who is absent from tho city, and who said that
they believed that the permit should not be
granted unless the company was compelled to
Medson ho sn ' ehsnSc
from horse power to electricity would, without
to ProP9rty siuss
tho company agree to clean and keep clean
the avenue, pave and repave, and keep in
wintcr, to remove the snow, to regulate and
control the speed of cars to a point Of safety to
at, each street corner, and that It be not
allowed TO run Its curs at more than O two
minute headway at any and all hours Of the
Mr.: Rhondes lives in Madison avenue. I'VE
understand" he said in tho letter, that con-
sewer. for the cost Of Of which We N as properly s
ask Why, il this Is NECESSARY 9 Al % the time should
now be chosen to do this work, and II 1t is be-
disturbed by such work to be done in the
futurei ., We are aware that the sewers Of por.
hs % sU %e %h
should s.! not this have been Iemedied before. and
why the work tSi should be done now wins in order q to
mandins great privileges at no cost II the The
property owners and residents OF this avenue
Of a corporation who are overriding tho rights
Of the people they surely have an honest
aathoriiiss are going 6eypnd the limit R Of their
patience in thus serving the interests of q pri-
are being invaded and serious to injury is 70 bo
DONE. done to US. and our patience IL about ex.
NO that tho eso OF
and ready to rotaliate both upon civic au-
Mr. Page wanted plans submitted to tho Com
missioner, saying that such was the practice.
along Park row, from Centre street to {ts ter:
minus at broadway. Its charter gave 1t the
Of Centre street. Il .Tryon row had been h,, the
the company had got permission to run single
| track below that point. but only a single track.
abandned to or turned over % TO- the % Third avenue
in cable power, the Madison avenue company,
the cable company's track, and tho cable com
pany permitting the Madison avenue company,
|
| to Centre street, on q track owned by 1t, but
| not used by 1t since it acquired the Madison
| avenue company's single track there.
| Mr.. Page was not ready to say. he said, that
| his company was not willing to give any per-
| mission the other side wanted in the promises.
| but he wanted tho map filed in order that his
| clients might know just what was intended.
| All wo propose to do Is to build on our own
| tracks," said Mr.. Root. I'VE will give my
| Information to tho Commissioner OF Public
| Works, but will not submit to Interrogation by
| counsel for the Third Avenue Railroad Com
| pany.''
There were several politely tart remarks
| during this part of the hearing. The Mctropoli.
| tan people, however, would not explain the de.
tails of their plans.
| You can toll the Commissioner whether you
propose to build one track or two tracks, and 1t
| Is disingenuous and unfair to the Commissioner
| to pretend otherwise" said Mr.. Page.
| Tho only response evoked was an expressive
| "Ohl' from Mr.. Vreeland.
Commissioner Coils said that he should like
| to have the Metropolitan Company file q map
| at his ofice, showing the existing tracks and
tho way inswhich the applicants proposed to
| after getting downtown, how they proposed get
ting back to Centre street. The Third avenue
| people, he informed Mr.. Page, might SEQ tho
| map. Until 1t was filed he would stay his hand.
| He made clear during the hearing his wish to
| have the work that was to be done done this
season, as he didn't propose, he said, to allow
tho streets TO be torn up In the winter.