New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-11
TRACTION CHANGE HEARING
ARGUMENTS ON THE METROPOLITAN
COMPANY's PLAN.
OPPOSITION FROM THE THIRD AVENUE COM
PANY-wiLIIAM c. WHITNEY AND OTHERS
ARGUE FOR THE APPLICATION BE
FORE THE STATE RAIL

FORE THE STATE RAIL
ROAD COMMISSION.
Tho State Railroad Commission met yesterday
,orning in the rooms Of the Chamber OF Commeiec
10 consider the application OF the Me.ropon'',
Traction Company to substitute the unoe eU""u
trolley for other motive power on seVe'", y, -.
lines The proposed change will affect the E'sn'"
ave Hudson-st Canal-st.. Amsterdam-ave'' "es'
Broadway Vesey-st.. Boulevard and fntS-"'"'
St. West-st. Sixth-ave. Church-st'. anu ''"
other lines At the last hearing w. H. Tase' -
Of the law firm of IIoadly, Lauterbach q JON"
SON. opposed the application or the MeuoPo''
FRACTION Company on behalf Of the Third-ave. anu
the Forty-second-st Manhattanvllle ana d. W.
olas-ave railroads. and asked for an ao'o"' w.
until Yesterday which was granted. ne opp ~,
of tho scheme also contended that the consent Vi
the Roard. OF Electrical Control should nave oee',
secured before the application coud DE- cono'u0'''
nv the State Railroad Commission
Mirabeau l.. Towns presented peo,o" ~ ~
Commission on behalf OF District Asse"o'! w "
Knights Of Labor. that the Board compei 'ne W.
ronoli,an Street Railway Company to give proper
transfer OF passengers. .o
The directors to the change Of motive power were
represented by w. II. Page. jr.. VINO maue "
10 dismiss the application OF the Me'iopo".a
rroc,,or Company on the grounds. frst mat the
Sixth Eighth and Ninth ave. raiiroaoS
trespa ssers In the streets because '"e! nav
their corporate rights because OF "ae.'o n
original grants second that neither OF these ,hfec
90 ,hosa horizons of their grants had lapsed beiore
any effort was made 10 construct the hort"e'" 20
tions Of the same: third That ~ was P''f
operate the change OF motive power system ,'1u ',
yenox-ave which was portion or railroao WIN"
49, c,x,have company had built without an!
snedou of right and without any attempt al coh-
nl,ence with the law. which requires tha' 'he SAM
should have been sold at auction ana compenN"uo'
paid to the city for the value or 'he flsh'' io"''
that in case of the Sixth and Eighth ave com
city hD n
written agreements by which these grants were
made 10 demand n repurchase TO Nseh Oh 'i'9o
railroads upon payment Of the original cost OF co"-
struction with 10 per cent added that this was a
most valuable bargain for the city, and 'ha' u
allow tho Metropoitan Company TO change the mo-
five power without the permission OF inc ci,s
would be TO change the character or the roaus
which the city had the right 10 buy pach' anu
thus deprive the city OF the enormous proh' "hc,
would result to It by exercising Its option TO compe'
"a. ronurchase OF these railroad properties hth'
that as the franchises for both the sixth anu
Eighth ave. companies were granted nnoer an ~
press agreement with the city that no power o'her
than horsepower south OF Forty -second-st ana
Jir,verst-st respectively should be used II would
he unconstitutional violate thia contract between
the railroad companies and the city
Mr. Page also urged that all OF the lines covered
nv the application extended along public parks. and
that the consent of the park authorities must be
obtained lie said that the Sixth-ave apphcauoh
contained an application TO change motive power
upon streets where there was no raiiroau 81 '"e
present time thus evidencng an intent on the part
Of the Metropolitan Company TO grab another por-
zion o. the city's streets without consulting either
the local authorities and property-owners or paying
any compensation 10 the city.
The Metropolitan Street Railway COMPANY YVES
represented by ex-Secretary Whitney, Henry A.
Robinson and John NJ Scrbner. Mr.. Robinson IN
opening for the Metropolitan Street Railway COM
many pointed out that far as the Nin'h-aVe
railroad was concerned. FOR which permission 10
change the motive power was asked nrs'' the
company had secured the consent OF properly
owners along the line OF route OF the assessed
value OF sll2455Oo which s345I,5oO in excess OF
what was required by law. Mr. Whitney said tha'
he thought IL was proper at this time 10 oner an
objection 10 the course o. procedure adopted d!
the directors the application. MY learned rieh''
Mr. Page" he said. says that we can't make the
proposed changes without getting the consent o. me
city. Well II we can't get the consent OF thc
CITY we won't make the change. lie says tha'
we can't make the change unless We get 'he oon-
sent of the Park Board IL we can't get Inc coh-
sent OF that Board. won't make the change
1T seems to me my learned friends object is
dua,orv one He cannot possibly suppose that
large proportion OF the objections ne makes CONES
before this Commission at all II 1t We're IN any Any
pleasure Of throwing mud lie goes back tnr'y oi
then asks you 10 sit down upon an Application
until have secured the consent Of every o or was
q tremendous glut OF traffic on he backbone OF
This island. Now. We are prepared 10 spend
parallel lines near the backbone Of the island to
Try and relieve the tremendous glut Of travel We
To- do It, We intend to build 1900 feet a day. which
is tremendous work. The proPerty-owners are
ertv-owners want US down their avenue
and not stop at Fifty-nuth-st. and have no Ques-
tion In my mind but that we shall go down Eighth
I'VE offered some time ago a'reward of $4,000"
ne continued. for the purpose Of s,imna,ins in
face railroads. We have secured now. in the face
of almost insuperabe difficulties what is consid
cred the best method available. and We desire TO
give the public the benefit Of II, and improve the
eervice on street railways. and We are met on
every side by a host OF preposterous objections
Some testimony to the consents of property
owners secured by the Metropolitan Traction Com
pany was taken. and then Frederick s. Pearson,
The Traction Company's engineer. explained the
Electric He said ii was greatly superior to the
cable as II was cheaper and any number OF cars
could be run with safety over any part OF the
He was asked about the recent trolley accident
in Boston. He said it had been caused by a leak
age Of gas, which may nave been ignited by an
Are You aware that the streets of New York
are literally paved with subterranean metallic
structures
Eyes. sir
DO you know CT any city where the same e0ndl-
yes ! think some parts OF Boston just as
do they use the underground trolley on these
NO sir; the overhead trolley IS used"
Mr. Page smiled at this reply. His object was to
show that II the underground trolley was used in
ures these structures might be damaged by escap-
ms electricity. and; acting as conductors for the
In reply to Mr scrioner the witness said that the
eystem used with the greatest success on the
LsnSxave line and that no complaints had been
Injury would be done the subterranean structures
by the escape OF electricity.
The hearing will 90 on to-day.