New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-19
MANHATTAN AND RAPID TRANSIT.

The report of the Rapid Transit Committee
on Manhattan extensions accurately reflects
the general feeling that the Manhattan com.
pany should be enabled TO develop and improve
its system. provided 1t is willing to pay fair
tax on increased earnings and 10 conflne It's
operations to streets which the city can afford
to let 1t occupy. The Boulevard will not be
surrendered on any terms, nor will a tunnel
beneath It, which would spoil the underground
rap!d-translt plan, be authorized, nor any fur
Their encroachment on the Battery Park But
the company is allowed to make large extern
sions and important connections building over
Broadway at one point for the latter purpose
and TO lay new tracks on existing routes, the
whole scheme of Improvement being scarcely
II at all, less favorable to the company than the
one which Mr.. Gould and his associates them
selves proposed some weeks ago. That they
Will take this view Of 1t, however. is hardly TO
be expected. They will probably represent
that the Boulevard is essential TO their pur
poses, that they cannot get along without a
further concession at the Battery that the pro-
posed remuneration Is excessive and that they
are afraid Of damage suits. If they take this
attitude as Mr. Sage's comments lead us 10
suppose they will IL will mean that they have
recently been playing the old game of back
and ILL., without any sincere intention Of max
ing their roads as useful 10 the public as pos
sibIe in pursuance of a policy of enlightened
self-interest. The present indications certainly
are that the methods which have made the
Manhattan company continuously offensive to
the people Of New-York will continue to char
acterize its management for an indefinite time
to come.
In the mean time there is some welcome evil
dence that the bill legislating the present Com
mission out Of office cannot become law, and
that genuine rapid transit by underground roads
Is more than a remote possibility. The Com
mission has never conceded for a moment that
the Manhattan company could meet the trans
portaton requirements Of the city excepting
through such a sacrifice Of public and private
interests community would tolerate. 1t
has steadily adhered to the conviction that the
only solution Of the problem was TO be found
IN carrying ont the project which the people by
n great majority instructed this Commission
not a political Commission appointed by the
Mayor-to carry out, and some at least Of its
members confidently believe that the latest de-
cislon OF the Appellate Division makes the fran
chise readily salable. If there ever has been
time since the vote of 1894 when the dis
mlssal OF the Commission might have been ad-
vocated with show Of reason, which we arc
far from admitting, there Is not the faintest
warrant for such n proceeding at the present
moment On the contrary the prevalent belief
that the Commission after n long struggle
against great obstacles is nj last on the verge
Of success supplies the motive for the scheme
to get rid Of IT, While its failure seemed as
sured It's enemies were contented TO leave Il
10 It's fate. When al unexpected concession
by the Court made realization Of Its hopes
probable the sinister removal bill suddenly ap-
peared at Albany.
When Tanlnany early in the session was
procamng with characteristic effrontery that
the Legislature was ready to play into its
hands we expressed the belief that Governor
Black was incapable Of raufylng any such ar
rangement. The Governor wasted no time In
proving that we were right, and several Tam