The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-31

the artillery the mines and harbor oDstruc-
| tions, for taking care OF which the engineers
get higher pay.
We cannot overestimate, in short, the
Importance Of making the coast defence per-
sonnet oil that 1t should be.
Observations Touching the Rapid Tran
sit Commission and What 1t Has
Achieved.
Four years ago the Rapid Transit Com
| mission decided that the building Of a
four-track underground railroad with the
public funds Of this city was an absolute
necessity. Since then every newspaper
published in this town, THE Sun alone ex-
cepted, has sustained the commission and
in every degree Of vehemence insisted
that such a road be built with the money OF
the taxpayers and be built at once.
Throughout the whole agitation THE Sun
presented the facts In the case and pointed
out, lucidly and inexorably, why the road
| neither should nor could be built as pro-
posed. In all the time that has elapsed
there has been no thoughtful or sensible
taxpayer of New York who has not fully
and unreservedly agreed with THE Sun and
L Olh hlt ouO Va LIZ " pSAoohoh
edge the force and cogency of its utterances.
Now. finally, at the very end Of the year
1898 the Rapid Transit Commission admits
that THE Suns position has been right from
the very beginning that all its arguments
have all along been founded in truth and
good sense, and that the underground road
cannot be and should not be built with the
public moneys. The commission admits
that when THESU said that it was wasting
| the. taxpayers money in futile and utterly
\ hopeless work, and that it was dishonest
| on the part Of the members Of the COM
mission to accept pay for such services,
THE SUN said that which was strictly true.
| Here is the truth acknowledged Of every
| averment that THE Sun has made; and the
whole gigantic fabric OF Misrepresentation,
humbug and dishonesty fallen about the
commissions ears!
Now, then, how much more humbug and
chicanery are we to pay for in respect Of
theagitation about letting the Underground
Franchise to private capitalists That is
the pitiable proposition that Is thrust for
ward at the present lamentable juneture to
cover up the humiliation and confusion Of
the commission. 1t is just as full Of humbug
/ III uSluoiOh OO"Auy OD ~ voc VhSh LhH "
held It up to public scorn n derision
long years ago. When the highly intel
ligent press Of this town were calling for
the Offering Of the franchise to the highest
bidder and describing how the line Of sub
scribers wantingsto invest would be miles
in length, THE SUN said that not a dollar of
capital would be forthcoming to build such
q road under such conditions. The fran
chlse was offered with the result The SUN
had predicted.
To-day the situation is unchanged. We
favor the building Of an underground road
by private capital, or as many under
ground roads as enterprise can be found
to construct, n we believe that II ex-
listing conditions justify such q project
the money to carry it to completion can
be readily had. For our own part we
do not believe that the conditions in
question do exist at this time. but II they
do and q common sense franchise Is
offered by the city, capital will promptly
settle the matter in the affirmative or other
wise. What we mean by a common sense
franchise Is one that will attract capital,
one that will guarantee it protection and
immunity from assault. and not n franchise
filled with obstacles and instructions and
with connscation lurking in its phrases. A
franchise like that under which Mr. WILLIAM
G. WHTrNEY's corporations are operated
would attract capital instantly to any prac-
ticable proposition. Never was q franchise
acquired by a corporation from which New
York derived such profit and advantage
as that which she Is now reaping from
the surface railway system of the Metro
politan Street Railway Company. 1t is con-
oeivable that an underground railroad would
also be of great value and advantage, but
we shall not readily be persuaded that as
an investment 1t can be made to pay. OF
that the infallible judge is capital.
The development Of the surface system;
the increase in travel and the mysterious
corresponding decrease in the cost of the
kilowatt the new conditions OF local transit
to which the publi0 is adapting itself, all
these are mott potent and most disturbing
considerations In the problem of rapid tran
sit. We have little doubt that they have
suficed to deter the improvement and extern
sion of the elevated railroad system, which
we have so long advocated and desired.
Indeed, we do not know that there Is now
much encouragement I'm the situation for
the elevated roads. The general tendency
OF travel by the surface electric lines would
seem to point to the practical RELOCATION OF
the elevated system to the long haul and
its entire elimination from the short trip
business. In that case there would be- a
wholly j~ustihable hesitation on the part of
capital to embark in the costly enterprise
OF changing the power and otherwise reno