New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-08

franchises which 1t is willing TO accept on us
own conditions The Fordham extension IS
short. traverses sparsely settled region ana
really ought to pay nothing to the city The
West-st line will parallel the Nlnth-ave. road.
intercept ferry traffic, produce heavy loss ana
ought TO pay nothing The City Hall crossiown
line will likewise be dangerous competitor or
existing routes. but the company Will pay an
annual rental Of onehalf of per cent of the
gross receipts-thc same amount which it Will
pay though with great conjunction. for "ach
of the two lines before named. For additional
tracks ard facilities on the Third and Ninth
eve lines. which the company desires to build
for the accommodation Of the public, but when
will be very costly and probably Improbable. 1t
does not feel justified in paying more than
nominal rental The Amsterdam-ave. and
Kingsbridge underground franchise Is such
fantastic conception that the company VIII not
touch ii on any terms; but under the boulevard
which 1t had hoped 10 decorate with IFS orna-
mental elevations. It will consent 70 run tun-
mel paying a nominal rental for ten years and
thereafter annually onehalf OF per cent OF
the gross receipts. Now the most obvious de-
duction from these representations Is that me
Manhattan company realizes IFS inability 10 az
tract a fair proportion OF the enormous trainc
which is waiting for rapid transit. If II does
perceive that 1t Is badly bampered by the con
ditions under which 1t exists. and Is doomed 70
transact its business along the lines Of greatest
resistance and therefore at fundamental dis
advantage. we shall not quarrel with its con-
clusiOn. So far as we know. nobody outside
OF its own office has ever pretended to think
that IT could provide the transportation facii
ties which this. community requires.
There Is one other point in Mr. Gould's letter
which deserves attention because IT is indicative
either Of scarcely credible ignorance or Of mon
umental audacity He writes:
The trouble with your Board is. fear. deep
seated. Your mission, as you conceive II, Is 10
furnish rapid transit. by undergoing rall"ayS.
at the city's expense. You welded 20 that
scheme. Municipal construction Of tunnels In
New-York City is the ambition Of your official
existence. The conviction Is forced upon
us that our interests are secondary. TX
cept as one of the largest taxpayers in this mu-
ncipality, this company has no interest In your
schemes. Let that be understood. II you can
build your underground road do So. We arc
satisfied TO attend TO our own business
Now we submit that either this paragraph
IS chock full of most peculiar humor. or else
that the man who wrote II has no sense or
humor. Inasmuch as the Rapid Transit Com
commanded II to cause 10 be submitted 10 the
people the question whether rap!d-transit rail-
WAYS should be CONSTRUCTED Ivy the city and NJ
the public expense and upon that question the
people voted by n majority Of more than three
to one for municipal construction. according To
the underground plans previously adopted by
the Commission 1t does not appear altogether
strange 10 anybody except Manhattan man
agcr that thc Commission has over since been
trying ''to furnish rapid transit by underground
railways at the citys expense" and that the
interests OF the Manhattan company are sec
on,lary" As for the accompanying warning that
the underground scheme IL in hopeless condi-
lion. the city having exceeded Us constitutional
limit Of Indebtedness by more than SJO0rOpO.
that citation Of an absurd hypothesis would not
cause surprise II Il were known 10 DO fact
that Mr. Goulds letter and Mr.. Crokors attack
on the public credit were shaped by one and
the same ingenious brain.