New-York tribune., 1901-04-30
THE BRIDGE BILL HEARING.

The announcement exclusively made in The
Sunday Tribune that the important railroad
companies whose terminal stations are on the
New-Jersey side of the North River have no use
for a Fiffy-ninth-st bridge with waterfront
connection may be fatal to the scheme on which
Governor Odell is to give hearing to-day, but
hope both sides of the will be as
thoroughly presented as if the Governors sig
nature to the bill were the only thing needed to
carry the enterprise into immediate execution.
II is desirable on all accounts that the mystery
surrounding ambitious project which closely
concerns the people Of this city should be
cleared up, that Its character should be fully
explained and that whatever merits ii may
possess should be frankly revealed as its
faults. 1t may not be so dangerous as it was
supposed TO be. but in any case the public wants
TO know all about il.
At the same time hope that the spokes
men of the opposition who are going to Albany.
this morning will bear i'm mind that the demand
is for facts and not for inventions. There has
been great deal of loose and extravagant
denuncintion. which ought not to be repeated in
the Executive Chamber this afternoon. The bill
in the Governors hands is probably not the
most impudent measure with which he will ever
have occasion TO deal. and those who have
described il as such have not increased the
weight of the valid objections which others
have soberly pointed out. 1t is confused and
perhaps contradictory in form. SO that it is
difficult IL not impossible TO ascertain Just what
some parts of il mean. and the manner OF its
passage through the legislature discredit-
able. But ii is unnecessary 10 get hot over such
demerits. so long the bill indisputably pre-
sents two extremely vicious features in that it
grants public franchise In perpetuity and
secures TO the city a wholly inadequate COM
pensation for the privileges which the city is
required 10 surrender Those defects are funda-
mental. and, the legislature having adjourned,
they are at present incurabe. The opponents
OF the bill VIII be on secure ground while they
stick to those two points. There is of course,
no reason why they should not calmly discuss
various other points, but they should avoid the
mistake, into which many careless critics have
fallen of saying things about the bill that are
hot so.
IL has frequently been asserted for example
that the bill subjects the company to no control
whatsoever excepting only that of the commits
sioners under whose authority it has proceeded
thus far; but such is not the case Section 2
provides that when the company has built its
bridge, approaches. connections, ETC. it NAV
thereupon. with the consent Of the State Board
.'of Railroad Commissioners, construct main
tain and operate railroad tracks for public use
lin the conveyance of persons and property for
..compensatio and the Railroad Commission
ers must also approve the motive power to be
installed; and. Furthermore, al. such construc-
..tion maintenance ard operation shall he sub
..ject to and In compliance with such reason
able rules and regulations as may be pre-
"scribed from time TO time by the Department
.of Docks" 1t is true that Section 3 in extraor-
dnariIy broad terms commands the local author