New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-14
STEPS NOW WILL SAVE DELAY.
RAPID TRANSIT BOARDS COUNSEL SAYS 1T SHOULD
PREPARE FOR EAST SIDE TUNNEL AT ONCE.


needs Of the half million people living In tnls
part OF the city for fast underground trains 10
and from the business centres OF the metropohs
are imperative. The fact that these people nave
been patient in bdng their time for such an I'M
provement may be regarded as showing lack OIL
interest In rapid transit. Such. however, Is not
the case as has already been evidenced in the
present agitation and the ready response or the
civic organizations of Harlem and The Bronx
When furthermore. the people OF the East
Side fully understand thai early action by the
Board of Rapid Transit Commissioners VIII
mean the resiizatIon OF their hopes at com,
perativeiy e=riy date, the response IFoin Oil
clusscr Will be universal and conclusive
There is another strong reason why the pr
liminary steps to an East Side subway should
be taken at once. This point. which do not
believe has been particularly emphasized thus
far is that the early consideration or the SUI
tect by the commission will permit the real es-
tate owners Of the East Side to take advantage
of the opportunities thus offered TO lmpro'e
their holdings. These men should receive tne
chance ahead of time to know where the subway
will go. The question of a route should tnus De
determined early for its determination is bound
to have a tremendous bearing on the IMPROVE
nent of property 1t will act a great stimu-
lus to building, and result in the material IN
creasing of values of real estate ~
have pointed out, enable the commission 10
choose q route and to solve the problems IN
yolved with far more satisfactory results than
a later and necessarily more hasty considera-
ton And in this selection Of route the geo
graphical situation Is not the only one 10 pe P
considered. II is not the ideal route tnat IS
wanted; II is the possible route. the one whlch
can be built and operated both IN reference 20
tba needs of the travelling public and the reVe-
nue which II will bring in All these different
phases of the subject must then, be tnrashfu
out before the commission before It's teriil-
nation. - .
branch running north and south in Lexington
ave and connecting with the present Le.oN, o',
ave. line in The Bronx. Such plan may i ma c
certain features to recommend It NeVertneiesS'
fhe fact should not be lost sight of that the
whole situation should be caretuliy cofsiueIet eti
before any decision is made. Surveys must be
made and hearings had TO learn all the various
phases of the problem A., $500.
IT have seen some mention made TO the eIecI
that the city should build the subway at its
own expense and then operate 1t as puoiic
nrooerty OF such n scheme should not De IN
favor Such a municipal undertaking would
bring about a lack OF competition, which is trles
spur of enterprise. and soon the people "oui9
he clauoring for reduced fares, which "oulu
work. unjust discrimination against the present
overground railway lines. Under the provisions on > >
Of the present contract between Mr.. McDonaid
ond tho cttv the city does not expend n single
cent but simply extends its credit Ihe IN
terest on the bonds is paid by the contractor.
and at the end Of a term of years the properly
belongs to the municipality. Even then would
not favor the plan of the citys operating Ine
line but rather its leasing the line 10 priN''e
II want to congratulate The Tribune on It's
efforts to hasten the construction or SUBWAY
on the East side 1t has set lts race III 'iie
right direction.
IExINGTON-AvE. LINE A NECESSITY
George s. Rice deputy chief engineer for the
RaDid Transit Commission, In speaking OF the
cornnIaint made by several Harlem organiza-
+ions and prominent individuals that East Har-
lem and the large section ABOVE the ma ~, ~
River WILL under the present plana % i.h
papid Transit Commission be unproNldeo WI
sxpress service such there Will be on the
West Side said yesterday that thelr cohten
tons were perfectly justifiable but that IL Woulu
y,Iv be
fore express service was proVlueu. AS VIC @
present subway is being built the oranch ITO, iro,'i
the main line at Broadway and One-hundreu-
and-third st which east AS far as LehoA-
ave and then turns north on that street Is 10 70
consist Of two tracks that the district noi III
os Can+raI Park will be without express service
Further than that. according to the presel.' ~
plans the East Side between Forty-secohu a. st, 81
and One-hundred and -th1rd-st- does ho' h"'e Z
any subway service at az; ,,a
at is only question Of a few years saiu
Nv Rice ..before the great Harlem section and
49, ahoye tho river will have express service.
and the section east of the park SUBWAY Ac-
cording TO the original plans OF the SUBWAY en-
a;paars this was all provided for. There was 10
have been a line branching from the main line
at Forty-second-st. and running north up Lex Lex
ington-ave. Because Of the expense vs.
found necessary to cut this out Ihe Original
mans called for a $50 900 appropriation
"The Rapid Transit Commission has already
realized that the sections or whlch you , sp.,.
must HI. provided for and 1t is only quesaloh
of tjme-and a short time-before an addltlohai
appropriation is obtained and work begun on
Lenox-ave. This line, when IL ls ~
will both provide for the population on the
East Side between Forty-second-st. and one
hundred IA nd-third-st. and furnlsn an express
service for the Harlemites.
"As a matter of fact, this Lexington-ave line
is absolutely necessary. If a man wants 10 go
from Mott Haven to City Hall, and you TAKE
him nv a circuitous route through the West
side as will be done according to the present
plans you can hardly call the thing rapid transit
at all"
TO URGE COMMISSIONERS.
There is to be a meeting tonight of the Harlem
Board of Commerce. at which resolutions VIII
he presented urging the Rapid Transit Commits
sion to take early action in favor of an East
side branch of the Rapid Transit subway. Sim
liar resolutions were adopted by the directors of
the association, at a meeting last thursday