The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-28
WHY KEEP THE DITCH OPEN?
MERCHANTS SAY THAT CLEANING
UP IS NEEDLESSLY DELAYED.
Haven't They Suffered EnOugh?-Some
Talk OF Deputati0n to Ask tho Mayor
About It-AdmissiOn That the Con.
tractors Have Been Going Easily.

Talk OF Deputation to Ask the Mayor
About It-AdmissiOn That the Con-
tractors Have Been Going Easily.
Merchants along the line Of the subway
are not nearly so interested In the an
nouncement that the trains are to be run
ming in March next, as they are to find out
how soon the mess along the surface OF the
ditch is to be cleared up. However fast
the work below ground may DO going on.
the job Of restoring the streets to some-
thing like normal conditions does not seem
to be making any speed at all.
At Forty-second street and Broadway
the framework and walls Of the tunnel are
In place and have been for several months.
but the south side OF the excavation is still
open, half filed with the waste and dirt
Of the street. A shaky wooden bridge
plastered with advertising posters ex-
tends over this. A neighboring merchant
pointed out one day last week that there
we're ten Italian laborers at work at this
point.
and that's more than there have been
for weeks" he said. 40 all appearance
the subway here has been finished for
months, but precious little has been done
to clear away the Instructions which clog
traffic.
Il believe they must keep these bridges
and dirty fences in place for the SAKE Ct
the advertising matter posted on them.
There can hardly be any other reason for
keeping this place in its present condition.
1t is one Of the busiest corners in the city.
and at night, when the theatres arc letting
out their audiences, conditions here are
dangerous. Anyway, the mess as it is is
a menace to health and the attention Of the
Board Of Health ought to be called to it,
A real estate man who asked one Of the
contractors engineers why better progress
wasn't being made in closing up the ditch
in Forty-second street was told that nothing
better could be expected under the ditch
method Of construction.
If YOU could see the men crawling about
underneath in that network OF pipes you
would wonder we get along as fast as we
do" said the engineer,
Merchants along the subway route are
Interested in the admission, made by the
marlborough Construction Company. in
announcing the buying of power from the
Interurban Street ailway Company, that
the sub-contra ctors have been taking
things easily" knowing that the power
house which is to supply electricity for the
subway is being delayed by Sam Parks's
strikes The merchants want to know
WHY the sub-contractors should have been
permitted to lengthen the period Of loss
and Inconvenience simply because some
other part of the work Is not going along
very fast.
There has been some talk Of another
deputation of men in business along the
line of the subway to see the Mayor about
a. ala ptt,er tha
streets.
If the promised fastening Of the work
is not speedily shown, something Of the
kind may be done. The trouble IL that
the merchants who are suffering now are
not organized az are the merchants who
have determined to keep the ditch of
Broadway.
The Broadway merchants are to hold a
meeting tomorrow to find out, if possible,
what shape tho Parsons project for ex-
no intention OF being caught by a snap
decision of the Rapid Transit Commission,
committing the city to further period
of ditch construction, making new high
wav Of bankruptcy in their territory.
The merchants Of Fulton street, Brooklyn,
are also getting anxious about what the
Rapid Transit Commission and it's chief
engineer are planning for them They
are to meet tonight in the rooms Of the
Manufacturers Association to try TO find
out They have the advantage OF the
cooperation of President Swanstrom and
the other officials of Brooklyn borough.
Sir Eavid Miller Barbour, Lord Ribbles-
dale, Sir John Dickson-Poynder, N. p,
and General Manager George s. Glib Of
the British North Eastern Railway the
Royal Commissioners who arrived here on
the Arabic on Saturday to inspect the sub
ways in New York and Boston to see how
they compare with the London tunnels,
are staying at the Waldorf Astoria, To-
day they will communicate with the Rapid