New-York tribune., 1903-03-31
some DANGEROUS MEASURES At ALBANY.
"JOKFRS" CONCEALED IN STREET RAILWA7 BILLS
WHICH MAY DO GREAT HARM TO THE CITT.

A0A&ND2G4A R880SEBCGs
50 refusing shall fsr9ett Gfty dollars Eso the
Aggrieved psrtyI, tke recovery In every IN
stance to be I'm the name aAd for the Oe2eAt
Of the people Of the state of New-YOFk In an
action brought by the Attorney General.
aaa fer any aAd ali sach refasaIs after such
passage to comply with such DFo~lHtens
shall forfeit enc huaAreA GOIIars 50 the said
people to be recovered tH the manner afoFe@
said"
Now, relieved Of the fine italian hand shown
in the verbiage, this innocent appearing little
''toker" shows that after it becomes & Law any
passenger who does not get transfer at
point at which he L. entitled to receive one, in
stead Of having the oswer to 'Eet the law on
the company and collect $50 for his pains, will
have to apply TO the Attorney General Of the
State, who Will prosecute .n behalf Of the State,
and If he succeeds hs viii recover 500 for the
State. which sum will cover. IN ell probability
though the vsgueness Of the wording leaves this
in sorna doubt-aI the offences Of this character.
Fer example hftv sN-sons are dumped out OF
Fourth-ave. car At II Tnty-thYa-st- If transfers
are refused, all they can - II - visit Attorney
General Cunneen at Albany. explain the situa-
tion and make afhdsvits. ana In duo time the
State Of New-York will 90 70 law for the $780,
which 1t pockets If 1t cclIe1ts. and the passen-
gers have the moral satisfaction OF revenge-
Under the present law. each Of the Srty might
go to a local court and briRs suit for $50 for
himself. and the company would lose $3.50.
This provision does away with Gn incentive to
passengers Of q streetcar to assert and protect
their rights. Now. 1t Is only necessary to re-
call how many points there are et which the
Metropolitan Street Railway has to issue trans
fere to realize the value to II Of this measure.
It applies to schoharie and Broorne counties.
but its metropolitan aspect is the one that in
terests the Low administration.
ANOTHER REMARKABLE MEASURE
Close on the heels Of this generous usage of
the Metropolitan Street Railway follows another
measure which betrsys evidences Of an equally
munihcent intention This is the Cabin hill CAS-
sembIy No. 147D. This remarkable measure
deals with the provision in the Railroad laws
which requires that before given railroad can
construct its line IL must secure, in addition to
the consent Of the local authorities, the pernis-
sion Of at least half the property owners along
the entire route Of its proposed line. Now.
recognizing the str1ngency and the severity Of
this provision, the Cadin bill steps In and pro-
vides:
Whenever heretofore railroad has been
constructed and operated upon and over q por-
ton of any route, street or highway described in
any consent heretofore given by any local
authorities. such consent shall be sufficient
authority for the construction and operation OF
such railroad upon such portion. and a failure
portion shall net inValidate such consent as 10
the portion upon which the railroad has been
constructed and operated"
Now, for tho explanation OF this provision the
following opinion OF a prominent lawyer is cited;
Such Q measure is intended. in my opinion.
to relisvA railroads from the necessity Of build
ing improbable ends OF their lines, since 1t per-
lr1its them declare beyond peradventure that
they cannot get permission Of the landowners,
-, Tlvna tbR
profitable end, which they have already con-
Structed. supposs for example, company gets
permission from the landowners at its city ter
minus to build cut into the country for mile.
it then occupies the street for that distance and
shuts out any line which may have secured the
permission of the landowners for fve miles be-
Yond in the country from the use OF that street
at the terminal end in the city. does not have to
issue transfers and can thus make two fares
necessary between tha suburbs and the city. The
original law as 1T stands the statute books
now, prevents e company from building any Of
its proposed line until ali the necessary consents
for the whole Of the proposed route are secured.
Now, aside from validating franchises that have
become void because the companies have not
built the whole lines for the portion built, this
amendment permits corporation. like the Met
ropoIitan, to build its lines only so far as 1t
thinks it profitable, and then declare that it can
not get consent for the remainder OF the dis
tance, but by building the short section it com
pleteIy nonopollses the street thus occupied. TO
the exclusion Of any other line which might be
willing to build for the whole distance"
THE MOTHER OF ALL JoKERs."
The last Of this set OF measures Is the Good
sell bill known In Albany as the mother Of all
toker1" Public attention has been widely called
10 the endless number OF dangerous features
contained In this measure, whose author firmly
insists that 1t was intended for Orange and
RockIand counties only. To enter into a detailed
explanation Of this measure would only be to
repeat the vigorous assaults The Tribune has
already made editoF!ally upon it 1t Is stiff
cient to point out at the outset that there is a
strong suspicion that it renders all existing rail-
road law imperative in the case of street rail-
ways. l. tahuIation has already been made of
ths boons and benefits that the Metropolitan
Street Railway would receive under its pro-
visions; it would Iegalize the An1sterdam-ave.
grab" II would permit the construction Of an
electric line across Central Park. 1t would. In
the opinion of the Corporation Counsel. fnval-
date the suits now being pressed by the city to
remove the tracks long unused In University
Place and West-st-. as veil as for the recover
of a percentage Of the earnings OF the street
railways Of NsSg-Tork City.
Apparently appalled, by the list Of fatal at
tributes discovered in the measure. its friends
allowed it to be recommitted, and then an
neunced 1t as dead. Presently. concident with
& visit OF Henry A Robinson, counsel fon the
Metropolitan Street Railway. to Albany. 1t was
announced that amendments had been intro
duced which would remove from the bill certain
obtectiorabls features, such az the right OF
transfer the construction Of q road through Cen
trail Park and In West Eighty-stxth-st-. and the